D&D (2024) How to balance the shield spell?

[Leatherhead]

Make it grant disadvantage on incoming attacks instead of +5 AC against them.

 

[S'mon]

If it gave a flat AC typical of the best a level 1 Wizard gets from it, that would basically sort it. I suggest assume mage armour +2 DEX = 15, so Shield should give a flat AC 20.

My son's level 15 Eldritch Knight would be Disappoint.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Yeah, you'd have to let poor Eldritch Knight break the max AC ceiling. What are they without Shield, anyway?

 

[S'mon]

Yeah, you'd have to let poor Eldritch Knight break the max AC ceiling. What are they without Shield, anyway?

A Fighter who can cast Blur & Fireball?

 

[Horwath]

A Fighter who can cast Blur & Fireball?

fireball at 13th level is a tickle.

 

[S'mon]

fireball at 13th level is a tickle.

Eldritch Knight Fireball - Action Surge - Fireball.

 

[Mistwell]

Is this the shield spell or protectionfrom nonmagical arrows?

I don't know. Every time that image appears on the net that I could fine, it's about the shield spell. But that doesn't mean someone didn't misuse the image once and then everyone copied them thereafter.

 

[aco175]

Do items contribute to the problem? I gave out a +1 shield that 1/day you can cast the shield spell. The barbarian took it and it does not seem to overpower the campaign, but I also have handed out some other items and we tend to not play with too many feats or MCing.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Eldritch Knight Fireball - Action Surge - Fireball.

Not if OneDnD has anything to say about that!

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Do items contribute to the problem?

Excess spell slots are the problem. At low levels, casters still have a use for those lv1 slots. At higher levels, they have more slots than they know what to do with, so why not be at +5 AC all the time.

The only thing competing for those lv1 slots would be Silver Barbs, whose whole existence is a travesty.