So I'm about to play a melee combat druid and I'd like to make sure I understand the fairly tricky effect of Wildshape on a druid's armor class. I've read the various applicable sections scattered around in the rules and googled a bunch of message threads on the subject. So I think I understand the rules but I'd like to post some example scenarios here and see if anyone agrees or disagrees with how I calculate them.
Suppose my druid has Wisdom of 18 and all other stats of 10. These stats are for simplicity of calculating the following examples. They're not the actual stats I would have (or want) as a melee combat druid. With those stats and just standing there in shirtsleeves with no armor or shield and no spell or magic effects would give me an AC of 10.
Example 1:
The druid Wildshapes into a Leopard, a medium sized beast with an AC of 15, consisting of +1 Natural and +4 Dex. In this example, the druid does not get the Leopard's +1 natural armor bonus and the druid's Dex of 10 replaces the Leopard's Dex, so the druid doesn't get the Leopard's +4 to AC from Dex either. The druid does, however, get a +2 Natural AC bonus for being a medium sized animal, according to the Beast Shape 1 spell description, which means which means the Druid's AC in Leopard form is AC 12.
Example 2:
The druid from example 1 is wearing hide armor, which provides a +4 AC bonus, so he has AC 14 in his normal form. If he then Wildshapes into a Leopard, he loses the +4 AC bonus from the hide armor, as if the armor didn't exist, so in Leopard form he has an AC of 12, just like in Example 1.
Example 3:
Suppose the druid in Example 2 has a Dex of 20. That would give the druid an AC of 18 in his normal form, +4 from the hide armor and +4 from Dex. He can't get the full +5 Dex bonus because hide armor allows a maximum +4 Dex bonus. If the druid then Wildshapes into a Leopard, he now longer gets the +4 AC from hide armor, just like in example 2, but he can now benefit from the full +5 bonus from his dexterity, as if his hide armor didn't exist. So he has AC 17 in Leopard form, +2 Natural for being a medium sized animal (per Beast Shape 1 spell description) and +5 from Dex.
Example 4:
Suppose the druid (with his Dex back to 10) is wearing +3 hide armor. He then has AC 17 in his normal form, +4 from the hide armor itself and +3 from the enchantment on the armor. If he then Wildshapes into Leopard form, he plummets to AC 12 as he loses the benefit both of the hide armor itself and the +3 enchantment on the armor.
Example 5:
The druid is wearing +3 hide armor with the "Wild" enchantment, which means it doesn't effectively vanish while the druid is Wildshaped. Now the druid Wildshapes into Leopard form. In this example, the druid in Leopard form retains the +4 AC from the hide armor, and the +3 bonus on the armor, and also acquires a +2 natural armor bonus (from being a medium sized animal per Beast Shape 1), and all of these stack, for a total of AC 19 in Leopard form.
Example 6:
The druid is wearing +3 hide armor with the "Wild" enchantment, then Wildshapes into a polar bear, a large animal. The druid retains the +4 AC bonus from the hide armor itself and the +3 enchantment bonus on the armor, and acquires a +4 natural armor bonus (for being a large animal per Beast Shape 2 spell description), but he also has a -1 AC size adjustment for being large sized, for a total of AC 20.
Example 7:
A friendly wizard casts mage armor on the druid in example 6. This has no effect on the druid as the +4 AC bonus from mage armor does not stack with the +4 bonus from the druid's hide armor. Hence the druid has AC 20 in polar bear form, the same as in example 6.
Everyone agree with these calculations? If you disagree, can you state why and what your calculation of AC would be? I'd rather get all this worked out now so I can go in confident that I'm not going to bog the game down as soon as my druid tries to Wildhshape.
Avoron, the max dex bonus should still apply.
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Avoron, the max dex bonus should still apply.
Although I don't think it's ever been officially settled, James Jacobs says there is no max Dex cap and no ACP, FWIW.
When using wildshape to become a large animal, don't forget you have a -2 Dex, as well as the +4 Str and +4 NA.
The lower dex (8 in your example), would also reduce your AC as normal.
Also, the Wild enchantment for armor says the armor cannot be seen in animal form.
That is, you retain the AC bonus from the armor, magic and otherwise, but are no longer wearing armor.
This is the rational for not using the max dex of armor while wild shaped. (you would also not use the speed reduction for medium armor if wearing +3 Wild Hide armor)
You are not actually wearing armor while wild shaped- you just get the AC bonus because of the magic involved in the Wild enchantment.
This is similar to the argument that gear carried in your normal form is not there in your animal form, and wouldn't slow you down if you are carrying more than a light load.
(Leading to the pack mule effect for druids- that is loading your druid up to a heavy load, then wild shaping to a large 4-legged animal such as a horse. Then loading the now unburdened horse up to a medium load to carry more loot home.)
Final determinations are, as always, up to the individual DM's.
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There is also a question if gear continues to encumber you in wild shape or not. And if you wild shape into a smaller form, are you suddenly encumbered by the lower strength if you go tiny or smaller.
Is armor considered worn? Does this effect abilities like monk bonuses from multiclass druids monks or abilities like evasion, like that from the eagle domain.
I am expecting a wild shape faq soon so hopefully these questions will be answered.