Mage Armour

Level 1 Abjuration spell available to Sorcerers and Wizards. It sets an unarmoured caster’s Armour Class to 13 plus Dexterity until Long Rest. Near-mandatory on a robe-wearer.

Spell description: Surround an unarmoured creature in a protective magical force. Its Armour Class increases to 13 + its Dexterity modifier.

Spell properties

• Range: Melee (1.5m)
• Duration: Until Long Rest
• Cost: Action + Spell Slot
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

Casting Mage Armour at higher levels provides no additional benefits.

How to obtain Mage Armour

• Sorcerer, Wizard at Class level 1
• Arcane Trickster (Rogue) and Eldritch Knight (Fighter) at Class level 3
• Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Sorcerer, Magic Initiate: Wizard
• Source item: Moon Devotion Robe
• Warlocks can gain a permanent version through the Armour of Shadows Invocation

When to cast Mage Armour

Cast it the moment you stand up from a Long Rest and never think about it again. It sets an unarmoured caster’s Armour Class to 13 plus Dexterity, which is a big jump for a robe-wearer and lasts the whole day for a single slot.

It does nothing for anyone already wearing armour, so it is strictly a caster buff. On a Wizard or Sorcerer it is close to mandatory; on a Warlock, take the Armour of Shadows Invocation instead and save the slot entirely.