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)
I always get this for my sorcerers because I don't have any armour proficiency.(and I sometimes have bad dex stat)
So, if my Warlock’s unarmored AC is 14 (10+4Dex), does mage armor make my AC 17?
I never understood why this used dex and not int/wis
16
spell does what it says it does
13 + 3 dex mod
:)
For those asking why the AC calculation is 13 + Dex modifier rather than 13 + Spell Casting Ability Modifier, I believe logic is as follows:
You're casting a spell that has the same effect of donning armor that has an AC of 13 which is also weightless and thus classified as "light" armor, thus allowing the addition of the full Dex modifier to the AC.
You could also look at it as though it works like a non existent item in the PHB equipment table under the Light Armor section right below Studded Leather called "Mage Armor" with the Armor Class of "13 + Dex Modifier"
I like to visualize this spell as a force field that is only a millimeter in thickness and so close to your skin that it might as well be touching it. I suppose you could even describe it as a magical body condom.
I also believe this is the logic for why it only works on creatures not wearing armor. It acts like armor and creatures usually cannot wear 2 sets of armor.
Why isn't this spell castable as a Ritual?
the placement of the + tells you if it stacks or not like (Shield +2) is stackable, & Armour set the base for DC (Studded leather 12 + Dex modifier), this is why the placement of the + is importance for Stackable or DC Base.
I
is there any reason why you can't upcast mage armor? AC 13 for level 1, AC14 for level 2 etc?
In that 2016 Sage Advice article, someone asks about the Bladesingers AC stacking, and the article states that we should not confuse Bonuses to AC, such as a +2, with an AC Calculation, such as 10+dex for unarmored AC. AC calculations DO NOT stack, but BONUSES to AC do in fact stack, such as a shield
If your DM is like that, he's no fun
Has anyone played with homebrews of this where at higher levels
a) apply your casting attribute (Int, or Cha) instead of Dex, i.e., AC becomes 13 + (Int or Cha), e.g., when cast with a level 3 spell slot
b) A/C base AC increases above 13, e.g., cast using a level 4 spell slot your AC becomes 14 +Dex, cast with a level 7 spell slot your AC becomes 15 +Dex?
Just wondering if/how unbalancing the idea would be?
does mage amor stack with the dragonborn feat dragon hide its for my dragonborn star druid ?
No, it does not. Dragon Hide and this spell each offer an alternative way to calculate your base AC (though as it happens, they're the same formula). They don't provide a bonus to AC.
It's an abjuration spell so it's sort of a light force-field. The 3 AC would be the attack glancing off the forcefield.
Also I hate to burst your bubble but mage armor cannot be cast on top of monk's dexwis AC :(
Your monk/sorc CAN however cast Shield as a reaction which *will* stack on monk dexwis AC, however, thus being a 21 AC every time you cast shield