General mage protection spells

[TheBlueFox]

What is your strategy when it comes to protecting your mage in combat?

My spellcaster is currently using the Bracers of Armor +2 and Mage armor, giving him a total AC of 17 right now, that's not shabby. And when that fails I usually use Shield to defend.

However, he still has room for concentration...

Normally i would take Mirror Image, that's my Go-To defensive spell for mages, but it's not in this game sadly.

Blur doesn't seem like a good option, getting disadvantage is better when your AC is like... 18+. 17 is still pretty hitable.

Stoneskin sadly takes a really high level slot, makes me hesitate to cast it.

I'm fairly certain the BEST defensive spell is...

Misty step.

It's a SECOND LEVEL spell and a bonus action that allows you to teleport, making it so you do NOT trigger Attacks of opportunity. You can also teleport high up. I think just putting your wizard someplace people can't reach him is probably the best defensive decision.

If you can't use misty step to get someplace, I think FLY might be a decent alternative. It means you can only be attacked by ranged attackers, but you risk falling for extra damage...

Greater invisibility is really expensive spell wise, and better used on a Rogue, but you can probably use it to good effect too.

What do you guys use?

[Aria Athena]

Greater Invisibility is the best option, because the enemies straight up ignore you, but except for the cost, I find it to be a waste of your concentration.

I didn't use Misty Step often, because I liked my party grouped together.

I usually was able to protect my wizard with my front line. The issue was mostly flying creatures and assassins with Shadow Murder. What I did was use Blind, or some times dodge action for a turn or two, and then focus the enemies targeting them before they did much damage. My mage though had 20 AC. When I got level 5 spells, I had Mind Twist which is imo the best spell in the game.

You can also give them Empress Garb, although I preferred it on my ranger/rogue.

[Ommamar]

I am disappointed with how 5E has done the protection/defensive spells with the component and concentration system, one of my favorite builds in BGII was a front line touch mage who used the defensive spells and only used spells you cast from your location for offense. With how things are so strict in Solasta you can't really do that until much later in levels.

Success I have had are to always have a shield spell loaded, counter spell is nice to, at lower levels use a lot of crowd control. Things like Blind, Hold person, Entangle, Grease, Darkness, Summon beast once you have it, Levitate (best on pure melee enemies), Misty Step to move out of range.

Then of course use the environment if you can get them positioned up high preferably behind cover they will get advantage on their attacks and a chance to push someone of a ledge with thunderclap.

I guess looking at it you still have a lot of options it would just be hard to make a front line caster using the wizard class.

[JimmysTheBestCop]

Originally posted by Ommamar:

I am disappointed with how 5E has done the protection/defensive spells with the component and concentration system, one of my favorite builds in BGII was a front line touch mage who used the defensive spells and only used spells you cast from your location for offense. With how things are so strict in Solasta you can't really do that until much later in levels.

Success I have had are to always have a shield spell loaded, counter spell is nice to, at lower levels use a lot of crowd control. Things like Blind, Hold person, Entangle, Grease, Darkness, Summon beast once you have it, Levitate (best on pure melee enemies), Misty Step to move out of range.

Then of course use the environment if you can get them positioned up high preferably behind cover they will get advantage on their attacks and a chance to push someone of a ledge with thunderclap.

I guess looking at it you still have a lot of options it would just be hard to make a front line caster using the wizard class.

You cant really do what was possible in 2.5 and 3.5 in 5e. Each party member can only concentrate on 1 spell.

Take Pathfinder which uses 3.5e you can have dozen buffs on each party member.

If you want a touch or melee wizard in Solasta I go for a str 2 hand build so you can still cast with sellsword background to get medium armor and just get dex up to get you a +2. End game its only 1 AC less then the top heavy armor cause of dex bonus.

So far you can stack AC protection items so you get a +3 AC from items currently cause it stacks. Plus there is a +1 AC longsword. So you should be able to get AC upto 23-25 unbuffed with spells.

19 con necklace gets you HP. And you could just cast blur which allows gives enemy the disadvantage. You wont get often at all.

[DiceWrangler]

As odd as it sounds, I frequently use Longstrider when fighting indoors. Why? Because the best defense is not being seen and, in D&D 5e, you can Move->Cast->Move to take advantage of interior walls to block LoS. This also works for ranged attackers, like Rangers or archery Rogues (especially since they can use a Bonus action to Hide), to avoid being a target.

