Abjuration is known for its signature "Arcane Ward", providing a buffer for your own HP, which can be slowly be replenished by casting Abjuration spells.
At later levels, it can extend this protection to allies as a reaction, add their proficiency to their "Counterspell" & "Dispel Magic" spells...and eventually, they will receive advantage against all magic saving throws, as well as resistance to spell damage.
A very sturdy wizard...and it should be noted: as long as the "Arcane Ward" is taking all the damage, the Wizard will not need to make concentration checks to maintain their spells. Useful.
Enchantment is known for its signature "Hypnotic Gaze", which allows them to charm an individual within 5ft of them, rendering them incapacitated & reducing their movement speed to 0, essentially locking them down as long as the WIzard uses their action to do so.
The target only needs to SEE or HEAR the Wizard to do so...so an invisible Wizard can maintain this Hypnotic Gaze simply by murmuring sweet nothings into the poor dude's ear.
"Hypnotic Gaze" can also be used with impunity against multiple targets...it only refreshes on a long rest for a target who has already suffered the effect.
At later levels, the Enchantment Wizard can re-direct hostile attacks to other targets (useful for ranged attackers)...TWIN their single-target Enchantment spells...and eventually make their mind-altering spells unknown to the target, and re-write their memories so they don't even know what happened, potentially for hours.
A tricky Wizard, one who leans heavily into control spells & using their Hypnotic Gaze during social encounters.
...I kind of like both of these concepts, and am wondering which of the two subclasses to commit to for a "big" campaign.
Here's the thing about Abjuration...it is undeniably useful: the "Arcane Ward" will continue to be of use for the life of the character...and all the other features will do exactly as advertised: shut down enemy spellcasters.
...it just seems a little boring.
Don't get me wrong...roleplaying a character who always has this shimmering, translucent bubble of protective arcane energy can be interesting...a Bubble Wizard!
It could get stale after a while, though...I like the potential of multiclassing Artificer or taking the "Artificer Initiate" feat to gain access to "Sanctuary"...that is an Abjuration spell that I can see myself using frequently to re-fuel the "Arcane Ward".
Enchantment Wizards, on the other hand, are FAR more situational with their features...but those situations can vary depending on whatever the DM has planned, and when they happen, they can be FUN.
This Enchantment Wizard who can indiscriminately hypnotize random NPCs, while the rest of the party continues their shenanigans, seems ripe with potential for mischief...and mechanically, there are benefits to being able to twin Enchantment spells..."Hold Person", "Enemies Abound", "Tasha's Mind Whip", "Otto's Irresistible Dance"...and the "Power Word" spells, too.
The "Fey-Touched" feat can also add some useful, twin-able Enchantment spells..."Hex", "Command" & "Dissonant Whispers", to name a few.
What are some thoughts on these two subclasses? How do they stack up against each other?
What are some peoples amusing experiences with Wizards who specialize in these schools of magic?
Those who takes Enchantment Magic school as their primary school, I think they lead straight to the Chaotic-Evil side of life. And those who takes Abjuration Magic school as their primary school are considered as Lawful-Good ones, or at least they deliver protection against anything hurtful.
Those who takes Enchantment Magic school as their primary school, I think they lead straight to the Chaotic-Evil side of life. And those who takes Abjuration Magic school as their primary school are considered as Lawful-Good ones, or at least they deliver protection against anything hurtful.
Certainly that seems like the default!
Though I can picture a Chaotic Good Enchanter who uses their skills in a benevolent (if mischievous) way, or a slightly Chaotic Abjuration Wizard who may be a bit reckless or fearless due to their defensive powers.
I have played both extensively and surprisingly enough, the approach is not that different. Both Abjurers and Enchanters expose themselves more to fray of the battle in order to make the most of their abilities.
I agree an Abjurer can be a little bit boring, unless you find a way to get Armor of Agathys to play the masochist style. You can get this spell by dipping into Hexblade or as a Mark of Warding Dwarf. Arcane Ward, AoA and Fire Shield are simply insane...
Enchanters are incredible and provide an unique flavor to all Wizards, the only limitation is that Charm is commonly resisted by several creatures, so be aware.
A well-built Abjuration wizard has wiz level + int mod thp in every fight, with slight regeneration (e.g. the Shield spell regenerates 2 thp).
