Shield spell + Mage Armor spell

[Grisu]

Do they stack? I'd say yes because it's a shield bonus and an armor bonus. But is'nt +8 to much for such simple spells?

grisu

 

[Bront]

Yes, they stack. Just like armor and a shield would stack.

Shield's weakness lies in that it's got a low durration, so needs to be cast just before combat if not durring.

Also, for a 1st level wizard, that's 2 spells to get +8 AC, now what? You likely only have 1 spell left all day, and what are you going to do after that? For a higher level caster, you have better thigns to do with your combat time than cast shield, and better spells or items anyway, so +8 isn't that big of an issue.

 

[Question]

Why does shield have such a short duration compared to mage armor? Is it the fact that it nullifies magic missle?

 

[glass]

Speculating wildly...

Why does shield have such a short duration compared to mage armor? Is it the fact that it nullifies magic missle?

Well if both had long duration, that'd make the combop rather better. If neither did, that'd make them pretty rubbish. So they made one long and one short.

Shield was picked as the shorter duration because, as you say, it gives a little added value. And also because it was a shorter duration in 3.0 (of course, in 3.0 it gave a higher bonus and it was a cover bonus to boot*, so its shorter duration was well justified).

At least, that's my guess as to how the thinking went, FWIW.


glass.

(* At leat initially. I think it got errataed fairly quickly).

 

[Bront]

An Armor bonus is easier to come accross for a mage than a shield bonus (Bracers of armor, Robes that give armor, actualy wearing armor). That makes a shield bonus, particularly that of a tower shield, more valuable.

 

[glass]

An Armor bonus is easier to come accross for a mage than a shield bonus (Bracers of armor, Robes that give armor, actualy wearing armor). That makes a shield bonus, particularly that of a tower shield, more valuable.

That too!


glass.

 

[cmanos]

An Armor bonus is easier to come accross for a mage than a shield bonus (Bracers of armor, Robes that give armor, actualy wearing armor). That makes a shield bonus, particularly that of a tower shield, more valuable.

Mithral buckler +3

 

[Iku Rex]

(* At leat initially. I think it got errataed fairly quickly).

Nope. No errata.

 

[Ilium]

Mithral buckler +3

Pricey.
<hijack alert>
My least favorite thing about shield is the target: You. I'd love for my party wizard to be able to cast it on the 2-weapon fighter or rogue or whatever. What do people think of making the target "Willing Creature Touched" or something?
</hijack alert>

 

[Egres]

Pricey.
<hijack alert>
My least favorite thing about shield is the target: You. I'd love for my party wizard to be able to cast it on the 2-weapon fighter or rogue or whatever. What do people think of making the target "Willing Creature Touched" or something?
</hijack alert>

Mmhh..

Two-handed wielders barbarians with a shield potion?

Not in my game, thanks.