2nd level mage armor

[apsuman]

I am not sure if this should be here or in rules...

If I wanted to make a second level version of the spell mage armor, how good should it be?

I would not want to increase the duration, maybe even make the range personal rather than touch. Mage Armor gives a +4 bonus to AC.

so, +6 or +7 for a second level spell?


g!

 

[Angelsboi]

House Rules

I say make it 4th level with a +4 Mage Armor, +2 Deflection and +2 luck =)

 

[Bronn Spellforger]

I would say Improved Mage Armor should last for 2 hours/level and give a bonus of +6.

 

[Tom Cashel]

Why bother?

Just combine Mage Armor (armor bonus) with Shield (deflection bonus), Cat's Grace (DEX bonus), Invisibility (automatic miss chance) and Protection from Arrows (immunity to ranged attacks). I'd say that combo would be about 100 times better than an Uber Mage Armor spell.

Then you don't have to waste a 2nd level slot on what is, in effect, a first level spell. If you want it to last longer, Extend it (or whichever Feat does the duration thing).

At higher levels, use Blur, Mirror Image, and/or Stoneskin.

 

[Caliban]

I am not sure if this should be here or in rules...

If I wanted to make a second level version of the spell mage armor, how good should it be?

I would not want to increase the duration, maybe even make the range personal rather than touch. Mage Armor gives a +4 bonus to AC.

so, +6 or +7 for a second level spell?


g!

For only a 2nd level spell, I would say it give a +5 Armor bonus.

+1 AC increase for each level of the spell, so that a 9th level version of mage armor gives a +12 Armor bonus to AC (equivalent of +4 full plate). Combined with a shield spell, that would give a 29 AC, before adding in any Rings of Deflection, Amulets of Natural Armor, Haste or other bonuses.


If you want to do it with just one spell that increases with level, I would suggest a 4th level spell that grants an Armor bonus equal to 1/2 your caster level +3. That would give you a +7 AC at level 8, and a +13 AC bonus at level 20.

 

[Don]

Re: Re: 2nd level mage armor

For only a 2nd level spell, I would say it give a +5 Armor bonus.

+1 AC increase for each level of the spell, so that a 9th level version of mage armor gives a +12 Armor bonus to AC (equivalent of +4 full plate).

Is a +12 AC bonus equivalent to other 9th level spells like Meteor Swarm, Time Stop, and Wish? Let's see...

Looking at the 9th level Wish spell: "Create a valuable item, even a magic item, of up to 15,000 gp in value" (from the SRD)

A 9th level Wish spell can grant you +3 Plate Mail to wear *permanently*. Then again, mages can't wear plate without severe penalties.

If you look at it this way, I think you're on the right track. Mage Armor II should give an AC 5 and be otherwise identical to Mage Armor. (*maybe* the time limit should be increased, but it's already 1 hour/level, which is pretty good).

 

[el-remmen]

I am moving this to House Rules.

 

[Magnus]

At higher levels, use Blur, Mirror Image, and/or Stoneskin.

is it just me, or is Blur a complete WASTE of a spell. i mean, 20%??? what's the good of that? that's 1-4 on a d20! how many mages would really trust their lives to the hope that an enemy would roll that badly? waste of a spell slot if you ask me ... oh ... wait ... you didn't, did you ... nevermind me.

 

[trentonjoe]

I use blur.

It's not as good as mirror image most of the time but I still think it is useful. Twenty percent is 1 out of 5. Seems okay to me.

Defensively it as good as Cat's Grace and Endurance.

 

[Sir Hawkeye]

IIRC, Concealment prevents sneak attacks, making blur very useful when fighting rogues.