D&D 5E Mage armor + bracers of defence

[Ezequielramone]

Since this ed doesn't have tags for bonuses, I can't figure out if the ac bonus from the bracers and the spell stack.
Bracers ad 2 to your ac if you don't wear armor but I can't tell if mage armor count as it.
At the end of our last session my players found the bracers and asked me about this. My homework is to give them an answer. So I ask you


Could you help me please.

 

[Yunru]

The question really is what counts as wearing armor.

Mage Armor is not armor.
Draconic Reselience is not armor.
Unarmored Defence is not armor.
Armor is armor.
Shields are not worn/armor either.

 

[Arial Black]

Things that provide a formula for AC do not stack. Mage armour provides a formula: 13+Dex.

Things that provide a simple bonus do stack. Bracers of Defence give +2 AC.

If you cast mage armour on a monk wearing a Ring of Protection and Bracers of Defense, and the monk had Dex 18 and Wis 15, then the monk must choose to use either the mage armour (13+Dex) OR the Unarmoured Defence feature (10+Dex+Wis), but may add both Ring (+1 AC) and Bracers (+2 AC). AC = 20 in this example.

In this example, you would choose the AC from the spell, but if Wis gave +3 or more then the spell would be pointless.

 

[jrowland]

Mage armor gives you an AC of 13. It's not a bonus to AC. It's not Armor (its a spell). Bracers give a +2 bonus to AC. Therefore, Mage Armor gives you AC of 15+ dex mod.

I don't have PHB (at wotc for replacement) or DMG on me, but iirc there is no bonus stacking rule. In addition bonuses stack (maybe it was a tweet from Crawford...or my own fevered imagination, who knows at this point. I am old and cantankerous)

 

[Ezequielramone]

Things that provide a formula for AC do not stack. Mage armour provides a formula: 13+Dex.

Things that provide a simple bonus do stack. Bracers of Defence give +2 AC.

If you cast mage armour on a monk wearing a Ring of Protection and Bracers of Defense, and the monk had Dex 18 and Wis 15, then the monk must choose to use either the mage armour (13+Dex) OR the Unarmoured Defence feature (10+Dex+Wis), but may add both Ring (+1 AC) and Bracers (+2 AC). AC = 20 in this example.

In this example, you would choose the AC from the spell, but if Wis gave +3 or more then the spell would be pointless.

Excellent answer. Thanks both of you.

 

[CapnZapp]

Excellent answer. Thanks both of you.

Although the answer is simply "yes".

Things that provide a formula for AC do not stack. Mage armour provides a formula: 13+Dex.

Things that provide a simple bonus do stack. Bracers of Defence give +2 AC.

This bit is absolutely correct, only I would have spelled it out: "yes, the bracers do stack with the spell"

If you cast mage armour on a monk wearing a Ring of Protection and Bracers of Defense, and the monk had Dex 18 and Wis 15, then the monk must choose to use either the mage armour (13+Dex) OR the Unarmoured Defence feature (10+Dex+Wis), but may add both Ring (+1 AC) and Bracers (+2 AC). AC = 20 in this example.

In this example, you would choose the AC from the spell, but if Wis gave +3 or more then the spell would be pointless.

This part is merely irrelevant, or perhaps superfluous. I mean, it's technically correct, but since nothing about the conclusion applies to Bracers of Defense - they grant +2 AC equally regardless of your Wisdom score - I would have preferred the answer to omit it.

The bracers still stack with the spell. The fact the spell doesn't stack with things like the class feature is something entirely different.

 

[CapnZapp]

I can add that even the designers can get this wrong.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/03/13/does-bracers-of-defense-stack-with-mage-armor/

This answer is false. MMearls must have read the question as if asking "does unarmored defense stack with mage armor" much like in that month's Sage Advice.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-january-2016

If nothing else, this just shows why Twitter is a stupid platform for complicated questions...

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

I can add that even the designers can get this wrong.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/03/13/does-bracers-of-defense-stack-with-mage-armor/

This answer is false. MMearls must have read the question as if asking "does unarmored defense stack with mage armor" much like in that month's Sage Advice.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-january-2016

If nothing else, this just shows why Twitter is a stupid platform for complicated questions...

In 2nd edition Bracers of Defense gave a specific AC rather than a bonus, so Mearls is probably just mixing up the rules by edition

 

[CapnZapp]

In 2nd edition Bracers of Defense gave a specific AC rather than a bonus, so Mearls is probably just mixing up the rules by edition

Apparently in the D&D Next 5E playtest too.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Remember that two items of the same type DO NOT STACK. So two Ring of Protections would not provide +2 AC and Saves. But a Ring of Protection and Bracers of Defense do combine.