Stacking AC buffs

[Aaedimus]

I know temp HP doesn't stack, but do AC buffs stack? Which ones don't?

I know monk, barbarian, mage armor, and scales (lizardfolk and draconic) are different ways of calculating base AC, and I wouldn't call them buffs, but I'm pretty sure shield of faith, haste, and shield all stack (although to have all three would require either 2 casters a potion, or a magic item)

What are the most AC buffs a character can have without help or magic items?

How about without sacrificing action economy? (No reactions or actions eating up your ability to do stuff)

[Greywander]

As a general rule, AC does stack, but you have to watch out for the wording of things. Some things say something to the effect of "you get +2 AC," while others are worded more something like "your AC is now X + Y."

For example, Unarmored Defense makes your AC equal to 10 + your DEX mod + your WIS or CON mod. So, dipping a level into both barbarian and monk doesn't let you double up, as you must choose either 10 + DEX + WIS or 10 + DEX + CON. Similarly, Mage Armor makes your AC 13 + DEX. None of these stack because it doesn't add to your AC, rather it sets your AC equal to some value.

A shield, on the other hand, stacks with everything because it's just a flat +2 AC. Same with the Defense fighting style, which is just a flat +1. Several magic items, such as the Ring and Cloak of Protection also add to AC.

Just make sure to check if the effect in question says it gives you a bonus or adds to AC, or if your AC becomes a certain value.

As far as the highest AC you can get sans magic items, I'd say go barbarian 20 and pump DEX up to 20 and CON up to 24 (thanks to barbarian capstone). With a shield, that's a base AC of 24. Add in Shield of Faith and it becomes 26. Add the Shield spell and you can boost up to 31 for one round. Alternatively, instead of the Shield spell, get the Defensive Duelist feat to add +6 to your AC for one attack, giving you 32 (you can do this every round, unlike the Shield spell). That's the best I can do.

Another build to consider would be a Bladesinger wizard. Not only can you get infinite Shield spells at level 18, but their Bladesong feature lets them add their INT mod to AC. If we assume 20 DEX and INT, plus Mage Armor, plus Shield of Faith, plus Shield every round, you can get up to 30.

[Malifice]

Technically speaking ability scores are uncapped with Tomes and so forth.

Technically the highest AC is also similarly uncapped.

[Unoriginal]

Technically speaking ability scores are uncapped with Tomes and so forth.

Technically the highest AC is also similarly uncapped.

The maximum is 30.

[Andrewjo]

I thought Tomes specify "to a maximum of 24"

[nickl_2000]

I thought Tomes specify "to a maximum of 24"

Nope, the manuals don't specify.

MANUAL OF QUICKNESS OF ACTION
Wondrous item, very rare
This book contains coordination and balance exercises,
and its words are charged with magic. If you spend
48 hours over a period of 6 days or fewer studying
rhe book's contents and practicing its guidelines, your
Dexterity score increases by 2, as does your maximum
for that score. The manual then loses its magic, but
regains it in a century.


But the Barbarian capstone (which I'm pretty sure you are thinking about). Does specify to a max of 24.

[Waazraath]

- fighting style +1
- magic items, like Bracers and (I think) a few staffs (was it Power maybe? afb)
- War magic level 2 ability (+2 reaction)
- Kensei level 3 ability
- shield spell
- shield of faith spell
... that's what I can think of out of my head. Probably there is a lot more.

[Aaedimus]

I actually think I made this way to vague... My actual goal was to effectively raise the AC of wild shapes as high as possible, because I'm not going mood druid but still want them to be as viable in combat as possible. I probably should have defined it that way to be a little less broad...

But, I originally thought the broader conversation would include the answer.

[MagneticKitty]

As far as the highest AC you can get sans magic items, I'd say go barbarian 20 and pump DEX up to 20 and CON up to 24 (thanks to barbarian capstone). With a shield, that's a base AC of 24. Add in Shield of Faith and it becomes 26. Add the Shield spell and you can boost up to 31 for one round. Alternatively, instead of the Shield spell, get the Defensive Duelist feat to add +6 to your AC for one attack, giving you 32 (you can do this every round, unlike the Shield spell). That's the best I can do.

Another build to consider would be a Bladesinger wizard. Not only can you get infinite Shield spells at level 18, but their Bladesong feature lets them add their INT mod to AC. If we assume 20 DEX and INT, plus Mage Armor, plus Shield of Faith, plus Shield every round, you can get up to 30.

I'm partial to fighter 2 / forge cleric x
Warforged +1
Forge cleric +2 @ lv 6
Fighter +1 from defensive fighting style
+2 shield
18 from plate
Comes on line at lv 7 with no magic a.c. 24

[Waazraath]

I actually think I made this way to vague... My actual goal was to effectively raise the AC of wild shapes as high as possible. I probably should have defined it that way to be a little less broad...

In that case the following should work:
- monk Wis bonus OR
- barbarian Con bonus;
- kensei ability;
- war magic wizard ability;
- spells with duration cast before wildshaping (barkskin, but also shield of faith, etc.). .