Shield is a slot gobbler. That’s why I’m not a huge fan of it on anything but an 18th level Wizard. Same thing with misty step, I love to have it but hate to use it. They’re emergency glass spells, best to not become too reliant on them.
I dunno, I really like Shield. The amount of damage it can save you from high-powered attacks is insane, and a +5 boost to AC — even for just one round - can make a massive difference. Personally, I think a 1st level spell slot is a small price to pay to use that spell.
That being said, I agree with you about Misty Step; if you use it on your turn, you can’t cast another “leveled” spell, and even if you could, a 30 feet teleport doesn’t really feel worth a 2nd level spell slot:)
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Shield is a slot gobbler. That’s why I’m not a huge fan of it on anything but an 18th level Wizard. Same thing with misty step, I love to have it but hate to use it. They’re emergency glass spells, best to not become too reliant on them.
I dunno, I really like Shield. The amount of damage it can save you from high-powered attacks is insane, and a +5 boost to AC — even for just one round - can make a massive difference. Personally, I think a 1st level spell slot is a small price to pay to use that spell.
That being said, I agree with you about Misty Step; if you use it on your turn, you can’t cast another “leveled” spell, and even if you could, a 30 feet teleport doesn’t really feel worth a 2nd level spell slot:)
Shield is fantastic when you’re a high enough level that you aren’t really using 1st-level slots for anything else I suppose, but if you’re at 8th level or lower… those 1st level spells are still useful else wise too. Burning them all to keep your fat outta the fire…? Better to just play smarter with positioning and such whenever possible to prevent getting targeted and utilize cover in the first place. Then, by the time you can afford to burn them slots up on shield, playing smarter has become second nature and you don’t actually need to use the spell anyway. Make sense?
For say a wizard where you get more spells and can learn more from scrolls, I find it easy to invest into shield. Sure you don't want to use it too often, but you're especially fragile at low levels. Smart play can reduce damage but unless all the enemies you go up against aren't very smart you're eventually going to get ambushed or attacked by ranged attacks where there isn't much cover etc. The terrain won't always be to your advantage, and clever enemies will find ways to get shots in at you. You don't want to rely on it too much but when you start out with six first level spells it's easier to find room for it. Same for an artificer of the appropriate subclass, where you could always prepare something different too day to day. Aside from the direct damage, shield could also stop you from having to roll a concentration save if you have something good like haste running etc.
For a sorcerer, starting out with only two first level spells and only getting one per level up (and eventually not even that), and no RAW ability to swap spells around outside of replacing one spell when you level up, it's a much harder buy in.
Shield is fantastic when you’re a high enough level that you aren’t really using 1st-level slots for anything else I suppose, but if you’re at 8th level or lower… those 1st level spells are still useful else wise too. Burning them all to keep your fat outta the fire…? Better to just play smarter with positioning and such whenever possible to prevent getting targeted and utilize cover in the first place. Then, by the time you can afford to burn them slots up on shield, playing smarter has become second nature and you don’t actually need to use the spell anyway. Make sense?
Makes sense. That being said, you can pick and choose when you use Shield. If you're just throwing it around, then yeah, you might lose a couple spell slots. But not all cover you can utilize or positions that are hard to hit, and if you use Shield on attacks that you know are going to hurt -- and be smart about it as opposed to just throwing it around -- then I think you'll find it works a lot better than you might guess. I once played a level 4 wizard who used Silvery Barbs, Mage Armor, and Shield, and it worked excellently, even though I had a limited amount of 1st level spell slots I could use.
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Shield can be very useful at low levels too. The monster's don't have a very high attack bonus, so it's more likely to make a difference. And cantrips are just as good as any martial with a bow.
Yes, Sleep is very effective for ending a fight. But you can pull a lot of weight with just Shield and Firebolt too. It's better than eating a goblin arrow and dropping.