[TheBlueFox]

I'm kinda glad you can only concentrate on one spell at a time. I still cringe at mages in Baldurs gate 1 and 2.

Going into battle with
Immunity to 3rd level and lower spells
Stone skin
Mirror images
Immunity to missiles
Immunity to dispel
Haste
Blur
Etc...

The only way to strip it down was to use ruby ray to remove immunity to dispel, then spell thrust like 3 times...

It's more manageable now without 10 minutes of prebuff or contingency/major sequencer

[TheBlueFox]

Originally posted by DiceWrangler:

As odd as it sounds, I frequently use Longstrider when fighting indoors. Why? Because the best defense is not being seen and, in D&D 5e, you can Move->Cast->Move to take advantage of interior walls to block LoS. This also works for ranged attackers, like Rangers or archery Rogues (especially since they can use a Bonus action to Hide), to avoid being a target.

I use the spider climb boots to break line of sight by walking on the opposite side of walls. Haven't tried longstrider yet

[Ommamar]

Originally posted by TheBlueFox:

I'm kinda glad you can only concentrate on one spell at a time. I still cringe at mages in Baldurs gate 1 and 2.

Going into battle with
Immunity to 3rd level and lower spells
Stone skin
Mirror images
Immunity to missiles
Immunity to dispel
Haste
Blur
Etc...

The only way to strip it down was to use ruby ray to remove immunity to dispel, then spell thrust like 3 times...

It's more manageable now without 10 minutes of prebuff or contingency/major sequencer

It is a point I loved it on my party hated it on the enemy I was facing. Is there any feat in 5E (I know it isn't in Solasta) that allows you to concentrate on more then one spell at a time?)

[Frostfeather]

Blur on fights where you'll be taking a LOT of hits, otherwise Shield is all you need most of the time.

I actually like a Shock Arcanist for a main tank because having some Con isn't a waste for them due to their power later, Shield is op, and half their spells are cones/lines you can be in melee range for anyway.

[JimmysTheBestCop]

Originally posted by Ommamar:

Originally posted by TheBlueFox:

I'm kinda glad you can only concentrate on one spell at a time. I still cringe at mages in Baldurs gate 1 and 2.

Going into battle with
Immunity to 3rd level and lower spells
Stone skin
Mirror images
Immunity to missiles
Immunity to dispel
Haste
Blur
Etc...

The only way to strip it down was to use ruby ray to remove immunity to dispel, then spell thrust like 3 times...

It's more manageable now without 10 minutes of prebuff or contingency/major sequencer

It is a point I loved it on my party hated it on the enemy I was facing. Is there any feat in 5E (I know it isn't in Solasta) that allows you to concentrate on more then one spell at a time?)

Nope 5e is all about 1 concentration at a time. Its pretty much why you can use any weapon or armor based on proficiency not class anymore.

[Ichthyic]

Originally posted by Aria Athena:

Greater Invisibility is the best option, because the enemies straight up ignore you, but except for the cost, I find it to be a waste of your concentration.

I didn't use Misty Step often, because I liked my party grouped together.

I usually was able to protect my wizard with my front line. The issue was mostly flying creatures and assassins with Shadow Murder. What I did was use Blind, or some times dodge action for a turn or two, and then focus the enemies targeting them before they did much damage. My mage though had 20 AC. When I got level 5 spells, I had Mind Twist which is imo the best spell in the game.

You can also give them Empress Garb, although I preferred it on my ranger/rogue.

lol first time my mage died was from the sidequest in caer lem where the two sorak assassins attack you. they simply bypassed everyone in my party, regardless of AO, and curbstomped my mage to death. they never even tried to attack any other character.

did anybody consider "levitate" as a defensive spell? should put you out of reach of anything not ranged/bigger than 4m tall. basically a poor man's "fly".

[1ttffsse]

I think with empress chain garb , DEX 22, some items and party buffs from cleric and paladin high elf wiz had like 24 or 25 AC. She was tankier than my ranger archer.


On top of that there are two spells that really help - shield (level 1) block attacks. and greater invisibility (lvl4) makes you invisible and then everyone ignores you.

[Cartesian Duelist]

With my green mage I used +1 leather armor and 20 Dex.
With my shock mage I used +1 scale and 14 Dex and the Shield spell when needed.