bonus health from "Arcane Ward" does not stack with "Armor of Agathys"
This is correct for D&D, if you apply some new bonus health it does not stack, the highest value is what you get.
Sorry, that is officially 100% incorrect.
In short, an
Arcane Ward does
not confer temporary hit points. It is a shield that has its own HP.
Wizard of the Coast has published the following official answer :
- How does Arcane Ward interact with temporary hit points and damage resistance that an abjurer might have?
An Arcane Ward is not an extension of the wizard who creates it. It is a magical effect with its own hit points. Any temporary hit points, immunities, or resistances that the wizard has don’t apply to the ward. The ward takes damage first. Any leftover damage is taken by the wizard and goes through the following game elements in order: (1) any relevant damage immunity, (2) any relevant damage resistance, (3) any temporary hit points, and (4) real hit points.
Source :
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/sageadvice_july2015The three following effects typically can be used at the same time :
- Arcane Ward - only one at a time of course
- Aid (level 2 Divine spell) - They are not temporary HP, but extra HP (clearly stated in spell). You cannot stack extra HP as such: take the highest.
- Temporary HP - You cannot stack temporary HP, you take the highest, but they do stack with Arcane Ward and extra HP such as from the Aid spell.
