

Because he can still gain the benefit of his Unarmored Defense while using a shield, his AC increases by +2 (the shield’s standard AC bonus.)ġ0 + 1 (from DEX) + 3 (from CON) + 2 (from shield) = 16 AC Monks Unarmored Defense He grabs a shield from one of the hobgoblins that the party has just finished fighting. So if Bjorn the Barbarian has a Dexterity score of 13 and a Constitution score of 16, his AC would calculate as: When a Barbarian is not wearing armor, their AC is equal to 10 + DEX modifier + CON modifier.īarbarians can still use shields without losing this benefit. Because of this, you will want to pay special attention to a Monk or Barbarian’s AC! Barbarians Unarmored Defense Both of these classes are melee combatants who prefer fight without armor. Monks and Barbarians have class features that change how their AC is calculated. In most cases, your AC will be equal to 10 + your DEX modifier + bonus from armor + bonus from magic items/effects. However, there are a couple of exceptions that we will cover in the next section. If you need, you can learn more about modifiers and ability scores here.įor most classes, wearing armor provides them with extra Armor Class. The base calculation for a character’s Armor Class is 10 + that character’s dexterity modifier. In other words, an attack will hit if it successfully meets or beats the target’s Armor Class. This might be due to a character’s quick reflexes, the armor that they are wearing, or some mix of the two.Īrmor Class is almost exclusively used in combat situations.Īttacks against an enemy must be greater than or equal to the target’s AC to successfully hit. A higher number means that you are less likely to get hit.

Your character’s Armor Class (also known as AC) represents how hard they are to hit. Conclusion – Armor Class in D&D 5e What is Armor Class?.Bjorn the Barbarian Learns About AC Calculations.