I think plenty of people will take Fey Touched to get Hex do this though and an extra 2d6 per attack is a pretty big boost.
The action cost for doing it is pretty crippling.
I guess that would depend on what kind of enemy you are targeting. It would certainly encourage a Ranger to target the sturdiest opponent to avoid having to switch too often. However, put on the toughest target, it is fully on line for attacks in the second round.
Outside boss fights even the sturdy enemies are dead before this matters.
I think weaker enemies are where it works best on because you can get ahead of where you are. There also is the ability to use it on someone when the first is not dead. That happens all the time with the current HM or Hex. You have already hexed someone, that guy is still alive and now you need to attack another enemy for a tactical reason (maybe the first one failed his save on hypnotic pattern).
But you're a Ranger, you don’t have the spell slots to keep doing this for a day. I guess you can do it in on combat since you get a free cast of hex, but their are better feat choices.
But if you get hex through a feat it is a free cast and does not require a slot. There are not many feats at 4th level better than Fey Touched, the free cast notwithstanding.
There may be a few feats better for specific builds, but to be honest I can't think of a single feat that is generally better at 4th level. Maybe lucky or maybe Elven accuracy if you are an elf or half elf.
You named two of them. Lucky will help you in more fights/situations per day. Elven Accuracy is just mechanically far better because it’s not limited by spell slots. The one free casting of hex is just that once. In one battle you have used a free casting of hex and a casting of hunters mark. If your DM is kind you will back to back battles within an hour so you don’t have to recast, but if the party wants to rest or too much time passes you lose both HM and Hex. So you if you haven’t haven’t cast any other spells you could HM, Hex once more at 4th level using both your remaining spell slots. Charger as it’s currently written in the UA is also better. You get an additional 1d8 damage that doesn’t need a bonus action or spell slot.
You named two of them. Lucky will help you in more fights/situations per day. Elven Accuracy is just mechanically far better because it’s not limited by spell slots. The one free casting of hex is just that once. In one battle you have used a free casting of hex and a casting of hunters mark. If your DM is kind you will back to back battles within an hour so you don’t have to recast, but if the party wants to rest or too much time passes you lose both HM and Hex. So you if you haven’t haven’t cast any other spells you could HM, Hex once more at 4th level using both your remaining spell slots. Charger as it’s currently written in the UA is also better. You get an additional 1d8 damage that doesn’t need a bonus action or spell slot.
Hex lasts an hour, so it is more than one fight unless you lose concentration.
Shield is a slot gobbler. That’s why I’m not a huge fan of it on anything but an 18th level Wizard. Same thing with misty step, I love to have it but hate to use it. They’re emergency glass spells, best to not become too reliant on them.
I dunno, I really like Shield. The amount of damage it can save you from high-powered attacks is insane, and a +5 boost to AC — even for just one round - can make a massive difference. Personally, I think a 1st level spell slot is a small price to pay to use that spell.
That being said, I agree with you about Misty Step; if you use it on your turn, you can’t cast another “leveled” spell, and even if you could, a 30 feet teleport doesn’t really feel worth a 2nd level spell slot:)
Shield usually prevents at least one hit when you use it (often more) and that also means it often prevents a concentration check from that hit.
I don't use misty step a lot, but when you need it, you need it and it is awesome. Like swallowed by a purple worm for example and need it to get out of there - action look through your familiar's eyes, bonus action to misty step out of there.
Another favorite move of mine is to misty step and grapple a flying enemy if he is my size, or grab on to him so I can attack him in melee if he is smaller. Some times this fails spectacularly though, I fail the grapple check and plummet to the ground taking damage.
The problem with staff of defense is you need to use an action to cast shield from it, which makes it extremely situational. The +1 bonus to AC and free mage armor is nice though.
Shield can be very useful at low levels too. The monster's don't have a very high attack bonus, so it's more likely to make a difference. And cantrips are just as good as any martial with a bow.
