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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 669051" data-attributes="member: 3146">I'd make it an unnamed bonus of +6 and leave everything else the way it is in your revision.The reason?1. Wizards have very very few AC enhancing spells and none of them get any better as wizards increase in level:Shield, Mage Armor, Protection From Evil, Haste, Polymorph Self, Tenser's Transformation, and Foresight. If you don't want to put a hurting on wizard's ACs (which is a bad idea considering their low HP) you should continue allowing the Shield spell to stack with everything else.2. +4 AC is not very impressive. Haste is good but not primarily for the AC bonus. Mage Armor is good because you can cast it in the morning and forget about it. Protection from evil is good because it offers improved saves, can be cast on others, and protects against mental control. If you have a spell that the wizard can only cast on himself and doesn't last long enough to cast in advance (except when you're attacking a known enemy), it should give a good bonus.3. The directional nature of Shield's benefit is not usually a significant drawback. PCs and NPCs learn to position themselves so that it usually applies to the people they want it to--especially if the PC is not a combat-mage.4. For those who worry about fighters with one level of wizard or sorceror for the shield spell: It's highly advantageous at second level. At third level, you're wearing light armor and don't really end up with a much better AC than the fighter in fullplate with a normal shield. . . and your spell costs a standard action. By seventh level, the extra AC you can get from that one level of sorceror isn't enough to make up for your light armor. It certainly isn't enough to keep you from getting hit unless you really really focus on defense (which means you're probably lacking on the offense).  And your caster level is low enough that the obligatory dispel magic (which is quite common) ruins your defenses--even if you get the spell from a wand.</blockquote>

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