13

Lizardfolk is a PC race from the book Volo's Guide to Monsters.

The Players Handbook says (Monk):

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Volo's Guide to Monsters says (Lizardfolk):

You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier.

Both explanations saying that this is now your AC. But if I think about the meaning of the Wisdom bonus (feeling/knowing how the enemy is moving) I think a lizard-monk's armor class should be: 13 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

So the question is the same as the title: Does the Wisdom modifier apply on a lizard-monk's armor class?

V2Blast
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Fabic
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2 Answers2

35

The lizard-monk's armour class would be:

  • 10 + Dexterity mod + Wisdom mod

or

  • 13 + Dexterity mod,

not

  • 13 + Dexterity mod + Wisdom mod.

Page 14 of the PHB says:

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.

Both the lizard's natural armour and the monk's unarmored defense are 2 separate ways of calculating your AC, therefore you choose which one to use, not combine them.

Purple Monkey
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  • Thanks. That makes it very clear. Even if it is against my own logic I will do it like the PHB says. – Fabic Aug 23 '17 at 10:16
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    @Fabic, the reason for this is 5e's general policy of bounded accuracy, which requires that most bonuses of these types to not stack. – godskook Aug 23 '17 at 13:43
11

It does not apply. Every character has a number of different ways to calculate their total AC, and they pick one of those.

Everyone gets the base AC calculation:

10 + Dex modifier

Lizardfolk gives you another calculation (if you're not wearing armor), namely:

13 + Dex modifier

Monk also gives you another calculation (if you're not wearing armor), namely:

10 + Dex modifier + Wis modifier

But you still need to pick one calculation.

This is the same as when you are wearing armor. If you are not wearing armor, your AC calculation is:

10 + dex

If you are wearing Chainmail, your AC calculation is:

16

You cannot combine these two and say "Well, I'm wearing Chainmail, so I should be getting 16 + Dex modifier by combining the two calculations."

You always have to pick one of the various calculations given to you.

(More examples of things you can't combine include Barbarian Unarmored Defense, or Sorcerer's Draconic Resilience.)

Erik
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    To add: items which give you only a +X modifier to your AC, like a shield, or a ring of shielding, do add to your AC. – Shem Aug 23 '17 at 11:57