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Full Disclosure: This is not a guide about abjurers, but more general advice on using various buffs and protections effectively.
Second Edition has come down hard on stacking bonuses. Fortunately, lots of things still stack "in practice." Take protecting yourself for example. Lots of abilities, items, and spells can be layered on to tank rather effectively (and quickly too).
I know that's an especially high level example, but I just wanted to show a lot of layers of protection in action, all working together to mitigate an especially high amount of damage. There are plenty of ways to do this sort of thing even at much lower levels.
Rings of energy resistance are available as early as 6th-level. For non-energy damage, use spells like stoneskin to get physical resistance (or perhaps even armor, or a magic item). Shattering gem is a 1st-level spell on the Arcane and Primal lists, and can be cast on other party members before an expected rumble. Arcane casters might not have spells like heal or regenerate, but they do have spells like false life, vampiric touch, and vampiric exsanguination, which don't even impact your action economy (since they can be cast well before combat, or also happen to be attacks in their own right). Other spells, like shield, can also be used to add not one, but two additional layers of protection (the first being the AC bonus and the second being the ability to use Shield Block). Furthermore, since casting it is a reaction, it doesn't really effect your action economy all too much.
Anyways, when it comes to thinking about how things can stack in Second Edition, I hope this advice helps to keep your character alive during hard times. Might you have additional suggestions for stacking on multiple layers of protection quickly and effectively?
Other spells, like shield, [...] Furthermore, since casting it is a reaction, it doesn't really effect your action economy all too much.
Shield takes a single action to cast, not a reaction. It's still OK, since it pairs up well with most other spells which have a 2-action casting time.
Other spells, like shield, [...] Furthermore, since casting it is a reaction, it doesn't really effect your action economy all too much.Shield takes a single action to cast, not a reaction. It's still OK, since it pairs up well with most other spells which have a 2-action casting time.
Oh yeah, that's right. Not sure why I was thinking that.
Oh yeah, that's right. Not sure why I was thinking that.Other spells, like shield, [...] Furthermore, since casting it is a reaction, it doesn't really effect your action economy all too much.Shield takes a single action to cast, not a reaction. It's still OK, since it pairs up well with most other spells which have a 2-action casting time.
I’d guess that it’s because you can use an active shield spell to block as a reaction like you can a mundane shield.
I don't mean this as an attack or an insult, but rather just a humorous observation. It's quite ironic to see this thread being started by the guy who plays a Monk that can't survive ending his turn next to an enemy. ;-)
I don't mean this as an attack or an insult, but rather just a humorous observation. It's quite ironic to see this thread being started by the guy who plays a Monk that can't survive ending his turn next to an enemy. ;-)
Yeah. I can't say I recommend 10 Con monks. :P
This whole layered defenses thing kind of "light-bulbed" for me while I was making Yiankun, especially when it occurred to me that I could have taken it farther if I had been intentionally aiming for it.
I'm sure this stuff is nothing new to some folks, but I figured it didn't hurt to get it out there for those people who aren't thinking in those terms.
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Playing an Abjurer myself, and I'd actually love to work together on some sort of list of spells - longterm buffs, defenses, layers of protection, situational assistance.
We could set up a google doc and do this properly.
I'm not a fan of Google Doc, personally, but I won't stand in the way of anyone who wants to do such a thing.
I'll give it some more thought and see if I can think of any other options to add to the mix. I encourage others to make their own suggestions as well.
For real though, your Abjurer should also be washing their hands and maintaining social distance if they REALLY want to protect themselves.
Hygiene is the best buff imaginable.
But the orc caves are SO alluring this time of year!
Playing an Abjurer myself, and I'd actually love to work together on some sort of list of spells - longterm buffs, defenses, layers of protection, situational assistance.
We could set up a google doc and do this properly.
What criteria? At least a 1 hour duration spell?
What criteria? At least a 1 hour duration spell?Playing an Abjurer myself, and I'd actually love to work together on some sort of list of spells - longterm buffs, defenses, layers of protection, situational assistance.
We could set up a google doc and do this properly.
Most of those are self only, but there's a handful useful on others. However while that's a good thing, I get the feel protecting effectively is just as important as doing it reliably.
There's a lot of good spells with a lot of criteria. For example, I'd count Shattering Gem II a little higher than Resist Energy, because even if it's capped at 10hp of protection, it's more generalistic. However, Resist Energy IV would be rated higher than Shattering Gem IV because of the multiple target option.
One criterion that may be useful stems from the idea that buffs cast on willing targets don't benefit from high Class DCs. A warpriest, for example, may benefit from higher martial stats and lower Wis by selecting good abjuration spells. Characters multiclassing into spellcasters will also have lower DCs because they won't move past Trained automatically.
For actual Abjurers (or Universalists), the Protective Ward focus spell is nice. I haven't run across a lot of other status bonuses to AC. Being able to share it with nearby allies also makes it a nice complement to the Bard's Inspire Courage cantrip.