Cantrips at 1st level do substantially less damage than martial with a bow.
Firebolt is an average 5.75 damage on a hit. With a 16 dex a longbow is 7.725.
You named two of them. Lucky will help you in more fights/situations per day. Elven Accuracy is just mechanically far better because it’s not limited by spell slots. The one free casting of hex is just that once. In one battle you have used a free casting of hex and a casting of hunters mark. If your DM is kind you will back to back battles within an hour so you don’t have to recast, but if the party wants to rest or too much time passes you lose both HM and Hex. So you if you haven’t haven’t cast any other spells you could HM, Hex once more at 4th level using both your remaining spell slots. Charger as it’s currently written in the UA is also better. You get an additional 1d8 damage that doesn’t need a bonus action or spell slot.
Hex lasts an hour, so it is more than one fight unless you lose concentration.
As Ain_Undos wrote in that post you quoted, only if your DM is kind enough to drop another fight in front of you within that hour, and only if the party doesn’t short rest.
Shield is a slot gobbler. That’s why I’m not a huge fan of it on anything but an 18th level Wizard. Same thing with misty step, I love to have it but hate to use it. They’re emergency glass spells, best to not become too reliant on them.
I dunno, I really like Shield. The amount of damage it can save you from high-powered attacks is insane, and a +5 boost to AC — even for just one round - can make a massive difference. Personally, I think a 1st level spell slot is a small price to pay to use that spell.
That being said, I agree with you about Misty Step; if you use it on your turn, you can’t cast another “leveled” spell, and even if you could, a 30 feet teleport doesn’t really feel worth a 2nd level spell slot:)
Shield usually prevents at least one hit when you use it (often more) and that also means it often prevents a concentration check from that hit.
As I stated, shield has its uses, I just don’t like to become reliant on it.
Shield can be very useful at low levels too. The monster's don't have a very high attack bonus, so it's more likely to make a difference. And cantrips are just as good as any martial with a bow.
Cantrips at 1st level do substantially less damage than martial with a bow.
Firebolt is an average 5.75 damage on a hit. With a 16 dex a longbow is 7.725.
This, in fact, holds up for casters before level 5 as well. If you can use a light cross bow your weapon attack will do more damage than a cantrip. It only changes at level 5. This is why I personally usually do not pick up an attack cantrip without a rider on my casters until level 4 and just use their starting weapons for damage and better utility cantrips.
Shield can be very useful at low levels too. The monster's don't have a very high attack bonus, so it's more likely to make a difference. And cantrips are almost as good as any martial with a bow.
Cantrips at 1st level do substantially less damage than martial with a bow.
Firebolt is an average 5.75 damage on a hit. With a 16 dex a longbow is 7.725.
Okay, fine, I fixed it.
I don't know if 2 point is substantial, but I should have said they're close. They both get +5 to hit usually. One does 1d8+3 and the other 1d10. Longbows are more consistent. Their max damage is 1 point away from each other. Firebolt still holds its own against a lot of 1st level spells. And a lot of utility spells are rituals. That's why both cantrips and rituals make the 5e wizard feel so much more competent than the 1e version. In old games you would use your magic missile then hide the rest of the day.
Shield is a good spell at any level. Of course you always play it safe as a wizard and try to avoid damage when you can. But when you can't, Shield means the the difference between holding concentration and firebolting, or dying a lot of the time. When one character falls, you take another character out of the fight to heal them. And the action economy can go so badly against you that I've seen TPKs from this kind of spiral at low levels.
I just meant I'd rather have my wizard alive and doing 1d10 damage than the alternative.
Shield can be very useful at low levels too. The monster's don't have a very high attack bonus, so it's more likely to make a difference. And cantrips are just as good as any martial with a bow.
Cantrips at 1st level do substantially less damage than martial with a bow.
Firebolt is an average 5.75 damage on a hit. With a 16 dex a longbow is 7.725.
