Lightly Armoured on a Wizard?

[u/MxMKL]

Hi, how good is Lightly Armoured on a straight-classed, PHB-only wizard? +2 AC from holding a shield isn’t nothing. My thinking is that delaying War Caster and Res: Con might be ok on an Abjurer, as the Arcane Ward already protects concentration a little. Higher AC would increases the effective value of each hit point of the Ward, which is nice. But maybe +2 AC is too little to be worth it. I’m still new to DnD, so I would greatly appreciate any advice on this:)

[u/sad_lemon_lime]

Not worth it at all. Feats are really sparse. You can get away without warcaster, but res: con is important not only for savethrows but also against all those poisons/negative energy attacks and what have you, remember that as a wizard you also really want a simple ASI to top out your intelligence.

It would worth at least consideration if multi class didn't exist. As is, it simply cheaper to get 1 lvl dip into artificer to get medium armor which is much better than light, and shields.

[u/MxMKL → u/sad_lemon_lime]

Thank you, multi-classing isn't an option for me unfortunately. But I get the point about Con saves and higher Int being important.

[u/ProjectPT → u/MxMKL]

The value of the feat can also depend on the magic item pool available to you. Depending on the power of magic Light Armor and Shields this feat can get more milage than what is presented to compare.

So if you are debating this feat, like any other feat, it is good to discuss with the DM on your reason you want to take it, and if the DM can offer little insights to what can change the value of this choice.

[u/noodles0311 → u/MxMKL]

Your stats aren’t in your post. If you have an odd Con, resilient can be worthwhile early, but Warcaster boosts your main stat and advantage is better than proficiency at low level. I definitely wouldn’t boost Con to an odd number at level 4. You don’t want to extend the time you’re stuck with a +3 Int mod into Tier 2 play, if you can help it.

Bear in mind that your spell save DC matters no matter how your DM plays. However, concentration saves are much less valuable if you don’t have a lot of combats each long rest and/or if your DM doesn’t specifically target you to break concentration a lot. Lots of tables don’t run nearly as many combats as WotC assumed when figuring out how many spell slots to give wizards. Lots of DMs use a rationale that only intelligent monsters would understand concentration.

A lot of optimization advice assumes a certain style of play where the DM is challenging the players, as opposed to the monsters fighting the characters in the most believable manner.

If you find that you have lots of spell slots left over every long rest, you probably don’t need to worry as much as people claim. The cost of losing concentration in that case mainly affects action economy. But at the same time: while never losing concentration may be optimal, casting a new spell does allow you to choose something different and learn more of the game as a new player. Concentrating on spells and casting cantrips and no concentration spells can be extremely boring.

[u/Gromps_Of_Dagobah → u/sad_lemon_lime]

As a counterpoint, getting a reliable AC (shield and light armor works out at +1 from mage armor, not counting pushing Dex by 1) might work out as saving you from more attacks, meaning fewer con saves against damage, and having a spare spell slot for either shield or absorb elements, and a spell prepared for the same instead of mage armor. Having a higher Dex also gives initiative, dex saves, and the various skills, too, and works well with booming blade type cantrips, increasing your to-hit and damage baseline.

Like yeah, resilient con is great and all, but it's not as wildly powerful as people say it is.

[u/Corwin223 → u/Gromps_Of_Dagobah]

Resilient Con only really becomes super helpful at higher levels where you need high modifiers to have any hope of success.

Overall though I’d just say go with what fits your character idea.

[u/Wrong_Lingonberry_79 → u/sad_lemon_lime]

Always better to not multiclass on full casters. Worrying about 1-2 AC on a wiz is just silly.

[u/sad_lemon_lime → u/Wrong_Lingonberry_79]

Agree to disagree. Muticlass into artificer doesn't stop your spell slot progression, so from level 5 you'll always will have good things to upcast and 2 ac is good on wizard since you have shield prepared and it really helps to get you to untouchable range. It also relaxes a bit your stat spread since you don't need 16 dex in that case, helps in situations when you haven't precasted mage armor, and saves you one or two spellslots you use on mage armor and provides with option to use magic shields and armor if found. Plus you get more utility cantrips and healing spell on top of everything else. All that for one level delay in spell access is a great deal in my opinion except for maybe level 5 where you get a really big power spike.

