this character uses rolls from a previous character that I made. I found this little trick if anyone else would like to use it variant human with magic initiate (wizard) . After casting mage armor you can have I total of 21 ac at level 1.
I am pretty sure that your barbarian unarmored ac bonus does not stack with mage armor. Using mage armor counts as wearing armor.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Some spells and class features give you a different way to calculate your AC. If you have multiple features that give you different ways to calculate your AC, you choose which one to use.
True Strike is almost always pointless. Attacking twice is better than attacking once with advantage. It does have some niche applications like casting it right before combat starts during an ambush or casting it before an attack roll spell that uses spell slots, but it's just going to go to waste on a Barbarian with Reckless Attack and Extra Attack.
Looking at your character, I have to agree with InquisitiveCoder on True Strike. You're already an extraordinary warrior, and there are other ways to gain advantage in combat, if you really really need it.
If you're looking for alternative suggestions: I recommend Mage Hand or Light as a cantrip and either Jump, Shield, or Longstrider as the spell. Shield does stack with unarmored defense, I believe, although you'd only get to use it in one situation per long rest, which isn't much. Jump or Longstrider would give you some crazy mobility options, and I've found that mobility matters for melee fighters.
Remember to rage costs a bonus action and breaks concentration. Depending on the style of game, Identity is always a great utility, Find familiar cause you get an awesome little buddy, and floating disk if you have to deal with encumbrance.
RAW Mage Armor “recalculates” armor class to 13+DEX. Also RAW so long as you aren’t wearing armor as a Barbarian you gain 10+dex+con for AC. I think it’s sort of stupid however, that Mage armor doesn’t disclose that it counts as armor or completely recalculates AC unless you look further into it. Technically it isn’t armor, it’s a spell, and should stack with Unarmored AC. Some can argue it has “armor in the name” and ok that’s a fair, but it should at least state out right that unarmored bonuses are not added to this AC. I should also say that this should be said about things such as Bracers of Defense. Bracers of Defense apparently count as armor but all they cover is your forearms. Shackles don’t count as armor however, so why should these bracers be any different.
RAW Mage Armor “recalculates” armor class to 13+DEX. Also RAW so long as you aren’t wearing armor as a Barbarian you gain 10+dex+con for AC. I think it’s sort of stupid however, that Mage armor doesn’t disclose that it counts as armor or completely recalculates AC unless you look further into it. Technically it isn’t armor, it’s a spell, and should stack with Unarmored AC. Some can argue it has “armor in the name” and ok that’s a fair, but it should at least state out right that unarmored bonuses are not added to this AC. I should also say that this should be said about things such as Bracers of Defense. Bracers of Defense apparently count as armor but all they cover is your forearms. Shackles don’t count as armor however, so why should these bracers be any different.
Umm no, Bracers of Defense do NOT count as armor and can stack with Mage Armor or Unarmored Defense. The reason Mage Armor and Unarmored Defense do not stack is because they are trying to accomplish the same thing: modifying your normal unarmored AC which is normally 10 + Dex mod to a higher value. That is the reason they do not stack and also why you need to pick one or the other to replace your normal AC of 10 + Dex mod.
I have seen a lot of people talk about how bracers of defense turned off their unarmored defense but that could just be some debate I didn't fully understand. For the mage armor, I can understand from a mechanics stand point why mage armor turns off unarmored defense. They both change how the AC is calculated. But from a player stand point who just wants to have a higher AC barbarian I think its okay to say that it can stack on the grounds that "mage armor isn't actually armor its a spell that acts like a shield" and say that the new calculation is 13+dex+con. To me this makes a lot of sense to work because if a wizard can "wear" mage armor when they aren't actually proficient in any, why shouldn't a barbarian keep their bonuses for it not actually being armor. I wouldn't mind mage armor turning off unarmored defense if it actually stated that more clearly instead of assuming we would figure it out.
I appreciate your reply and do understand from a RAW standpoint why it makes sense.
I have seen a lot of people talk about how bracers of defense turned off their unarmored defense but that could just be some debate I didn't fully understand. For the mage armor, I can understand from a mechanics stand point why mage armor turns off unarmored defense. They both change how the AC is calculated. But from a player stand point who just wants to have a higher AC barbarian I think its okay to say that it can stack on the grounds that "mage armor isn't actually armor its a spell that acts like a shield" and say that the new calculation is 13+dex+con. To me this makes a lot of sense to work because if a wizard can "wear" mage armor when they aren't actually proficient in any, why shouldn't a barbarian keep their bonuses for it not actually being armor. I wouldn't mind mage armor turning off unarmored defense if it actually stated that more clearly instead of assuming we would figure it out.
I appreciate your reply and do understand from a RAW standpoint why it makes sense.
From a balance perspective it’s awful if Mage Armor stacks with this. That means Monks and Barbarians can have 23 AC with no armor required, making them by far the best tanks in the game.
Also, RAW and RAI both say that it should not stack.
From a balance perspective it’s awful if Mage Armor stacks with this. That means Monks and Barbarians can have 23 AC with no armor required, making them by far the best tanks in the game.
Also, RAW and RAI both say that it should not stack.