This, in fact, holds up for casters before level 5 as well. If you can use a light cross bow your weapon attack will do more damage than a cantrip. It only changes at level 5. This is why I personally usually do not pick up an attack cantrip without a rider on my casters until level 4 and just use their starting weapons for damage and better utility cantrips.
Good point. A dead wizard can't use a crossbow either.
Edit: I'm sorry, after reading that back it sounded a lot more snarky than I meant it to. Internet tone issues.
I did mean it was a good point. Everyone has made some fair points.
I was just adding that it can frequently be better for a wizard to cast Shield and blow the spell slot. They have very low HP. One big attack could mean death saves for them at any level. If you don't use the spell slot, it might mean dropping unconscious, losing concentration, losing a turn, and wasting your healers spell slot and turn instead.
Part of it too may depend on your stats. If you rolled for stats and say, have an 18 in INT and a 14 in DEX, maybe the better chance to hit with that firebolt is worth it depending on the ac of what you're fighting.
I largely agree with Steg's point. Sure a wizard will try and play it safe. (Unless they're say, a bladesinger in their bladesong at the moment etc) but playing it safe doesn't mean you're always actually BE safe.
On a class with less spells to pick early on I might be harder pressed to take shield, but for wizard it's a spell I'd be hard pressed not to take. Then again the DM I've played with in most of my time as a player tends to favor fewer but more lethal encounters and enemies. So that might overly inflate just how life saving shield can be for me compared to the average table.
Part of it too may depend on your stats. If you rolled for stats and say, have an 18 in INT and a 14 in DEX, maybe the better chance to hit with that firebolt is worth it depending on the ac of what you're fighting.
I largely agree with Steg's point. Sure a wizard will try and play it safe. (Unless they're say, a bladesinger in their bladesong at the moment etc) but playing it safe doesn't mean you're always actually BE safe.
On a class with less spells to pick early on I might be harder pressed to take shield, but for wizard it's a spell I'd be hard pressed not to take. Then again the DM I've played with in most of my time as a player tends to favor fewer but more lethal encounters and enemies. So that might overly inflate just how life saving shield can be for me compared to the average table.
I'd say its not just fewer more lethal encounters that plays into it but basic tactics. The reality is very little keeps enemies from just bum rushing the wizard in 5e, there is very little mechanical stickiness. You can stay back and use cover but that pretty much works because the DM is leaning into the tropes of the fighter holding the line. The same way when fighting the lich with his undead minions the party might run past the minions to stomp the lich, the enemies can do the same to the dude tossing fireballs in the back row. They can focus fire on a player just like the players focus fire on enemies. In a single fight its pretty easy for a wizard to burn through multiple shield and misty step spells if the DM is going after the wizard even with non hard encounters. Finding the balance of going after the wizard enough they have to use resources and keeping on the line so the fighter types fulfill the role of holding the line and protecting the other characters is a trick. Which is to say I wish there was more mechanical stickiness in the game, I think it helps the fighter types when they know the reason the monsters are still there and pounding on them is because they forced the issue with their abilities and not just because the DM is choosing to.
And with as a 1d&d thread think about how it can work out without mechanical stickiness now. A group of orcs attack, the one with highest initiative take a AoO or maybe can get to the back line without it, one attack is a grapple and then the orc pulls the wizard out of cover. Before it would be a athletics/acrobatics battle, maybe 50/50 odds depending on builds. Now its an attack roll, shield is probably coming in handy here.(which I think feels odd for the spell to work vs a grapple but oh well)If the orc hits your cover is gone and again shield probably is coming in handy. If grappled misty step is also probably coming in handy, but hey maybe you just accept the grapple as you want to cast a leveled spell.
I'd say its not just fewer more lethal encounters that plays into it but basic tactics. The reality is very little keeps enemies from just bum rushing the wizard in 5e
At low level the main reason to not do so is because there's often a higher priority target (in tier 1 rogues and monks tend towards the optimal combination of 'high damage' and 'easy to kill').
