So I was making a character that was a monk and of the Tortle race and was wondering if their ac bonus stack. Like can I gain the benefit of both the tortle's base ac of 17 while not wearing armor and the monk's unarmored defense making the equation for armor 17+Dex mod+Wis mod, rather than 10+Dex mod+Wis mod? Just curious about this as I know there is the chance of making a character with over 20 AC due to this.
Your Armor Class (AC) represents how well your character avoids being wounded in battle. Things that contribute to your AC include the armor you wear, the shield you carry, and your Dexterity modifier. Not all characters wear armor or carry shields, however.
Without armor or a shield, your character’s AC equals 10 + his or her Dexterity modifier. If your character wears armor, carries a shield, or both, calculate your AC using the rules in the Equipment section. Record your AC on your character sheet.
Your character needs to be proficient with armor and shields to wear and use them effectively, and your armor and shield proficiencies are determined by your class. There are drawbacks to wearing armor or carrying a shield if you lack the required proficiency, as explained in the Equipment section.
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.
So I was making a character that was a monk and of the Tortle race and was wondering if their ac bonus stack. Like can I gain the benefit of both the tortle's base ac of 17 while not wearing armor and the monk's unarmored defense making the equation for armor 17+Dex mod+Wis mod, rather than 10+Dex mod+Wis mod? Just curious about this as I know there is the chance of making a character with over 20 AC due to this.
No, AC bonuses are separate. You take whichever calculation gives you the higher AC.
From the Basic Rules, bolded the last sentence.
Ah, I missed that while I was reading. Thank you!