Stacking armor bonuses

[Creeping Death]

Thri-kreens get a +3 natural armor bonus. If a thri-kreen were to use a large shield, it would get a another +2 bonus for protection bringing its armor bonus to a total of +5.

Would outfitting the thri-kreen with studded leather (+3 armor bonus) bring it to a total of +8 or would it still be +5?

+3 Natural armor bonus
+2 Shield bonus
+3 Armor bonus
----
+8

+3 Natural armor/armor bonus (overlap)
+2 Sheild bonus
----
+5

According to the DMG page 21 under Bonus Types, it would appear that they do stack. What do you think?

Thanks,

 

[Artoomis]

Yes, they stack.

 

[Bront]

Natural Armor is not Armor, and thus they stack.

 

[the Jester]

Seconded.

Er, thirded.

Natural armor is a different type of bonus than armor.

 

[Krafen]

Precise terminology can help avoid this sort of confusion.

+3 Natural Armor bonus to AC (race)
+3 Armor bonus to AC (studded leather)
+2 Shield bonus to AC (large shield)

+8 total bonus to AC

 

[Sanackranib]

any bonuses of differing types do stack only dodge bonues stack uppon eachother though, so you couldnt wear bracers of defence and armor since both are the same type of bonus.

 

[Artoomis]

any bonuses of differing types do stack only dodge bonues stack uppon eachother though, so you couldnt wear bracers of defence and armor since both are the same type of bonus.

You CAN wear them, they just don;t stack.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Re:you couldnt wear bracers of defence and armor

You CAN wear them, they just don;t stack.

Actually, you can't wear them both. I've never heard of bracers of defense, but you certainly can't wear two sets of bracers at the same time. Or, perhaps you could, but the second set just plain doesn't function at all (the question of stacking doesn't even arise).

 

[the Jester]

Re:you couldnt wear bracers of defence and armor
Actually, you can't wear them both. I've never heard of bracers of defense, but you certainly can't wear two sets of bracers at the same time.

Bracers of defense = earlier term for what we now call bracers of armor.

I think the OP was talking about wearing a set of bracers of defense with armor (not bracers of armor).

 

[Infiniti2000]

Oh, yeah, bracers of defense. I remember now. That's, like, back when I was in college and stuff.