stacking order for damage mitigation

[Quoz]

I'm looking at making a character that makes heavy use of Armor of Agathys and want to make sure I understand the different ways and orders that stacked damage mitigation interact.

For this unrealistic example, let's say I have all of the following:

Resistance from Warding Bond
Temp HP from AoA
Abjurer's Ward from abjuration wizard 2
Heavy Armor Mastery (-3 damage, flat)
Uncanny Dodge from Rogue 5 (reaction, take half damage)
An ally uses Interception fighting style (reaction, -1d10 + proficiency damage)

If I were to take a hit, in what order would the effects apply? And are there any other sources of stackable damage reduction I could add in?

[Mastikator]

AFAIK

Interception
then abjurer's ward
then armor of agathys
then resistance applies to temp hp
then to hp

I don't know if heavy armor master -3 applies before or after resistance.

Also resistance does not stack with itself, uncanny dodge does nothing if you also got warding bond.

Note that armor of agathys damage return applies even if the interception and/or abjurer's ward reduces the damage to zero, but AoA does not benefit from resistance.

[stoutstien]

I'm looking at making a character that makes heavy use of Armor of Agathys and want to make sure I understand the different ways and orders that stacked damage mitigation interact.

For this unrealistic example, let's say I have all of the following:

Resistance from Warding Bond
Temp HP from AoA
Abjurer's Ward from abjuration wizard 2
Heavy Armor Mastery (-3 damage, flat)
Uncanny Dodge from Rogue 5 (reaction, take half damage)
An ally uses Interception fighting style (reaction, -1d10 + proficiency damage)

If I were to take a hit, in what order would the effects apply? And are there any other sources of stackable damage reduction I could add in?

So the basic rules are resistance or vulnerability are applied last, flat reductions don't care when you apply them as long as it's before resistance, THP are used before normal hp, and arcane ward isn't actually part of the caster so none of it applies. However the damage portion of AoA works with ward because it doesn't care if you lose any of the THP just that you were hit with an attack.

So in your case the ward is activated first and any carryover would go to the flat reductions, Then you cut it in half from resistance, and finally it would reduce THP/HP.

There are a few other forms of static reduction available like the Goliath's stone endurance, psi warriors protection field and clockwork sorcerers baston of law. Note that even that bastion law calls it a ward, like the arcane Ward, it functions like flat reduction.

[Gignere]

I think flat reductions applies first so both interception and HAM would apply first in any order. Then resistance and uncanny dodge. Not sure about the interaction with arcane ward, but typically THP is reduced before hps.

[stoutstien]

Uncanny Dodge is also a flat reduction even if reduces damage in half like resistance does. Only works on a single attack though.

[Quoz]

Thanks for the info. As I now understand it, the order would go:

1st: any non-resistance damage reduction. This would be under 'simultaneous effects' so the character taking damage could choose the order, if important. This would include Heavy Armor Mastery, goliath racial ability, Interception fighting style, Evasion's half damage for a failed dex save, Rogue's uncanny dodge, clockwork soul sorcerer's bastion of law, and probably a few others.

2nd: apply weakess/resistance. This does not stack, so Warding Bond on a bear totem barbarian will halve the damage once, not twice.

3rd: remaining damage is applied to arcane ward.

4th: damage exceeding arcane ward is applied to temp hp.

5th: damage exceeding temp hp is applied to your current hp. If under a warding bond, this damage is also applied to the character that cast the bond on you.

5b: if in a polymorph, wild shape, or other transformation, once the alternate shape's hp reaches 0 you revert to your base form and any remaining damage is applied to your normal hp. This is still real damage and will still pass damage through a warding bond.

[stoutstien]

Thanks for the info. As I now understand it, the order would go:

1st: any non-resistance damage reduction. This would be under 'simultaneous effects' so the character taking damage could choose the order, if important. This would include Heavy Armor Mastery, goliath racial ability, Interception fighting style, Evasion's half damage for a failed dex save, Rogue's uncanny dodge, clockwork soul sorcerer's bastion of law, and probably a few others.

2nd: apply weakess/resistance. This does not stack, so Warding Bond on a bear totem barbarian will halve the damage once, not twice.

3rd: remaining damage is applied to arcane ward.

4th: damage exceeding arcane ward is applied to temp hp.

5th: damage exceeding temp hp is applied to your current hp. If under a warding bond, this damage is also applied to the character that cast the bond on you.

5b: if in a polymorph, wild shape, or other transformation, once the alternate shape's hp reaches 0 you revert to your base form and any remaining damage is applied to your normal hp. This is still real damage and will still pass damage through a warding bond.

Arcane ward is first because it's specifically redirects damage rather than reduces it.

[Quoz]

Arcane ward is first because it's specifically redirects damage rather than reduces it.

Ah, thank you. Felt like there was something I was still not quite getting. Probably makes abjurer an alternative strategy rather than a key part of the build.

[stoutstien]

Ah, thank you. Felt like there was something I was still not quite getting. Probably makes abjurer an alternative strategy rather than a key part of the build.
the ward has three distinct advantages. The first is because of the way it's worded it triggers the damage from AoA workout draining the THP. That means you have a good chance of getting full duration out of the spell. The second is it completely prevents concentration checks from damage if it results in zero damage. That's quite different from other things that can reduce damage to zero but because you still got attacked you'd have to make the check regardless. The last factor is it's unique so it stacks.