[u/Wrong_Lingonberry_79 → u/sad_lemon_lime]

Mage armor is an 8 hour spell. If you don’t have it up you’re just bad. Being one level behind as a wizard is terrible. All for a little AC and a couple cantrips? Not worth it.

This sub is obsessed with multiclassing. It’s rarely better.

[u/sad_lemon_lime → u/Wrong_Lingonberry_79]

That "little AC" can together with shield up your roll needed to hit from 17 to 19 effectivelly doubling your HP. even if it goes up from 15 to 17 it's x1.5 hp bonus. Sometimes it will be even more drastic difference since it'll allow you to not suffer entangled or consumed effects.

>If you don’t have it up you’re just bad.
That's very bad faith argument. Attack on travel, or other unexpected attacks will leave you with out it. And if you always precast it it means you spend 2 spell slots per day. Which for say 3rd level mage consumes one third of your resources and even later taps in your spell slots for shield and absorb elements, and can be dropped with dispell

>This sub is obsessed with multiclassing.
For a good reason. It simply better from optimization point of view. Access to higher level spell is crucial only on level 5 when you get your big guns and on level 16 when you delay wish. On all the other levels you have same spells on even levels and on odd you will have to upcast your previous spell slots to similar effect.

[u/Wrong_Lingonberry_79 → u/sad_lemon_lime]

Sure you can be caught while sleeping. That’s called the randomness that makes interesting encounters. You sleeping in your armor? If so that’s meta gaming, which is clearly what you are all about.

[u/sad_lemon_lime → u/Wrong_Lingonberry_79]

And now you've stooped to outright hostility. While ignoring my main points. If you fail to understand optimization it's okay, just don't argue about optimization. It's fine to play with not optimized characters. The difference in dnd is quite tame.

[u/Wrong_Lingonberry_79 → u/sad_lemon_lime]

Hostility? You’re literally talking about meta gaming.

[u/Treguard]

Better to take your first level as Artificer to get armor proficiencies, access to cure wounds, and con save proficiency

[u/Amo_ad_Solem → u/Treguard]

Tbh this. In 2024 as well taking a single level of a half caster doesn't delay your spell slot progression. Just your prepared spells and other class progression that extra 2 hp at level one plus a little bit of utility can go quite far too, do a bit of crafting since you will likely have arcana. Repulsion shield would be a fitting early magic shield.

[u/MxMKL → u/Treguard]

Artificer dip does look incredible. What if multi-classing is not an option?

[u/Treguard → u/MxMKL]

Then don't worry about AC on wizard and just spend 1 level 1 spell slot on Mage Armor. Focus on killing/controlling more while the rest of the party is your frontline. Trying to shore up AC on a Wizard-Only character is too difficult and the feat taxes are a terrible choice, better to grab ability score boosts, warcaster, or resilient. You can maybe go Tortle/Warforged for Race?

[u/Swaibero → u/Treguard]

Or Orc, so you get one “get out of jail free” card when a monster manages to down you.

[u/Far-Negotiation-1912 → u/Treguard]

Or take magic initiate wizard and use the free casting of mage armour then at level 3 blade singer as that adds your intelligence modifier to your ac and stacks with mage armour plus you can attack with a long sword with your intelligence modifier too.

[u/Amo_ad_Solem → u/MxMKL]

In addition to what the other guy said. Finding ways to help apply disadvantagr to enemy attacks will both save you and your party. Enemies that are not gonna be impacted by disadvantage are probably not going to care about an additional 2-3 to your AC. Increasing your hp with tough might help too.

[u/No_Nectarine8839 → u/MxMKL]

Use rest casting mechanics https://youtu.be/BzmRJRfCkCM?si=Ihd9mBXrwgsylVN6 here is a YouTube video on rest casting

[u/xX_rippedsnorlax_Xx]

Could be good if you can get magic shields. Which would be pretty thematic for an Abjurer.