A well-built Enchantment wizard rushes into melee to be within 5 feet of the enemy.
Both of these are inferior to a Bladesinger Wizard multiclassed into Artificer Artillerist, who gets 1d8+int mod thp every round and not only has a credible solution to live through existing in melee, but also stabs with a rapier to a very credible degree. Takes 5-8 levels, depending on how interested you are in ASIs and what the rest of your plan is.
Post-Tasha's, the big contenders for Wizards in my book are now Bladesingers and Diviners.
.... back to Abjuration vs Enchantment, I do enjoy Enchantment more than Abjuration for the exact reasons you stated above. Abjuration does get quite boring, especially if the enemies are smort and just avoid attacking you entirely and focus on your allies after you have AoA and Fire Shield active.
Enchantment has a lot more flexibility, as long as you diversify their spell list away from enchantment spells once in a while. There are a couple enchantment spells that give you Int and Con saves, but other than that it’s primarily Wisdom. Get some Attack Roll and Dex save spells to round it out and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Hypnotic is a save from specific situations, not some ambush technique. The Enchanter is not a front line fighter until you’ve charmed half the enemy squad.
One of my favorite combinations ever to increase my Wizard DPR overall contribution is Find Familiar + Dragon’s Breath. Turn your cute little Owl in a mobile lightning-gun machine with good AoE.
Main problem is that familiar are really fragile. One single blow and they are gone.
And this is when Projected Ward can change the game by keeping your familiar alive for a couple more rounds.
One of my favorite combinations ever to increase my Wizard DPR overall contribution is Find Familiar + Dragon’s Breath. Turn your cute little Owl in a mobile lightning-gun machine with good AoE.
Main problem is that familiar are really fragile. One single blow and they are gone.
And this is when Projected Ward can change the game by keeping your familiar alive for a couple more rounds.
Interesting!
I had not considered using the "Arcane Ward" on conjured creatures.
If we limit it to these 2, I'd say depends on campaign. If the enemies you are commonly facing are charm or magi resistant them enchantment suffers. If they aren't it is a very potent choice and imo better than abjuration. Mainly because I think active offense on the wizard is better than defense. So enchantments level 2 and 10 abilities are just fantastic. The reflexive charm frequently can't be used due to its limitations, but when it does happen it is hilarious and that is worth something. On the other hand if you are facing magic heavy enemies the perks with dispels and magic resistance you gain with a abjurer is better, especially since enchantments on average have a very short range, within counter spell short range so against a lot of sorcerers/wizards you may get countered a lot as a enchanter.
If you are opening it up to all sub classes, chronurgy is the best, 2nd best and a damn close second is scribe. Diviner is also very clutch, being able to force a failed save even if its only 2 times a day is huge.
One of my favorite combinations ever to increase my Wizard DPR overall contribution is Find Familiar + Dragon’s Breath. Turn your cute little Owl in a mobile lightning-gun machine with good AoE.
Main problem is that familiar are really fragile. One single blow and they are gone.
And this is when Projected Ward can change the game by keeping your familiar alive for a couple more rounds.
Interesting!
I had not considered using the "Arcane Ward" on conjured creatures.
Specially if your conjured creature is a 1 HP, 10 AC, 3d6 AoE elemental blasting dude.
Hypnotic Gaze is problematic because it takes you out of the combat as well. It should be reserved, if you are going to use it offensively, against a monster party with fewer (but more than 1) members than the PC party has
I think of Hypnotic Gaze as more of a “oh, shit!” button to be used when the monsters have gotten past the crunchy defensive line of the party and closed with the chewy, caramel goodness of the arcane casters.
Reflexive Charm is the power I consider more signature of the Enchanter. This is the one that draws the Enchanter closer to melee range. It is also the power on which most of the fun of the Enchanter is based.
I agree that the Abjurer is often the most boring of subclasses. Many Abjurers just “turtle up.” They almost never project their ward to cover their fellow party members. They often won’t cast Counterspell except every so rarely.
