Stoneskin

Level 4 Abjuration spell available to Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards. Touch an ally and they take half damage from non-magical weapons until Long Rest. It is a strong buff with one enormous catch: it costs your Concentration for the whole day.

Spell description: Turn a creature’s flesh hard as stone. It takes only half the damage of all non-magical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage.

Spell properties

• Range: Melee: 1.5m (5ft)
• Duration: Until Long Rest
• Concentration spell
• Conditions applied: Stoneskin. Resistance to non-magical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage.
• Cost: Action + Spell Slot
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

Casting Stoneskin at higher levels provides no additional benefits.

How to obtain Stoneskin

• Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard at Class level 7
• War Domain Clerics (Domain spell) and Circle of the Land Druids (Mountain) at Class level 7

Source item: Scroll of Stoneskin

When to cast Stoneskin

Cast it on your tank before a fight full of ordinary weapon attacks. Goblins, bandits, gnolls, animals, most of Act One. Half damage from every sword, arrow, and claw is a big deal at that stage.

The Concentration requirement is what stops it being an every-day buff. Your caster cannot Concentrate on anything else while it is up, and one failed save ends it. On a Sorcerer or Wizard that usually means giving up Haste, Hold Person, or Hypnotic Pattern. That is a bad trade in most fights.

It only covers non-magical damage. By Act Three most enemies who matter carry magical weapons, and spells never counted, so the value drops off hard as you level.

Where it fits is on a caster who does not need their Concentration: a Wizard playing pure damage with Fireball and Magic Missile, or a Druid about to Wild Shape. Otherwise leave it in the spellbook.