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)
Hi Judzenija
This is specified under armor class in PHB:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/step-by-step-characters#ArmorClass
"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."
So a monk with mage armor can choose between:
"10+Dex", "10+Dex+Wis" or "13+Dex"
The same is true for a barbarian, just where wis is replaced with CON, so:
"10+Dex", "10+Dex+Con" or "13+Dex"
+your spell modifier?
Weird question but let's imagine a wizard that befriended a couple of giant spiders. Could this wizard cast Mage Armor on the spiders upgrading their AC from 14 (Natural Armor) to 16 (13 mage armor + 3 Dex mod)? Is natural armor an armor for the purposes of deciding whether the spell takes effect or not?
"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."
Player's handbook, pg15
That doesn't answer my question though. I was asking if we can assume that the Natural Armor counts as an armor or not.
If it doesn't, then the Mage Armor spell can take hold and make use of your quote. If it does count as an armor, your quote is irrelevant because the spell fails automatically.
Natural armor does not count as wearing armor. You are talking about the monk's class ability unarmored defence in your question not about natural armor. Unarmored defence just gives you another way of calculating your ac. So to answer your question you have to choose either mage armor (13+dex) or unarmored defence (10+dex+wis)
Cool, thanks. I never mentioned a monk, I was talking about spiders but I imagine the same principle applies - if it's not wearing an actual armor then it's fine.
i really like this for the eldritch adept feat, i put it on my variant human storm sorcerer ad flavored it as a lightning ward
Why is it that the app won’t let me cast Armor of Shadows? It says ‘At Will’, which is great but it won’t let me cast it to bring my AC up. How do I make it work?
Can you have mage armor effecting multiple creatures at once?
Yes, as long as you have the resources (usually spell slots). Mage Armor doesn't require concentration, and it doesn't dismiss itself when you cast it again, so you're good to go. A level 18+ Wizard can Mage Armor 4800 people (8 hours x 60 minutes x 10 rounds) if they choose the spell for Spell Mastery.
This item doesn't work per RAW, as it adds 3 to your Unarmored AC, rather than setting it as 13. It works like Bracers of Defense +3, rather than giving a new way to calculate your base AC.
Since they get no other benefit except the +1 Natural AC, I'd allow it. And the spell does state "wearing armor" or "dons armor". The spiders aren't wearing or donning thier own skin, so it's tough to argue that it isn't legal even as RAW.
The only real effect that I can think of from Mage Armor not allowing worn armor is something like Leather Armor of Fire Resistance, where you have a lower AC than Mage Armor provides, but a buff in another area.
How do you cast mage armor on your self?
The wording is “you touch a willing creature…”
Easiest way to explain it, but with horrible puns inferred, is that the caster is a willing creature and that they can also touch themselves. Think of it like using a wand to cast it. The wand is used as the point of contact to the body of the caster in the same way as the hand being used as the point of contact to the body of the caster.
.
Yes, it’s very clear; it says dex + 3 is the BASE armor class, if the user wears NO armor. That means before class modifications, so WIS bonus for monk is acceptable. A Tortle’s skin is armor, so it does not work.
Wrong
1. Mage Armor is13 + Dex and it's not your "base" armor class, it's your Unarmored AC.
2. A Monk's Unarmored Defense isn't a BONUS added to your AC, it is an alternate method of calculating AC. Mage Armor is ALSO an alternate method of calculating AC. You can only use 1 method of AC calculation.
3. A Tortle's "Natural Armor" does not count as wearing armor. It too is an alternate method of calculating AC. It's a static 17.
Since they aren't "Bonuses" they don't stack, HOWEVER you can choose which method to apply. So if you're a Tortle monk with mage armor active, you can pick whichever method benefits you the most.
Mage Armor should give 13 + the Caster's Spellcasting Modifier instead of 13 + the target's Dex Modifier.