Does Mage armor and Draconic resilience stack? Sorcerers don't wear armor, and neither ability claims to be armor. But I think a rules check needs to be here, if these two abilities are in conflict.
How do you calculate a creature’s Armor Class (AC)? Chapter 1 of the Player’s Handbook (p. 14) describes how to determine AC, yet AC calculations generate questions frequently. That fact isn’t too surprising, given the number of ways the game gives you to change your AC! Here are some ways to calculate your base AC: Unarmored: 10 + your Dexterity modifier. Armored: Use the AC entry for the armor you’re wearing (see PH, 145). For example, in leather armor, you calculate your AC as 11 + your Dexterity modifier, and in chain mail, your AC is simply 16. Unarmored Defense (Barbarian): 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. Unarmored Defense (Monk): 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. Draconic Resilience (Sorcerer): 13 + your Dexterity modifier. Natural Armor: 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your natural armor bonus. This is a calculation method typically used only by monsters and NPCs, although it is also relevant to a druid or another character who assumes a form that has natural armor. These methods—along with any others that give you a formula for calculating your AC—are mutually exclusive; you can benefit from only one at a time. If you have access to more than one, you pick which one to use. For example, if you’re a sorcerer/monk, you can use either Unarmored Defense or Draconic Resilience, not both. Similarly, a druid/ barbarian who transforms into a beast form that has natural armor can use either the beast’s natural armor or Unarmored Defense (you aren’t considered to be wearing armor when you use natural armor). What about a shield? A shield increases your AC by 2 while you use it. For example, if you’re unarmored and use a shield, your AC is 12 + your Dexterity modifier. Keep in mind that some AC calculations, such as a monk’s Unarmored Defense, prohibit the use of a shield. Once you have your base AC, it can be temporarily modified by situational bonuses and penalties. For instance, having half cover gives you a +2 bonus to your AC, and three-quarters cover gives a +5 bonus. Spells sometimes modify AC as well. Shield of faith, for example, grants a target a +2 bonus to AC until the spell ends. Magic items can also enhance your AC. Here are a few examples: +1 chain mail gives you an AC of 17, a ring of protection gives you a +1 bonus to AC no matter what you’re wearing, and bracers of defense grant you a +2 bonus to AC if you’re not wearing armor or using a shield.
Any feature that gives you an armor calculation will not stack with any other feature that does the same. Unarmored Defense, Mage Armor, Draconic Resilience, etc. You use one of them.
Check out the new 2024 rules on a draconic ancestry sorcerer.
Draconic Resilience ac of 10 + Dex and Cha. All I want is the combo of the 2 mage armor of ac 13 plus dex and cha. 3rd level Sorcerer with this and a 15 cha 14 dex would have an ac of 13 +4 for 17 that's not game breaking is it vs the 15 ac of mage armor and +2 dex.
Check out the new 2024 rules on a draconic ancestry sorcerer.
Draconic Resilience ac of 10 + Dex and Cha. All I want is the combo of the 2 mage armor of ac 13 plus dex and cha. 3rd level Sorcerer with this and a 15 cha 14 dex would have an ac of 13 +4 for 17 that's not game breaking is it vs the 15 ac of mage armor and +2 dex.
Most people would have better stats than that. With point buy you can easily have 16 in Dex and Cha, so if you combined Draconic Resilience with Mage Armour you'd end up with AC 19. That's the equivalent of magical Plate +1 armour. That's a bit much.
In any case, this is the Rules forum to discuss Rules as Written and the Rules as Written are that Mage Armour and Draconic Resilience, in either ruleset, don't stack together.
If the 16 AC isn't enough or you rolled really poorly for stats, then consider other defensive spells like Shield spell, Mirror Image and Blur. There's also shields (item) if you're able to get proficiency, cover rules (+2 half-cover, +5 ¼ cover), magic items, and more.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Does Mage armor and Draconic resilience stack? Sorcerers don't wear armor, and neither ability claims to be armor. But I think a rules check needs to be here, if these two abilities are in conflict.
gm_dm_alexander is my Discord
No, they don’t stack. Both set a base (13) that adds to your DEX modifier.
You choose between them which one to calculate AC
How do you calculate a creature’s Armor Class (AC)? Chapter 1 of the Player’s Handbook (p. 14) describes how to determine AC, yet AC calculations generate questions frequently. That fact isn’t too surprising, given the number of ways the game gives you to change your AC! Here are some ways to calculate your base AC: Unarmored: 10 + your Dexterity modifier. Armored: Use the AC entry for the armor you’re wearing (see PH, 145). For example, in leather armor, you calculate your AC as 11 + your Dexterity modifier, and in chain mail, your AC is simply 16. Unarmored Defense (Barbarian): 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. Unarmored Defense (Monk): 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. Draconic Resilience (Sorcerer): 13 + your Dexterity modifier. Natural Armor: 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your natural armor bonus. This is a calculation method typically used only by monsters and NPCs, although it is also relevant to a druid or another character who assumes a form that has natural armor. These methods—along with any others that give you a formula for calculating your AC—are mutually exclusive; you can benefit from only one at a time. If you have access to more than one, you pick which one to use. For example, if you’re a sorcerer/monk, you can use either Unarmored Defense or Draconic Resilience, not both. Similarly, a druid/ barbarian who transforms into a beast form that has natural armor can use either the beast’s natural armor or Unarmored Defense (you aren’t considered to be wearing armor when you use natural armor). What about a shield? A shield increases your AC by 2 while you use it. For example, if you’re unarmored and use a shield, your AC is 12 + your Dexterity modifier. Keep in mind that some AC calculations, such as a monk’s Unarmored Defense, prohibit the use of a shield. Once you have your base AC, it can be temporarily modified by situational bonuses and penalties. For instance, having half cover gives you a +2 bonus to your AC, and three-quarters cover gives a +5 bonus. Spells sometimes modify AC as well. Shield of faith, for example, grants a target a +2 bonus to AC until the spell ends. Magic items can also enhance your AC. Here are a few examples: +1 chain mail gives you an AC of 17, a ring of protection gives you a +1 bonus to AC no matter what you’re wearing, and bracers of defense grant you a +2 bonus to AC if you’re not wearing armor or using a shield.
Any feature that gives you an armor calculation will not stack with any other feature that does the same. Unarmored Defense, Mage Armor, Draconic Resilience, etc. You use one of them.
Check out the new 2024 rules on a draconic ancestry sorcerer.
Draconic Resilience ac of 10 + Dex and Cha. All I want is the combo of the 2 mage armor of ac 13 plus dex and cha. 3rd level Sorcerer with this and a 15 cha 14 dex would have an ac of 13 +4 for 17 that's not game breaking is it vs the 15 ac of mage armor and +2 dex.
Most people would have better stats than that. With point buy you can easily have 16 in Dex and Cha, so if you combined Draconic Resilience with Mage Armour you'd end up with AC 19. That's the equivalent of magical Plate +1 armour. That's a bit much.
In any case, this is the Rules forum to discuss Rules as Written and the Rules as Written are that Mage Armour and Draconic Resilience, in either ruleset, don't stack together.
If the 16 AC isn't enough or you rolled really poorly for stats, then consider other defensive spells like Shield spell, Mirror Image and Blur. There's also shields (item) if you're able to get proficiency, cover rules (+2 half-cover, +5 ¼ cover), magic items, and more.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.