Agreed and following the logice if mage armor stacks then it a barb can add con to their AC and monks wid why not both. A monk can take a level or barb or vice versa with magic initiate gets AC of 13+Dex+Con+Wis which could easily be 22 at level 2 (more with lucky rolls for abilty scores) and 27 at level 20.
This would make them the best tank other than the plate and shield eldritch knight. The strongest level one tank build I have found I think was a high roll Mountain Dwarf barbarian with shield. I am pretty sure that with Tasha's rule set you can reallocate str to dex and get a total with rolled stats up to like 22 with shield. 21 for base MD.
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this character uses rolls from a previous character that I made. I found this little trick if anyone else would like to use it variant human with magic initiate (wizard) . After casting mage armor you can have I total of 21 ac at level 1.
Cantrips: Message, true strike
1st: mage armor
I am pretty sure that your barbarian unarmored ac bonus does not stack with mage armor. Using mage armor counts as wearing armor.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I'm pretty sure that Mage Armor doesn't stack with the Barbarian's Unarmored Defense ability.
Both of them give an armor calculation and you then get to select which armor calculation you wish to use.
Mage Armor: "The target's base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier."
Unarmored Defense: "While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier."
https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/step-by-step-characters#ArmorClass
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If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
I misread it. I was so excited.
I saw that. Changed it to sleep.
Sleep could be pretty powerful though at lower levels and not something that would be expected. :)
I've could imagine Divine Favor, Hunter's Mark, or Thunderous Smite being kinda fun too.
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
thunderous smite would be incredible. I like the true strike
True Strike is almost always pointless. Attacking twice is better than attacking once with advantage. It does have some niche applications like casting it right before combat starts during an ambush or casting it before an attack roll spell that uses spell slots, but it's just going to go to waste on a Barbarian with Reckless Attack and Extra Attack.
Looking at your character, I have to agree with InquisitiveCoder on True Strike. You're already an extraordinary warrior, and there are other ways to gain advantage in combat, if you really really need it.
If you're looking for alternative suggestions: I recommend Mage Hand or Light as a cantrip and either Jump, Shield, or Longstrider as the spell. Shield does stack with unarmored defense, I believe, although you'd only get to use it in one situation per long rest, which isn't much. Jump or Longstrider would give you some crazy mobility options, and I've found that mobility matters for melee fighters.
that is fair. I hadn't read the ruling correctly from the book. Though longstrider would be excellent
Longstrider is the best option between the two.
Remember to rage costs a bonus action and breaks concentration. Depending on the style of game, Identity is always a great utility, Find familiar cause you get an awesome little buddy, and floating disk if you have to deal with encumbrance.
I think this is wrong
RAW Mage Armor “recalculates” armor class to 13+DEX. Also RAW so long as you aren’t wearing armor as a Barbarian you gain 10+dex+con for AC. I think it’s sort of stupid however, that Mage armor doesn’t disclose that it counts as armor or completely recalculates AC unless you look further into it. Technically it isn’t armor, it’s a spell, and should stack with Unarmored AC. Some can argue it has “armor in the name” and ok that’s a fair, but it should at least state out right that unarmored bonuses are not added to this AC. I should also say that this should be said about things such as Bracers of Defense. Bracers of Defense apparently count as armor but all they cover is your forearms. Shackles don’t count as armor however, so why should these bracers be any different.
I have been aware of my mistake for nearly three years. I had just misread mage armor.
Umm no, Bracers of Defense do NOT count as armor and can stack with Mage Armor or Unarmored Defense. The reason Mage Armor and Unarmored Defense do not stack is because they are trying to accomplish the same thing: modifying your normal unarmored AC which is normally 10 + Dex mod to a higher value. That is the reason they do not stack and also why you need to pick one or the other to replace your normal AC of 10 + Dex mod.
I have seen a lot of people talk about how bracers of defense turned off their unarmored defense but that could just be some debate I didn't fully understand. For the mage armor, I can understand from a mechanics stand point why mage armor turns off unarmored defense. They both change how the AC is calculated. But from a player stand point who just wants to have a higher AC barbarian I think its okay to say that it can stack on the grounds that "mage armor isn't actually armor its a spell that acts like a shield" and say that the new calculation is 13+dex+con. To me this makes a lot of sense to work because if a wizard can "wear" mage armor when they aren't actually proficient in any, why shouldn't a barbarian keep their bonuses for it not actually being armor. I wouldn't mind mage armor turning off unarmored defense if it actually stated that more clearly instead of assuming we would figure it out.
I appreciate your reply and do understand from a RAW standpoint why it makes sense.
From a balance perspective it’s awful if Mage Armor stacks with this. That means Monks and Barbarians can have 23 AC with no armor required, making them by far the best tanks in the game.
Also, RAW and RAI both say that it should not stack.
Agreed and following the logice if mage armor stacks then it a barb can add con to their AC and monks wid why not both. A monk can take a level or barb or vice versa with magic initiate gets AC of 13+Dex+Con+Wis which could easily be 22 at level 2 (more with lucky rolls for abilty scores) and 27 at level 20.
This would make them the best tank other than the plate and shield eldritch knight. The strongest level one tank build I have found I think was a high roll Mountain Dwarf barbarian with shield. I am pretty sure that with Tasha's rule set you can reallocate str to dex and get a total with rolled stats up to like 22 with shield. 21 for base MD.