Level
1st
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
Touch
Components
V, S, M *
Duration
8 Hours
School
Abjuration
Attack/Save
None
Damage/Effect
Buff (...)
You touch a willing creature who isn't wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends. The target's base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier. The spell ends if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell as an action.
* - (a piece of cured leather)
5E/Players Handbook/p110/Warlock/Patron/Great Old One/Extended Spell List/Eldritch Invocations/Armor of Shadows
You can cast mage armor on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.
This is more a question than a comment and all input is welcome folks. So, since this spell is simply increasing the targets “base” unarmored AC from 10 to 13...is it just making the skin a bit tougher? A little faster? Giving him spidy sense lol? No, it says it is giving a protective magical force around the persons skin essentially since he’s wearing no armor and could be shirtless. So if this is cast on a monk would his base AC become 13 instead of 10 since he’s wearing no armor as the rules state? And would his DEX & WIS modifications work as normal?
It doesn’t say it’s creating magical armor just a force protecting the skin. I would like some back up to plead my case to my DM to allow my Monk/Sorcerer to be able to make his AC 13+DEX+WIS after having the mage armor cast on myself. I’d really love to be able to take my AC from 19 -> 22.
Thank you kindly for any help/input
Heyo! I also had this same question when I was playing a barbarian/warlock. I found this thread that helped me out: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/46569/how-does-mage-armor-interact-with-unarmored-defense
Basically, the Mage Armor spell would supersede your unarmored defense since it basically becomes a type of armor. It doesn't stack like a shield or bracers of defense would.
You may be able to convince your GM to homebrew the rule in to allow your WIS modifier to add to your armor, but since the spell says AC = 13+DEX ... you may have a hard time with that. My GM ruled that the Mage Armor would override my Unarmored defense.
Thanks Atavistic
They have stated that each character is only able to choose one way to calculate their AC. In your example, your monk could either use the mage armor bonus of 13+Dex OR the monk's unarmored defense of 10+Dex+Wis, but you can't mix and match aspects of the two. A Tortle Monk is another good example, you can either use his natural armor of 17(no Dex bonus) OR the 10+Dex+Wis. You are also able to change which calculation you use if one is stronger when you have lower stats, but does not scale as well as the alternative in higher levels.
Can using a shield (equipment not the spell still stack with this or no?
Sorry it's pretty clear , 13 + dexterity, that's it.
If i cast this spell via my character sheet, it does not upgrade my AC. Whereas it shows my spell slot has been used. Is there any chance of fixing this issue?
Yes, because the shield (equipment) adds +2 to your AC.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/step-by-step-characters#ArmorClass
As of this time, the character sheet doesn't deal with "real time" status effects, such as casting a spell and it affecting abilities/AC/HP automatically. This may change in the future.
You can work around it by equipping a wondrous item when you cast the spell and unequipping it when the spell wears off. See: https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/410838-mage-armor-spell
Spellword is: Platicum Invalus
Thanks that is an excellent fix.
Does Bladesong stack with this?
It actually wouldn't. A shield counts as armor so would dismiss the spell.
Could a wizard cast mage armour on a wildshaped druid? Obviously if the wildshape was wearing any armour, then no. But say the wildshape is a brown bear, and the druid 'absorbs' the armour he normally wears, then I'm assuming it's a 'yes, it's doable'?
Actually it would. Shields don't count as armor; they count as shields. Look at the type here:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/equipment/shield
You don't don a shield, you equip it (or otherwise use it), so it would not dismiss the spell.
From what I’ve read, it seems specifically worded to stack with effects like Unarmored Defense and Mage Armor.
Per this 2016 Sage Advice, a player can wield a shield and use Mage Armor. However, the +2 bonus from a shield would not stack with the Mage Armor. The way I interpret it is that the magical barrier created by Mage Armor surrounds you and all you are carrying, including the shield, thereby negating any bonus from the shield since you can only choose one method of calculating Base AC: "Some spells and class features give you a different way to calculate your AC. If you have multiple features that give you different ways to calculate your AC, you choose which one to use."
True, shields don't count as armor, but they affect your base AC: "Armor Class (AC). Armor protects its wearer from attacks. The armor (and shield) you wear determines your base Armor Class."
Mage Armor also affects Base AC: "The target's base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier."
Also, unless you have proficiency in shields, which most magic users do not start with, you couldn't even cast Mage Armor while wielding a shield:
"Your character needs to be proficient with armor and shields to wear and use them effectively, and your armor and shield proficiencies are determined by your class. There are drawbacks to wearing armor or carrying a shield if you lack the required proficiency, as explained in the Equipment section."
"Armor Proficiency. Anyone can put on a suit of armor or strap a shield to an arm. Only those proficient in the armor's use know how to wear it effectively, however. Your class gives you proficiency with certain types of armor. If you wear armor that you lack proficiency with, you have disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity, and you can't cast spells."
So if a creature's base is already higher than 13 + Dex, could I use this spell to weaken an enemy's armor, if I could trick it to be willing, or charm it to allow me to cast a protective spell on it? Basically, do I get to choose as the caster how the AC calculation goes, or does the target get to choose?