Shield Spell

[Shard O'Glase]

As a reminder, shield provides a cover bonus to AC rather than a reflex bonus to AC.

You are correct, at low to mid levels the wizard and sorcerer can have the highest AC in the party. At higher levels, the tanks in armor can afford to enchant their armor and shield to the point where they move ahead. A heavily enchanted suit of armor and shield can easily surpass even the most powerful bracers of armor and shield. It takes several spell slots for the wizard and sorcerer to temporarily boost their AC so high. The opportunity cost is offensive spells. Since most of their spells need to be re-cast each combat, they are also more vulnerable to surprise attacks.

Maybe I play differently but when I play a wizard I put lots of my resources into making sure the meat shields stay up for a longer time. I dex buff light armor types, I take craft armors and armor, and make magic armor and shields ASAP for the tanks, and my haste is usaully for either the fighter or cleric. It is very rare for my wizards to beat out anyones acs at any level even the low ones.

 

[dcollins]

You might consider this page of FAQs and examples: www.superdan.net/dndfaq1.html

 

[Destil]

Shard is right. Although I agree -- I don't know why. It's only physical armor that stacks with shield, not an armor bonus.

Here's a question, my 5th level Wizard got himself a HUGE armor class last game ... He's got a high dex (+4 dex bonus) and cast haste (+4 haste bonus) then shield (+7 reflex bonus) and already had mage armor up since it lasts for hours (+4 armor bonus).

In one round, he'd stacked himself with a 29 AC which made him unhitable to most of the Orc tribe we were facing. Now I realize, one dispel magic and he's down, but a 29 AC at 5th level is pretty tough (the DM thought so). Did we do anything wrong?

Yeah, you're WAY behind the AC curve for a 5th level mage. I routinely had 28 AC in a good fight with my Wild-Elf Fighter / Sorcerer at 1st level.(0 sorc / 1 fighter)

10 +7 Shield, +5 Dex, +3 Studded Leather Armor, +2 Large Shield, +1 Dodge Feat

How many EL 1s do you know where they have a dispel magic ready? "Forget the goblins, I'm taking down that Ogre."

 

[Xarlen]

Hey, with an amulet of Nat armor +1, and a ring of Prot, you could get even higher!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The Wizard does need the high Armor Class, because if he takes damage, he might find himself bleeding on the ground very fast. (At 5th level, the wizard has how many hitpoints? 20, with a conbonus or Touhness?). Two natural 20s of any opponent might be sufficient to get him into negative hitpoints. (and if there are enough opponents, than the chance can become quite high)

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[rhammer2]

Not by the rules, but I allow it as a house rule.

Would not a buckler and a mage armor spell stack as the exception to the like bonus stacking rule?

 

[Xaynar]

Yeah, you're WAY behind the AC curve for a 5th level mage. I routinely had 28 AC in a good fight with my Wild-Elf Fighter / Sorcerer at 1st level.(0 sorc / 1 fighter)

10 +7 Shield, +5 Dex, +3 Studded Leather Armor, +2 Large Shield, +1 Dodge Feat

How many EL 1s do you know where they have a dispel magic ready? "Forget the goblins, I'm taking down that Ogre."

Yes, you could do that but don't forget the 30% Arcane Spell failure you've put on yourself. You have a 3 in 10 chance of that shield spell not coming up (along with any others you might want to cast). Also, I don't really think the Dodge feat is that great. Only 1 point of AC for a feat compared to some of the other better feats.