I know heavy armor ignores Dexterity modifiers for AC calculations, but what about medium armor for a character with a -3 to their dexterity? Does Medium armor bottom out at -2, or will -3 still apply?
[RPG] Does Medium Armor’s Max dex also put a cap on the negative side
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Best Answer
No, you could still apply a -3 modifier
This is an understandable question, because the table of armors in the PHB (p. 145) states that you add your Dexerity Modifier "max 2" to your medium armor AC. This is a tad ambiguous, and could be read several ways. However, the rules on medium armor spell out the rules on modifiers a bit more explicitly than the table of armor does. In PHB p. 144, it states (bold added):
Since this clause specifies a "+" 2 as the maximum, it clarifies that what is meant by "max 2" on the armor table is that a positive 2 is the highest possible modifier. Thus, the "max 2" on the armor table doesn't apply to modifiers that are below 0 (and thus below the "max" of +2).
Contrast this with the rules for Aura of Protection, which states (PHB, p. 85, bold added):
In the absence of a stated minimum modifier, the -3 "bonus" from a Dexterity of 3 or 4 could be applied to your AC if you were wearing medium armor.