So I find Barkskin's description a little ambiguous. Does it stack with other things like a shield, or is it just that you minimum AC can be no lower than 16? Thanks :-)
How does barkskin work with shields, cover, and other modifiers to AC? Barkskin specifies that your AC can’t be lower than 16 while you are affected by the spell. This means you effectively ignore any modifiers to your AC—including your Dexterity modifier, your armor, a shield, and cover—unless your AC is higher than 16. For example, if your AC is normally 14, it’s 16 while barkskin is on you. If your AC is 15 and you have half cover, your AC is 17; barkskin isn’t relevant in this case, because your AC is now higher than 16.
I must admit that doesn't seem to make much sense. So if you have a high dexterity and a shield, say 18 for dexterity and a shield, and if you cast barkskin, it has essentially no effect on the character's AC? Thanks :-)
I must admit that doesn't seem to make much sense. So if you have a high dexterity and a shield, say 18 for dexterity and a shield, and if you cast barkskin, it has essentially no effect on the character's AC? Thanks :-)
That's correct. You would not want to be the target of Barkskin in that case, as it wouldn't be helpful for you. You'd want to/want the caster to target someone with a lower AC.
Barkskin is also a good spell for a moon druid to use on themselves before going into a wildshape.
Except it requires concentration, 16 ac will mean 1st level enemies will hit on a 13+ minimum and when they do your concentration will fail for most animal types on a 1 to 7 or 8 (con save for animals arent great) so a 40% chance of being hit with each attack with a 35% to 40% chance of losing your spell to each attack that hits. (apologies if the math is off)
In a pinch it lowers damage, but consider what else that 2nd level spell could be used for. There are usually mathematically better options. (Or say to hell with math and go barkskin because a wooden tree bear is cool and thats reason enough)
The fact that Barkskin requires concentration is what lowers its value for self-casting. It almost makes taking Magic Initiate feat just for Mage Armor worth it...but only if you shift into beasts that have a high DEX. Unless your character is V.Human, that competes a lot with other important feats like Resilient, Alert and Warcaster.
I mean, I think concentration is a valuable resource to a caster and even a moon druid should put it to use. Barkskin has the advantage over other concentration spells in that if you are attacked, you are slightly less likely to lose it (it is, after all a +2-5 bonus to AC for CR 1 and 2 beasts). Sure, there are other options to use concentration on (some which I would prefer to use over Barkskin), but they have the same problem that you pointed out except worse because you're 10% to 25% more likely to be hit without barkskin.
Anyway, Barkskin isn't one of my favorite spells, but I always envisioned that its design was somewhat intended to make up for the overall rather poor ACs of beasts.
I would agree with you, WolfoftheBees, if Barkskin scaled somehow. A 16 AC is cool at low tier play, but after level 10, a 16 AC isn't worth much. So the point of even casting that spell becomes moot unless you are casting it on an NPC retainer or hostage you are trying to rescue.
If you could upcast Barkskin at 2 levels higher to get +1 base AC for every 2 spell levels, that might be of some use after level 10.
If your going to use concentration then use beast form its more often better utilised on a spikegrowth, conjure animals healing spirit or heatmetal.
Spike growth slows, when they reach the edge you grapple and use your movement to drag the target back and forth over the spike growth (say 40' move, halved for grappling, 20' = 8d4 no roll to hit needed after the grapple
Heatmetal - auto damage and disadvantage on all attacks wont stop an animal being hit but it will make the metal armour crowd with the higher ac in your party happier.. and nervous.
Healing spirit - (Healing Marmite)
Conjure animals, - which one of the direwolves is the druid?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
So I find Barkskin's description a little ambiguous. Does it stack with other things like a shield, or is it just that you minimum AC can be no lower than 16? Thanks :-)
How does barkskin work with shields, cover, and other modifiers to AC? Barkskin specifies that your AC can’t be lower than 16 while you are affected by the spell. This means you effectively ignore any modifiers to your AC—including your Dexterity modifier, your armor, a shield, and cover—unless your AC is higher than 16. For example, if your AC is normally 14, it’s 16 while barkskin is on you. If your AC is 15 and you have half cover, your AC is 17; barkskin isn’t relevant in this case, because your AC is now higher than 16.
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-january-2016
so basically you calculate your AC as normal to find out what it is, and if it is lower than 16 then it is instead 16
I must admit that doesn't seem to make much sense. So if you have a high dexterity and a shield, say 18 for dexterity and a shield, and if you cast barkskin, it has essentially no effect on the character's AC? Thanks :-)
That's correct. You would not want to be the target of Barkskin in that case, as it wouldn't be helpful for you. You'd want to/want the caster to target someone with a lower AC.
Barkskin is also a good spell for a moon druid to use on themselves before going into a wildshape.
Except it requires concentration, 16 ac will mean 1st level enemies will hit on a 13+ minimum and when they do your concentration will fail for most animal types on a 1 to 7 or 8 (con save for animals arent great) so a 40% chance of being hit with each attack with a 35% to 40% chance of losing your spell to each attack that hits. (apologies if the math is off)
In a pinch it lowers damage, but consider what else that 2nd level spell could be used for. There are usually mathematically better options. (Or say to hell with math and go barkskin because a wooden tree bear is cool and thats reason enough)
The fact that Barkskin requires concentration is what lowers its value for self-casting. It almost makes taking Magic Initiate feat just for Mage Armor worth it...but only if you shift into beasts that have a high DEX. Unless your character is V.Human, that competes a lot with other important feats like Resilient, Alert and Warcaster.
I mean, I think concentration is a valuable resource to a caster and even a moon druid should put it to use. Barkskin has the advantage over other concentration spells in that if you are attacked, you are slightly less likely to lose it (it is, after all a +2-5 bonus to AC for CR 1 and 2 beasts). Sure, there are other options to use concentration on (some which I would prefer to use over Barkskin), but they have the same problem that you pointed out except worse because you're 10% to 25% more likely to be hit without barkskin.
Anyway, Barkskin isn't one of my favorite spells, but I always envisioned that its design was somewhat intended to make up for the overall rather poor ACs of beasts.
I would agree with you, WolfoftheBees, if Barkskin scaled somehow. A 16 AC is cool at low tier play, but after level 10, a 16 AC isn't worth much. So the point of even casting that spell becomes moot unless you are casting it on an NPC retainer or hostage you are trying to rescue.
If you could upcast Barkskin at 2 levels higher to get +1 base AC for every 2 spell levels, that might be of some use after level 10.
If your going to use concentration then use beast form its more often better utilised on a spikegrowth, conjure animals healing spirit or heatmetal.
Spike growth slows, when they reach the edge you grapple and use your movement to drag the target back and forth over the spike growth (say 40' move, halved for grappling, 20' = 8d4 no roll to hit needed after the grapple
Heatmetal - auto damage and disadvantage on all attacks wont stop an animal being hit but it will make the metal armour crowd with the higher ac in your party happier.. and nervous.
Healing spirit - (Healing Marmite)
Conjure animals, - which one of the direwolves is the druid?