But, I would argue that Abjurer doesn’t have to be so boring. Try being “aggressively defensive,” if that makes sense. Don’t just passively “turtle up.” Project that ward! Be prepared to cast Counterspell when the enemy casts (and remember that since you add your prof bonus to Counterspell, you can easily counter with a lower level spell). Shut the enemy DOWN! Taunt the enemy and mock its inability to do anything meaningful against your party. In fact, I would recommend that your Abjurer be a total dick about it and, go ahead, exaggerate how ineffective the enemy is. It might not realize you’re lying. What makes the Abjurer boring is the passivity of how it’s powers are used. So, be the opposite of passive.
Hypnotic Gaze is problematic because it takes you out of the combat as well. It should be reserved, if you are going to use it offensively, against a monster party with fewer (but more than 1) members than the PC party has
I think of Hypnotic Gaze as more of a “oh, shit!” button to be used when the monsters have gotten past the crunchy defensive line of the party and closed with the chewy, caramel goodness of the arcane casters.
Reflexive Charm is the power I consider more signature of the Enchanter. This is the one that draws the Enchanter closer to melee range. It is also the power on which most of the fun of the Enchanter is based.
I agree that the Abjurer is often the most boring of subclasses. Many Abjurers just “turtle up.” They almost never project their ward to cover their fellow party members. They often won’t cast Counterspell except every so rarely.
But, I would argue that Abjurer doesn’t have to be so boring. Try being “aggressively defensive,” if that makes sense. Don’t just passively “turtle up.” Project that ward! Be prepared to cast Counterspell when the enemy casts (and remember that since you add your prof bonus to Counterspell, you can easily counter with a lower level spell). Shut the enemy DOWN! Taunt the enemy and mock its inability to do anything meaningful against your party. In fact, I would recommend that your Abjurer be a total dick about it and, go ahead, exaggerate how ineffective the enemy is. It might not realize you’re lying. What makes the Abjurer boring is the passivity of how it’s powers are used. So, be the opposite of passive.
These are some solid points.
I do consider the "Hypnotic Gaze" to be an amusing "oh, sh*t" contingency when they get cornered by a monster...keeping it locked-down while frantically waving at the party to help them.
A curious combination (for mostly out of combat), would be to use Tasha's Cauldron feat, "Eldritch Initiate" to gain the "Mask of Many Faces" invocation, so the Enchanter Wizard can always disguise themselves as someone, get in close, and then hypnotize them.
A high-risk, high-reward spy or infiltrator.
I LOVE the prospect of an over-confident Abjuration Wizard who dares their opponents to hit them...a lot of people have mentioned acquiring "Armor of Agathys" with a Mark of Warding Dwarf.
That's great for a offensive tactic, while also adding additional Temp HP alongside your ward, and really suits the "aggressive" tactic...a shame that this method is practically limited to the dwarf race.
Gaining "Sanctuary" from the Artificer spell list (through the feat), has some benefits...as a bonus action, it can prevent an enemy from even targeting the Abjuration Wizard, re-fuel their Ward, AND is non-concentration.
I have ambitions of stacking this with "Mirror Image" & "Blink" to create the most evasive Wizard who wades into the thick of things.
I have a slightly different view upon Hypnotic Gaze based on my previous experiences. My usual routine was to cast a big gun Concentration spell like Web, Slow, Hypnotic Pattern or Black Tentacle and then follow-up with Hypnotic Gaze against any remaining dangerous enemy who is still alive and not properly debuffed.
I think Armor of Agathys is a trap for PC Abjurers. Sure, it looks amazing on paper. In reality, most enemies might fall for it once. Then, they’ll be actively avoiding you and they’ll be zeroing in on your fellow party members.
You want them to waste their attacks, not redirect them to your party members.
I think Armor of Agathys is a trap for PC Abjurers. Sure, it looks amazing on paper. In reality, most enemies might fall for it once. Then, they’ll be actively avoiding you and they’ll be zeroing in on your fellow party members.
You want them to waste their attacks, not redirect them to your party members.
The damage is nice, of course...but the real beauty of "Armor of Agathys" is that is shores up your Temp HP alongside your Arcane Ward.
Any severe attack roll that pierces your defenses...or worse, Area-of-Effect attacks...will have to go through your Arcane Ward, and THEN the Temp HP...just to damage your normal HP.
Or, conversely, you cast "Armor of Agathys" to defend yourself...and that allows you to use your "Projected Ward" to guard allies when the enemies decide you aren't worth the trouble.
I think Armor of Agathys is a trap for PC Abjurers. Sure, it looks amazing on paper. In reality, most enemies might fall for it once. Then, they’ll be actively avoiding you and they’ll be zeroing in on your fellow party members.
You want them to waste their attacks, not redirect them to your party members.
I politely disagree. An Abjurer with AoA shouldn’t be a tank or a simple damage sponge. You have good survivability, but Barbarians and Fighters are far more durable. You are full fledged Wizard capable to bend the reality with your spells. A single battlefield control spell can end hard encounters. You should be the #1 target. The difference is that you just have effective ways to keep yourself alive and melee brutes will suffer whenever they hit you. But to this point, War Caster, Booming Blade and even a DEX 14 can punish enemies trying to avoid you.
I think Armor of Agathys is a trap for PC Abjurers. Sure, it looks amazing on paper. In reality, most enemies might fall for it once. Then, they’ll be actively avoiding you and they’ll be zeroing in on your fellow party members.
You want them to waste their attacks, not redirect them to your party members.
I politely disagree. An Abjurer with AoA shouldn’t be a tank or a simple damage sponge. You have good survivability, but Barbarians and Fighters are far more durable. You are full fledged Wizard capable to bend the reality with your spells. A single battlefield control spell can end hard encounters. You should be the #1 target. The difference is that you just have effective ways to keep yourself alive and melee brutes will suffer whenever they hit you. But to this point, War Caster, Booming Blade and even a DEX 14 can punish enemies trying to avoid you.
As amazing as Armor of Agathys is, as GM, I welcome your PC Abjurer with AoA to move into melee where they can be grappled.
I have a slightly different view upon Hypnotic Gaze based on my previous experiences. My usual routine was to cast a big gun Concentration spell like Web, Slow, Hypnotic Pattern or Black Tentacle and then follow-up with Hypnotic Gaze against any remaining dangerous enemy who is still alive and not properly debuffed.
That's how I have used it, and once I am concentrating on a battlefield control spell trading my action to take a strong enemy out of the fight seems a lot more impressive than a cantrip etc. And even when I opened with it, I was usually removing the boss mob out of the battle. Fighting a ogre and a few orcs, I think taking the ogre out of the fight is worth an action.
I think Armor of Agathys is a trap for PC Abjurers. Sure, it looks amazing on paper. In reality, most enemies might fall for it once. Then, they’ll be actively avoiding you and they’ll be zeroing in on your fellow party members.
You want them to waste their attacks, not redirect them to your party members.
I politely disagree. An Abjurer with AoA shouldn’t be a tank or a simple damage sponge. You have good survivability, but Barbarians and Fighters are far more durable. You are full fledged Wizard capable to bend the reality with your spells. A single battlefield control spell can end hard encounters. You should be the #1 target. The difference is that you just have effective ways to keep yourself alive and melee brutes will suffer whenever they hit you. But to this point, War Caster, Booming Blade and even a DEX 14 can punish enemies trying to avoid you.
As amazing as Armor of Agathys is, as GM, I welcome your PC Abjurer with AoA to move into melee where they can be grappled.
To be honest, as an Abjurer with AoA, I would love to be grappled. Being grappled doesn’t prevent me to cast spells and I would even put myself prone to allow my enemy to hit me and take 2d8 (Fire Shield) + 15 (upcasted AoA) by doing this.
I think Armor of Agathys is a trap for PC Abjurers. Sure, it looks amazing on paper. In reality, most enemies might fall for it once. Then, they’ll be actively avoiding you and they’ll be zeroing in on your fellow party members.
You want them to waste their attacks, not redirect them to your party members.
I politely disagree. An Abjurer with AoA shouldn’t be a tank or a simple damage sponge. You have good survivability, but Barbarians and Fighters are far more durable. You are full fledged Wizard capable to bend the reality with your spells. A single battlefield control spell can end hard encounters. You should be the #1 target. The difference is that you just have effective ways to keep yourself alive and melee brutes will suffer whenever they hit you. But to this point, War Caster, Booming Blade and even a DEX 14 can punish enemies trying to avoid you.
As amazing as Armor of Agathys is, as GM, I welcome your PC Abjurer with AoA to move into melee where they can be grappled.
To be honest, as an Abjurer with AoA, I would love to be grappled. Being grappled doesn’t prevent me to cast spells and I would even put myself prone to allow my enemy to hit me and take 2d8 (Fire Shield) + 15 (upcasted AoA) by doing this.
Being grappled does, in fact, prevent you from casting spells with somatic components according to Crawford Twitter. Meanwhile, your fire shield will inflict damage on the grapple attack, but once the attack is made, subsequent rounds don't require an attack. So, the grappler takes 2d8+15 damage and you have your movement dropped to zero and are limited to spells without somatic components.
Personally, and I acknowledge that this isn't RAW, I'd also say you can't cast spells with material components either,. After all, how are you going to access and manipulate those material components when your hands are held?
Since your abjurer suddenly has Fire Shield on them, I''ll use the same philosophy and say my grappler has had his buddy cleric cast silence on him.
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Abjuration is known for its signature "Arcane Ward", providing a buffer for your own HP, which can be slowly be replenished by casting Abjuration spells.
At later levels, it can extend this protection to allies as a reaction, add their proficiency to their "Counterspell" & "Dispel Magic" spells...and eventually, they will receive advantage against all magic saving throws, as well as resistance to spell damage.
A very sturdy wizard...and it should be noted: as long as the "Arcane Ward" is taking all the damage, the Wizard will not need to make concentration checks to maintain their spells. Useful.
Enchantment is known for its signature "Hypnotic Gaze", which allows them to charm an individual within 5ft of them, rendering them incapacitated & reducing their movement speed to 0, essentially locking them down as long as the WIzard uses their action to do so.
The target only needs to SEE or HEAR the Wizard to do so...so an invisible Wizard can maintain this Hypnotic Gaze simply by murmuring sweet nothings into the poor dude's ear.
"Hypnotic Gaze" can also be used with impunity against multiple targets...it only refreshes on a long rest for a target who has already suffered the effect.
At later levels, the Enchantment Wizard can re-direct hostile attacks to other targets (useful for ranged attackers)...TWIN their single-target Enchantment spells...and eventually make their mind-altering spells unknown to the target, and re-write their memories so they don't even know what happened, potentially for hours.
A tricky Wizard, one who leans heavily into control spells & using their Hypnotic Gaze during social encounters.
...I kind of like both of these concepts, and am wondering which of the two subclasses to commit to for a "big" campaign.
Here's the thing about Abjuration...it is undeniably useful: the "Arcane Ward" will continue to be of use for the life of the character...and all the other features will do exactly as advertised: shut down enemy spellcasters.
...it just seems a little boring.
Don't get me wrong...roleplaying a character who always has this shimmering, translucent bubble of protective arcane energy can be interesting...a Bubble Wizard!
It could get stale after a while, though...I like the potential of multiclassing Artificer or taking the "Artificer Initiate" feat to gain access to "Sanctuary"...that is an Abjuration spell that I can see myself using frequently to re-fuel the "Arcane Ward".
Enchantment Wizards, on the other hand, are FAR more situational with their features...but those situations can vary depending on whatever the DM has planned, and when they happen, they can be FUN.
This Enchantment Wizard who can indiscriminately hypnotize random NPCs, while the rest of the party continues their shenanigans, seems ripe with potential for mischief...and mechanically, there are benefits to being able to twin Enchantment spells..."Hold Person", "Enemies Abound", "Tasha's Mind Whip", "Otto's Irresistible Dance"...and the "Power Word" spells, too.
The "Fey-Touched" feat can also add some useful, twin-able Enchantment spells..."Hex", "Command" & "Dissonant Whispers", to name a few.
What are some thoughts on these two subclasses? How do they stack up against each other?
What are some peoples amusing experiences with Wizards who specialize in these schools of magic?
Those who takes Enchantment Magic school as their primary school, I think they lead straight to the Chaotic-Evil side of life.
And those who takes Abjuration Magic school as their primary school are considered as Lawful-Good ones, or at least they deliver protection against anything hurtful.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
Certainly that seems like the default!
Though I can picture a Chaotic Good Enchanter who uses their skills in a benevolent (if mischievous) way, or a slightly Chaotic Abjuration Wizard who may be a bit reckless or fearless due to their defensive powers.
I have played both extensively and surprisingly enough, the approach is not that different. Both Abjurers and Enchanters expose themselves more to fray of the battle in order to make the most of their abilities.
I agree an Abjurer can be a little bit boring, unless you find a way to get Armor of Agathys to play the masochist style. You can get this spell by dipping into Hexblade or as a Mark of Warding Dwarf. Arcane Ward, AoA and Fire Shield are simply insane...
Enchanters are incredible and provide an unique flavor to all Wizards, the only limitation is that Charm is commonly resisted by several creatures, so be aware.
Absolutely, positively not.
A well-built Abjuration wizard has wiz level + int mod thp in every fight, with slight regeneration (e.g. the Shield spell regenerates 2 thp).
A well-built Enchantment wizard rushes into melee to be within 5 feet of the enemy.
Both of these are inferior to a Bladesinger Wizard multiclassed into Artificer Artillerist, who gets 1d8+int mod thp every round and not only has a credible solution to live through existing in melee, but also stabs with a rapier to a very credible degree. Takes 5-8 levels, depending on how interested you are in ASIs and what the rest of your plan is.
Post-Tasha's, the big contenders for Wizards in my book are now Bladesingers and Diviners.
.... back to Abjuration vs Enchantment, I do enjoy Enchantment more than Abjuration for the exact reasons you stated above. Abjuration does get quite boring, especially if the enemies are smort and just avoid attacking you entirely and focus on your allies after you have AoA and Fire Shield active.
Enchantment has a lot more flexibility, as long as you diversify their spell list away from enchantment spells once in a while. There are a couple enchantment spells that give you Int and Con saves, but other than that it’s primarily Wisdom. Get some Attack Roll and Dex save spells to round it out and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Hypnotic is a save from specific situations, not some ambush technique. The Enchanter is not a front line fighter until you’ve charmed half the enemy squad.
One of my favorite combinations ever to increase my Wizard DPR overall contribution is Find Familiar + Dragon’s Breath. Turn your cute little Owl in a mobile lightning-gun machine with good AoE.
Main problem is that familiar are really fragile. One single blow and they are gone.
And this is when Projected Ward can change the game by keeping your familiar alive for a couple more rounds.
Interesting!
I had not considered using the "Arcane Ward" on conjured creatures.
If we limit it to these 2, I'd say depends on campaign. If the enemies you are commonly facing are charm or magi resistant them enchantment suffers. If they aren't it is a very potent choice and imo better than abjuration. Mainly because I think active offense on the wizard is better than defense. So enchantments level 2 and 10 abilities are just fantastic. The reflexive charm frequently can't be used due to its limitations, but when it does happen it is hilarious and that is worth something. On the other hand if you are facing magic heavy enemies the perks with dispels and magic resistance you gain with a abjurer is better, especially since enchantments on average have a very short range, within counter spell short range so against a lot of sorcerers/wizards you may get countered a lot as a enchanter.
If you are opening it up to all sub classes, chronurgy is the best, 2nd best and a damn close second is scribe. Diviner is also very clutch, being able to force a failed save even if its only 2 times a day is huge.
Specially if your conjured creature is a 1 HP, 10 AC, 3d6 AoE elemental blasting dude.
Hypnotic Gaze is problematic because it takes you out of the combat as well. It should be reserved, if you are going to use it offensively, against a monster party with fewer (but more than 1) members than the PC party has
I think of Hypnotic Gaze as more of a “oh, shit!” button to be used when the monsters have gotten past the crunchy defensive line of the party and closed with the chewy, caramel goodness of the arcane casters.
Reflexive Charm is the power I consider more signature of the Enchanter. This is the one that draws the Enchanter closer to melee range. It is also the power on which most of the fun of the Enchanter is based.
I agree that the Abjurer is often the most boring of subclasses. Many Abjurers just “turtle up.” They almost never project their ward to cover their fellow party members. They often won’t cast Counterspell except every so rarely.
But, I would argue that Abjurer doesn’t have to be so boring. Try being “aggressively defensive,” if that makes sense. Don’t just passively “turtle up.” Project that ward! Be prepared to cast Counterspell when the enemy casts (and remember that since you add your prof bonus to Counterspell, you can easily counter with a lower level spell). Shut the enemy DOWN! Taunt the enemy and mock its inability to do anything meaningful against your party. In fact, I would recommend that your Abjurer be a total dick about it and, go ahead, exaggerate how ineffective the enemy is. It might not realize you’re lying. What makes the Abjurer boring is the passivity of how it’s powers are used. So, be the opposite of passive.