Part of it too may depend on your stats. If you rolled for stats and say, have an 18 in INT and a 14 in DEX, maybe the better chance to hit with that firebolt is worth it depending on the ac of what you're fighting.
I largely agree with Steg's point. Sure a wizard will try and play it safe. (Unless they're say, a bladesinger in their bladesong at the moment etc) but playing it safe doesn't mean you're always actually BE safe.
On a class with less spells to pick early on I might be harder pressed to take shield, but for wizard it's a spell I'd be hard pressed not to take. Then again the DM I've played with in most of my time as a player tends to favor fewer but more lethal encounters and enemies. So that might overly inflate just how life saving shield can be for me compared to the average table.
I'd say its not just fewer more lethal encounters that plays into it but basic tactics. The reality is very little keeps enemies from just bum rushing the wizard in 5e, there is very little mechanical stickiness. You can stay back and use cover but that pretty much works because the DM is leaning into the tropes of the fighter holding the line. The same way when fighting the lich with his undead minions the party might run past the minions to stomp the lich, the enemies can do the same to the dude tossing fireballs in the back row. They can focus fire on a player just like the players focus fire on enemies. In a single fight its pretty easy for a wizard to burn through multiple shield and misty step spells if the DM is going after the wizard even with non hard encounters. Finding the balance of going after the wizard enough they have to use resources and keeping on the line so the fighter types fulfill the role of holding the line and protecting the other characters is a trick. Which is to say I wish there was more mechanical stickiness in the game, I think it helps the fighter types when they know the reason the monsters are still there and pounding on them is because they forced the issue with their abilities and not just because the DM is choosing to.
And with as a 1d&d thread think about how it can work out without mechanical stickiness now. A group of orcs attack, the one with highest initiative take a AoO or maybe can get to the back line without it, one attack is a grapple and then the orc pulls the wizard out of cover. Before it would be a athletics/acrobatics battle, maybe 50/50 odds depending on builds. Now its an attack roll, shield is probably coming in handy here.(which I think feels odd for the spell to work vs a grapple but oh well)If the orc hits your cover is gone and again shield probably is coming in handy. If grappled misty step is also probably coming in handy, but hey maybe you just accept the grapple as you want to cast a leveled spell.
Shield working to stop a grapple makes more sense. If I shoot an arrow you can stop it with a magical force field. If I swing a sword you can stop it. If I punch you can stop it. If I reach out with an open hand to grab you, then you can’t stop it. Why not? The new version makes more sense. I can’t grab you if I can’t reach you. If I beat your AC I either reach around or through your shield spell and grab you. If I don’t beat it my hand stops before I reach you.
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I dunno, I really like Shield. The amount of damage it can save you from high-powered attacks is insane, and a +5 boost to AC — even for just one round - can make a massive difference. Personally, I think a 1st level spell slot is a small price to pay to use that spell.
That being said, I agree with you about Misty Step; if you use it on your turn, you can’t cast another “leveled” spell, and even if you could, a 30 feet teleport doesn’t really feel worth a 2nd level spell slot:)
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HERE.Shield is fantastic when you’re a high enough level that you aren’t really using 1st-level slots for anything else I suppose, but if you’re at 8th level or lower… those 1st level spells are still useful else wise too. Burning them all to keep your fat outta the fire…? Better to just play smarter with positioning and such whenever possible to prevent getting targeted and utilize cover in the first place. Then, by the time you can afford to burn them slots up on shield, playing smarter has become second nature and you don’t actually need to use the spell anyway. Make sense?
