Shield spell vs magic Missile ?

[orphias]

OK. If I am reading the shield spell right, it takes an action to cast and grants a +1 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn. As a reaction you can raise shield and reduce damage from an attack by 4. Then you can't use the spell again for 10 minutes ?!

Supposedly it also stops magic missile if raised - But what idiot would cast magic missile at the caster after he sees you cast shield ?

This spell seems rather a dud unless I am missing something?

[MaxAstro]

It stops magic missiles entirely for legacy reasons - the shield spell has always stopped magic missiles. No other or better reason than that.

[Stephen Radney-MacFarland]

orphias wrote:

Supposedly it also stops magic missile if raised - But what idiot would cast magic missile at the caster after he sees you cast shield ?

Well, in these cases it does a better job of stopping the use of magic missile against the caster. Sometimes just the knowledge of a defense provides a better defense to the user of that defense.

This has been the case throughout the history of strategy.

[Xenocrat]

orphias wrote:

Supposedly it also stops magic missile if raised - But what idiot would cast magic missile at the caster after he sees you cast shield ?

It's hard to identify spells as they are cast now, and it's not obvious whether a shield spell has a visual or invisible force effect.

As far as general utility, for an action you buy a 5% chance not to get hit, and (sometimes) a 5% chance for a crit not to happen, plus the option to shield block. Notice that it heightens to stop more damage, which is nice at higher levels.

[Letric]

This shouldn't happen anymore. Shield cannot block Magic Missile because MM could be higher level, why would a level 1 spell block a level 9?

[Xenocrat]

Letric wrote:

This shouldn't happen anymore. Shield cannot block Magic Missile because MM could be higher level, why would a level 1 spell block a level 9?

It doesn't negate the spell, it just blocks some of the damage.