Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 brettlangbdl Oct 02, 2014 1:26:54	A player in my campaign is trying to convince me that the calculating armor class rule in the PHB p.14 does not apply to monk base AC and the mage armor spell.  Can someone clarify this for me that will stop him argueing with me please ?
#2 Captain_Kobold Oct 02, 2014 1:52:51	Mage Armour sets AC to 13 + Dex bonus. Monk Unarmoured Defense sets AC to 10 + Dex mod + Wis mod.   Neither effect is a bonus that could be added to another number. Both are the total AC of the character before actual bonuses are added. You simply pick the highest.   From page 14: If you have multiple feastures that give you different ways to calculate your AC, you choose which one to use.
#3 DracoSuave Oct 02, 2014 1:55:14	There's no way that the rule you cite can work with that spell or that feature. If you look at Unarmored Defense, you'll notice that it doesn't say 'Get a bonus to your AC equal to your wisdom'.  Mage armor doesn't say 'Get +3 to AC'.  Plate armor doesn't give you an armor bonus. These effects define a new way to calculate AC that replaces the old way.  Unarmored Defense [monk version] changes your AC to equal 10 + Dexterity modifier + Wisdom modifier.  Mage Armor changes it to equal 13 + Dexterity modifier.  Plate armor changes it to equal 18.   This is why these things don't stack with each other.  Only bonuses can stack--things like the bonus to AC from a shield, or the shield spell, or shield of faith.  Those all DO stack with each other, AND with an AC-setting effect.
#4 FluffyBunbunKittens Oct 02, 2014 5:18:00	vamp70 wrote:
#5 Timborama Oct 02, 2014 6:33:50	brettlangbdl wrote:
#6 Nachturnus Oct 02, 2014 13:54:40	Cite him the rules source, and state "No. That's not how it works in 5e." To boot, giving monks up to 19 AC at level 1 would be a bit broken. That's the equivalent of a Fighter with a minimum of 13 str, a fighting style, and a shield. The monk, meanwhile, would have to take a single feat. A very uneven expenditure of class resources, especially since the monk's AC could climb to about 23 without any enhancement bonus (at level 16 or so.) The only other thing that could get remotely close is a strangely dexterous barbarian with his level 20 feature (giving him 22, 24 with shield) which also means that he's going to have an awful strength score. Suffice to say, it'd be a little OP.
#7 Trance-Zg Oct 02, 2014 13:20:40	It's a balnce thing.   It has no sense whatsoever with reality, but sometimes we have to sacrifice realism for design purposes.
(Reply to #7) Eric888	Trance-Zg wrote:
#9 RCanine Oct 03, 2014 17:34:00	Eric888 wrote: