They don't really benefit each other sadly. I thought about this when War Mage first came out.
1st point in Shield Master only works if you take the Attack Action on a turn, something you're unlikely to do, unless you picked up Bracers of Ogre Strength for the 19 Str. 2nd point gives you bonus AC against single target spells, which still works. This does stack with Arcane Deflection's +2 AC vs an attack. 3rd point is what I call "Diet Evasion", costs your reaction to get the benefits of no damage instead of half damage. Unfortunately Arcane Deflection *also* costs you your reaction so you can't use Arcane Deflection for the +4 to the saving throw so you can get no damage, because you're out of reactions.
To me the 3rd point of Shield Master to negate an AoE attack is really the raison d'être of the feat. On the positive it means that if you pass the save without needing the +4 you get no damage and you can use the +4 for half damage if you don't make it by enough. Plus it stacks with the 2nd point, but I think there are better uses of an ASI.
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Would Shield Master offer substantial benefit to a War Mage. Do the benefits over lap too much or do they work together?
They don't really benefit each other sadly. I thought about this when War Mage first came out.
1st point in Shield Master only works if you take the Attack Action on a turn, something you're unlikely to do, unless you picked up Bracers of Ogre Strength for the 19 Str.
2nd point gives you bonus AC against single target spells, which still works. This does stack with Arcane Deflection's +2 AC vs an attack.
3rd point is what I call "Diet Evasion", costs your reaction to get the benefits of no damage instead of half damage. Unfortunately Arcane Deflection *also* costs you your reaction so you can't use Arcane Deflection for the +4 to the saving throw so you can get no damage, because you're out of reactions.
To me the 3rd point of Shield Master to negate an AoE attack is really the raison d'être of the feat. On the positive it means that if you pass the save without needing the +4 you get no damage and you can use the +4 for half damage if you don't make it by enough. Plus it stacks with the 2nd point, but I think there are better uses of an ASI.