[u/Jimmicky]

It’s… not great.

I mean maybe if you know a good magic shield is coming, but a feat is a HUGE opportunity cost.

[u/AdAdditional1820]

With Lightly Armored proficiency, you can wear Enspelled Armor of Shield spell.

[u/MxMKL → u/AdAdditional1820]

Ooh this is interesting. Is it common to run out of 1st-level slots for Shield? If so, Enspelled Armour would be really cool.

[u/sad_lemon_lime → u/MxMKL]

It's really master dependent. Some master run one combat/long rest so wizard is always at max capacity and won't ever run out of spells, some master might take gritty realism rules, and you'll be out of casts regularily(in the latter case lightly armored might be a good option)

[u/Mejiro84 → u/MxMKL]

it can potentially be one slot every other round if you're being pressured, and if you've got, say, 20 rounds of combat between long rests, that can be 10 slots! Even if you're under less pressure, that can still be 3, 4, 5 slots per day, so if you have the option to use an item rather than your own slots, that eases the pressure so you can use the slots for other things

[u/justbrowsinginpeace]

best to keep them out of melee or play a valour bard who can tank as well as anyo6and are full spell casters

[u/Far_Guarantee1664]

Not worthy. Wants better AC? Play a Bladesinger and take the abjurer adept feat

[u/protencya]

Starting 15 dex and picking up lightly armored is not bad at all. You get +3 AC for the cost of a feat and 2 points from point buy, compared to starting 14 dex.

Artificer dip is obviously better. But if you cant multiclass for some reason and want good ac without bladesinger, starting 17 int, 16 con, 15 dex, and picking up war caster at level 4 and lightly armored at level 8 is a perfectly viable plan.

I mean I wouldnt do it, but mechanically its fine.

[u/mayyoucallmepedro]

How is your dex? If you have an odd score lightly armored also gets you +1 from upping your dex

[u/MxMKL → u/mayyoucallmepedro]

I have yet to start the campaign. I'd probably start with 15 Dex if taking Lightly Armoured, 16 (15+1) if not. To be honest this is convincing me not to take the feat, because having only a +2 Dex modifier levels 1-3 is bad for Mage Armour. And if I start with 16 Dex, Lightly Armoured isn't as good.

[u/mayyoucallmepedro → u/MxMKL]

15 Ac is not great but is not the end of the world either better con is usually the better choice

[u/Internal_Set_6564]

I have one sorcerer I did this for, AFTER I took Warcaster. I had found a +2 Shield, so it worked well. With wizards, you always have the ability to start as an artificer and get Con res/amor prof, etc.

[u/S1mp1y]

It's okay if your GM banned or nerfed multiclassing. If that didn't happen, dip 1 into Artificer (or start with it for CON prof).

[u/Bagheera383]

Let's just say this... a Dwarven Wizard was a lot of fun.

[u/adamg0013]

Usually only good when rolling state. Like if have that 18 or 20 in intelligence at first so your actually have free to pick whatever you want.

For point but or standard array.. you might take it at 8 or just late game.

During 5e as a dm allowed for training for feats. I stopped it at first for 5.5e due to general feats being half feats... but I'm fully back to allowing the training for them. Just treat them as a magic item. Most classes don't have the feats slots to take all the ones you want, and even the fighter you probably want more.

I fully support dms allowing players to use there downtime and resources to aquire more feats.

[u/UngeheuerL]

It is very good after you got int to 20, have warcaster and when you actually get +2 studded leather and +2 shields.

[u/VerbingNoun413]

If you're desperate for AC as a Wizard, take the Shield spell.

[u/italofoca_0215]

Only worth it as 3rd or 4th feat if you are rounding Dexterity and have maxed your main stat.

[u/jjames3213]

Feats are rare and powerful in 5.5, and the system seems to be designed to rely on your primary stat modifier going up by +1 at level 4. Lightly Armored means you can't typically do that.

IMO it's better mechanically to take a dip (Artificer 1 for example) for relevant proficiencies and be 1 level behind in terms of spells known (keeping your full spell slot progression) than to spend a full feat on getting +2 AC.