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For say a wizard where you get more spells and can learn more from scrolls, I find it easy to invest into shield. Sure you don't want to use it too often, but you're especially fragile at low levels. Smart play can reduce damage but unless all the enemies you go up against aren't very smart you're eventually going to get ambushed or attacked by ranged attacks where there isn't much cover etc. The terrain won't always be to your advantage, and clever enemies will find ways to get shots in at you. You don't want to rely on it too much but when you start out with six first level spells it's easier to find room for it. Same for an artificer of the appropriate subclass, where you could always prepare something different too day to day. Aside from the direct damage, shield could also stop you from having to roll a concentration save if you have something good like haste running etc.
For a sorcerer, starting out with only two first level spells and only getting one per level up (and eventually not even that), and no RAW ability to swap spells around outside of replacing one spell when you level up, it's a much harder buy in.
Makes sense. That being said, you can pick and choose when you use Shield. If you're just throwing it around, then yeah, you might lose a couple spell slots. But not all cover you can utilize or positions that are hard to hit, and if you use Shield on attacks that you know are going to hurt -- and be smart about it as opposed to just throwing it around -- then I think you'll find it works a lot better than you might guess. I once played a level 4 wizard who used Silvery Barbs, Mage Armor, and Shield, and it worked excellently, even though I had a limited amount of 1st level spell slots I could use.
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HERE.Shield can be very useful at low levels too. The monster's don't have a very high attack bonus, so it's more likely to make a difference. And cantrips are just as good as any martial with a bow.
Yes, Sleep is very effective for ending a fight. But you can pull a lot of weight with just Shield and Firebolt too. It's better than eating a goblin arrow and dropping.
You named two of them. Lucky will help you in more fights/situations per day. Elven Accuracy is just mechanically far better because it’s not limited by spell slots. The one free casting of hex is just that once. In one battle you have used a free casting of hex and a casting of hunters mark. If your DM is kind you will back to back battles within an hour so you don’t have to recast, but if the party wants to rest or too much time passes you lose both HM and Hex. So you if you haven’t haven’t cast any other spells you could HM, Hex once more at 4th level using both your remaining spell slots.
Charger as it’s currently written in the UA is also better. You get an additional 1d8 damage that doesn’t need a bonus action or spell slot.
Oh, I’m not saying shield isn’t a good spell, or that it doesn’t have its times to shine. But using it 3 times in one battle is a lot.
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Staff of defense : +1 AC, 10 charges, mage armor - 1 chi, shield - 2 chugs
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Hex lasts an hour, so it is more than one fight unless you lose concentration.
Shield usually prevents at least one hit when you use it (often more) and that also means it often prevents a concentration check from that hit.
I don't use misty step a lot, but when you need it, you need it and it is awesome. Like swallowed by a purple worm for example and need it to get out of there - action look through your familiar's eyes, bonus action to misty step out of there.
Another favorite move of mine is to misty step and grapple a flying enemy if he is my size, or grab on to him so I can attack him in melee if he is smaller. Some times this fails spectacularly though, I fail the grapple check and plummet to the ground taking damage.
The problem with staff of defense is you need to use an action to cast shield from it, which makes it extremely situational. The +1 bonus to AC and free mage armor is nice though.
Cantrips at 1st level do substantially less damage than martial with a bow.
Firebolt is an average 5.75 damage on a hit. With a 16 dex a longbow is 7.725.
As Ain_Undos wrote in that post you quoted, only if your DM is kind enough to drop another fight in front of you within that hour, and only if the party doesn’t short rest.
As I stated, shield has its uses, I just don’t like to become reliant on it.
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This, in fact, holds up for casters before level 5 as well. If you can use a light cross bow your weapon attack will do more damage than a cantrip. It only changes at level 5. This is why I personally usually do not pick up an attack cantrip without a rider on my casters until level 4 and just use their starting weapons for damage and better utility cantrips.
Okay, fine, I fixed it.
I don't know if 2 point is substantial, but I should have said they're close. They both get +5 to hit usually. One does 1d8+3 and the other 1d10. Longbows are more consistent. Their max damage is 1 point away from each other. Firebolt still holds its own against a lot of 1st level spells. And a lot of utility spells are rituals. That's why both cantrips and rituals make the 5e wizard feel so much more competent than the 1e version. In old games you would use your magic missile then hide the rest of the day.
