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<blockquote data-quote="ECMO3" data-source="post: 9393169" data-attributes="member: 7030563">This is not true.&nbsp; Shield gets weaker at high levels.In terms of mathematical power Shield is most effective when combined with an Armor class that is extremely difficult to hit and a condition that causes disadvantage. Because attack modifiers increase quicker than AC, a shield used by an AC 18 character at 1st level is going to be a lot more powerful than shield used by a 21 AC character at 8th level.&nbsp; When you hit 20th level you will be facing things with a +15 attack or more. The disadvantage mechanic is more difficult to impose at high level due to a myriad of high level monster abilities including immune to frightened and poisoned and truesight or blindsight.&nbsp; You can't swing a stick at a CR20 monster without finding one or more of those.A 6th level Bladesinger optimized and running Blur or PEG is very rarely going to be hit by an attack.&nbsp; In one campaign I went 3 levels (4-7 I think) without getting hit by an attack a single time in combat (I did take damage from other things).&nbsp; The same Bladesinger got hit regularly at 18th-20th level.Other 1st level spells are generally weaker than Shield (all of them except Wrathful Smite), but I think some of them maintain their power better than shield does as levels increase.&nbsp; Notably Absorb Elements, Wrathful Smite, Silvery Barbs, Bless and Cause Fear are about as useful at high level as at low level (WS and CF can be situational at high level but is still very effective in those situations).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="ECMO3, post: 9393169, member: 7030563"] This is not true. Shield gets weaker at high levels. In terms of mathematical power Shield is most effective when combined with an Armor class that is extremely difficult to hit and a condition that causes disadvantage. Because attack modifiers increase quicker than AC, a shield used by an AC 18 character at 1st level is going to be a lot more powerful than shield used by a 21 AC character at 8th level. When you hit 20th level you will be facing things with a +15 attack or more. The disadvantage mechanic is more difficult to impose at high level due to a myriad of high level monster abilities including immune to frightened and poisoned and truesight or blindsight. You can't swing a stick at a CR20 monster without finding one or more of those. A 6th level Bladesinger optimized and running Blur or PEG is very rarely going to be hit by an attack. In one campaign I went 3 levels (4-7 I think) without getting hit by an attack a single time in combat (I did take damage from other things). The same Bladesinger got hit regularly at 18th-20th level. Other 1st level spells are generally weaker than Shield (all of them except Wrathful Smite), but I think some of them maintain their power better than shield does as levels increase. Notably Absorb Elements, Wrathful Smite, Silvery Barbs, Bless and Cause Fear are about as useful at high level as at low level (WS and CF can be situational at high level but is still very effective in those situations). [/QUOTE]

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