These are some solid points.
I do consider the "Hypnotic Gaze" to be an amusing "oh, sh*t" contingency when they get cornered by a monster...keeping it locked-down while frantically waving at the party to help them.
A curious combination (for mostly out of combat), would be to use Tasha's Cauldron feat, "Eldritch Initiate" to gain the "Mask of Many Faces" invocation, so the Enchanter Wizard can always disguise themselves as someone, get in close, and then hypnotize them.
A high-risk, high-reward spy or infiltrator.
I LOVE the prospect of an over-confident Abjuration Wizard who dares their opponents to hit them...a lot of people have mentioned acquiring "Armor of Agathys" with a Mark of Warding Dwarf.
That's great for a offensive tactic, while also adding additional Temp HP alongside your ward, and really suits the "aggressive" tactic...a shame that this method is practically limited to the dwarf race.
Gaining "Sanctuary" from the Artificer spell list (through the feat), has some benefits...as a bonus action, it can prevent an enemy from even targeting the Abjuration Wizard, re-fuel their Ward, AND is non-concentration.
I have ambitions of stacking this with "Mirror Image" & "Blink" to create the most evasive Wizard who wades into the thick of things.
I have a slightly different view upon Hypnotic Gaze based on my previous experiences. My usual routine was to cast a big gun Concentration spell like Web, Slow, Hypnotic Pattern or Black Tentacle and then follow-up with Hypnotic Gaze against any remaining dangerous enemy who is still alive and not properly debuffed.
I think Armor of Agathys is a trap for PC Abjurers. Sure, it looks amazing on paper. In reality, most enemies might fall for it once. Then, they’ll be actively avoiding you and they’ll be zeroing in on your fellow party members.
You want them to waste their attacks, not redirect them to your party members.
The damage is nice, of course...but the real beauty of "Armor of Agathys" is that is shores up your Temp HP alongside your Arcane Ward.
Any severe attack roll that pierces your defenses...or worse, Area-of-Effect attacks...will have to go through your Arcane Ward, and THEN the Temp HP...just to damage your normal HP.
Or, conversely, you cast "Armor of Agathys" to defend yourself...and that allows you to use your "Projected Ward" to guard allies when the enemies decide you aren't worth the trouble.
I politely disagree. An Abjurer with AoA shouldn’t be a tank or a simple damage sponge. You have good survivability, but Barbarians and Fighters are far more durable. You are full fledged Wizard capable to bend the reality with your spells. A single battlefield control spell can end hard encounters. You should be the #1 target. The difference is that you just have effective ways to keep yourself alive and melee brutes will suffer whenever they hit you. But to this point, War Caster, Booming Blade and even a DEX 14 can punish enemies trying to avoid you.
As amazing as Armor of Agathys is, as GM, I welcome your PC Abjurer with AoA to move into melee where they can be grappled.
That's how I have used it, and once I am concentrating on a battlefield control spell trading my action to take a strong enemy out of the fight seems a lot more impressive than a cantrip etc. And even when I opened with it, I was usually removing the boss mob out of the battle. Fighting a ogre and a few orcs, I think taking the ogre out of the fight is worth an action.
To be honest, as an Abjurer with AoA, I would love to be grappled. Being grappled doesn’t prevent me to cast spells and I would even put myself prone to allow my enemy to hit me and take 2d8 (Fire Shield) + 15 (upcasted AoA) by doing this.
Being grappled does, in fact, prevent you from casting spells with somatic components according to Crawford Twitter. Meanwhile, your fire shield will inflict damage on the grapple attack, but once the attack is made, subsequent rounds don't require an attack. So, the grappler takes 2d8+15 damage and you have your movement dropped to zero and are limited to spells without somatic components.
Personally, and I acknowledge that this isn't RAW, I'd also say you can't cast spells with material components either,. After all, how are you going to access and manipulate those material components when your hands are held?
Since your abjurer suddenly has Fire Shield on them, I''ll use the same philosophy and say my grappler has had his buddy cleric cast silence on him.