What's the difference between the spells Armor and Shield?

[bariumdose]

I've read the description of these spells, and I'm confused as to the benefits/drawbacks of each spell. Does anyone think one is better than the other? Do their effects stack if you cast both?

[krunchyfrogg]

Shield provides better defense, and Armor lasts a lot longer.

[Aerich]

True, but it's a little more detailed than that.

Armor essentially provides you with the same benefit of scale mail (AC 6) but without the weight or the casting restrictions. It stacks with Dex (and with a shield if you happen to have another class that allows shields). If you are wearing better armor than the spell provides, you gain no benefit. That also includes robes, etc, I believe, although it does not apply to Dex benefits or rings of protection.

Shield gives you an AC of 4. Additionally, your AC drops to 2 against missiles. Both effects stack with the Dex bonus to AC and rings etc. If your AC is better than that, the Shield spell does not override it. Potentially the largest benefit to Shield is that it utterly blocks Magic Missile and Mordenkainen's Force Missiles, including the small area of effect blast of MFM.

Both are good. Armor, because of the longer duration, is excellent for providing your beginner mage with a half-decent AC in the early going. It's good bang for your buck in terms of helping to keep your mage alive in successive close-quarters fights. Shield is a better all-round spell except for the duration.

The biggest difference is that Armor is sort of a generic, long-lasting protective spell, while Shield is better used as a single-fight spell, especially against anything that casts MM (Imbued Wights, Stone Nuisances, most NPC arcane spellcasters).

If you're going to cast Armor, cast it as soon as you wake up from resting (or as soon as you get into the area you are fighting in, if you have to travel). Cast Shield as a buff-spell-before-a-big-fight or against certain enemies.

I overwhelmingly prefer to have my mage hang around the back of the party to avoid being targeted. In many fights, neither one of these spells is needed.

[krunchyfrogg]

good post.

The fact that Shield protects against Magic Missile makes it a much better spell in the long run, IMHO.

[Aerich]

Thanks.

Yes, Shield has better medium-to-high-level applications for precisely that reason. A 12th lvl mage might cast Shield for the special benefits, but it would never cast Armor.

However, Armor is arguably better for a beginner mage because it gives some protection over what amounts to a long time.

[Philos]

Good stuff. Thought of one other big difference. As "originally" written for AD&D (which might not be the case for IWD) "Shield" only protects on attacks from the front and would not protect against a thief popping out of shadows and backstabbing or archers from the rear. "Believe" it still blocks MM or MFM from any side but not sure. Armor is all round like a suit of armor would be. Haven't the opportunity to verify this as I usually save shield for use as Aerich recommends, a buff before a big fight especially if confronting a mage.

[Aerich]

I didn't post the "from the front" stuff because I haven't been able to verify that it was implemented in-game. I tend not to let archers, thieves, and mages ambush my mages from behind.

My view is that the fight is lost already if you aren't facing an enemy mage or otherwise preventing it from casting.

[Philos]

I do the same in general tactics wise, so I haven't ever tested it out either. But there are a couple of spots in Lower Dorn where thieves can easily get behind you if you aren't careful due to a quirky feature of the otherwise great Infinity game engine. **possible spoilers** The encounter with the whats his name at the doorway to Marketh's palace where he asks you questions. Thieves magically appear all around and behind you if you miss a question. Also as you go through the palace they won't appear until after you walk "visibly" past a certain point. I now send my scout ahead without invisibility or not hiding in shadows so that the scut zeroes in on them instead of my mage. I have tried detect invisible and purge invisibility in both situation and nothing happens! Those two spells are completely useless in IWD. I have even launched fireballs up the hall to no effect. Those thieves basically don't exist until you cross a certain point. I did try crossing the point, listen for footsteps, and then cast purge invisibility too, nothing. Those spells just don't work. The engine is determined that the thieves will get an invisible shot in on you. I'm not using shield for my mage at that point in the game anyway so no opportunity to check then either.

[Aerich]

I've always found that area to be rife with bugs. I often see two thieves standing on one spot, unable to move from the spot; that wouldn't be so bad, except that the graphics are so mixed that if you click on one to attack it, you get the "target gone" message because you're supposed to attack the one on the bottom first.

I send one character up to start the dialogue with a bunch of summons around him. Et voila, no problems. They have terrible saves, too, so a Web or two sticks them in place for you to turn them into pincushions.