Shield is a good spell at any level. Of course you always play it safe as a wizard and try to avoid damage when you can. But when you can't, Shield means the the difference between holding concentration and firebolting, or dying a lot of the time. When one character falls, you take another character out of the fight to heal them. And the action economy can go so badly against you that I've seen TPKs from this kind of spiral at low levels.
I just meant I'd rather have my wizard alive and doing 1d10 damage than the alternative.
Good point. A dead wizard can't use a crossbow either.
Edit: I'm sorry, after reading that back it sounded a lot more snarky than I meant it to. Internet tone issues.
I did mean it was a good point. Everyone has made some fair points.
I was just adding that it can frequently be better for a wizard to cast Shield and blow the spell slot. They have very low HP. One big attack could mean death saves for them at any level. If you don't use the spell slot, it might mean dropping unconscious, losing concentration, losing a turn, and wasting your healers spell slot and turn instead.
Sorry again!
Part of it too may depend on your stats. If you rolled for stats and say, have an 18 in INT and a 14 in DEX, maybe the better chance to hit with that firebolt is worth it depending on the ac of what you're fighting.
I largely agree with Steg's point. Sure a wizard will try and play it safe. (Unless they're say, a bladesinger in their bladesong at the moment etc) but playing it safe doesn't mean you're always actually BE safe.
On a class with less spells to pick early on I might be harder pressed to take shield, but for wizard it's a spell I'd be hard pressed not to take. Then again the DM I've played with in most of my time as a player tends to favor fewer but more lethal encounters and enemies. So that might overly inflate just how life saving shield can be for me compared to the average table.
I'd say its not just fewer more lethal encounters that plays into it but basic tactics. The reality is very little keeps enemies from just bum rushing the wizard in 5e, there is very little mechanical stickiness. You can stay back and use cover but that pretty much works because the DM is leaning into the tropes of the fighter holding the line. The same way when fighting the lich with his undead minions the party might run past the minions to stomp the lich, the enemies can do the same to the dude tossing fireballs in the back row. They can focus fire on a player just like the players focus fire on enemies. In a single fight its pretty easy for a wizard to burn through multiple shield and misty step spells if the DM is going after the wizard even with non hard encounters. Finding the balance of going after the wizard enough they have to use resources and keeping on the line so the fighter types fulfill the role of holding the line and protecting the other characters is a trick. Which is to say I wish there was more mechanical stickiness in the game, I think it helps the fighter types when they know the reason the monsters are still there and pounding on them is because they forced the issue with their abilities and not just because the DM is choosing to.
And with as a 1d&d thread think about how it can work out without mechanical stickiness now. A group of orcs attack, the one with highest initiative take a AoO or maybe can get to the back line without it, one attack is a grapple and then the orc pulls the wizard out of cover. Before it would be a athletics/acrobatics battle, maybe 50/50 odds depending on builds. Now its an attack roll, shield is probably coming in handy here.(which I think feels odd for the spell to work vs a grapple but oh well)If the orc hits your cover is gone and again shield probably is coming in handy. If grappled misty step is also probably coming in handy, but hey maybe you just accept the grapple as you want to cast a leveled spell.
At low level the main reason to not do so is because there's often a higher priority target (in tier 1 rogues and monks tend towards the optimal combination of 'high damage' and 'easy to kill').
Shield working to stop a grapple makes more sense. If I shoot an arrow you can stop it with a magical force field. If I swing a sword you can stop it. If I punch you can stop it. If I reach out with an open hand to grab you, then you can’t stop it. Why not? The new version makes more sense. I can’t grab you if I can’t reach you. If I beat your AC I either reach around or through your shield spell and grab you. If I don’t beat it my hand stops before I reach you.