Armor (Conjuration)

Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Saving Throw: None

AD&D 2nd Edition’s magic system offers fascinating depth, particularly through spell research—a path vital for both players and their characters to explore. Since spellcasters can embark on research from the very beginning of their careers, why not consider the options this opens up? Today, we focus on the 1st-level wizard spell Armor. We’ll examine its standard form and then theorize how a wizard might develop more potent, customized versions through this research, enhancing protection in your campaigns.

Potentialities of the 1st-Level Armor Spell:

• Essential Early Game Protection: Offers a significant Armor Class improvement (AC 6) for wizards and other unarmored characters who would otherwise be far more vulnerable, especially at lower levels.
• Unhindered Spellcasting & Movement: Being a magical force, it incurs none of the penalties associated with physical armor, such as encumbrance, spellcasting interference, or movement restrictions. This is crucial for arcane spellcasters.
• Synergy with Dexterity: The AC granted by Armor stacks with any existing Dexterity bonuses the recipient might have, allowing for potentially better final AC.
• Fighter/Mage Utility: For multiclass fighter/mages, the spell’s protection can be combined with the AC bonus from a physical shield, offering a robust defense.
• Damage-Resistant Duration: While it doesn’t absorb damage, its duration is tied to the wearer taking a certain amount of damage (8 + 1 per caster level). This can make it last longer than a simple timed duration if the wearer is adept at avoiding hits or faces enemies that hit infrequently.
• Preparatory Defense: With a 1-round casting time, it’s designed as a proactive, preparatory buff to be cast before combat or when anticipating danger, rather than a reactive combat spell.
• Cost-Effective Magical “Armor”: It provides the equivalent of non-magical scale mail without the cost or need to find/fit physical armor, relying instead on a reusable (though specific) material component.
• Understanding its Niche: Its potential is also defined by its limitations. Knowing it won’t stack with the Shield spell for AC, or aid already well-armored/naturally tough creatures, helps a wizard decide when and on whom to cast it effectively.

Researched Evolutions: Higher-Level “Armor

While the standard 1st-level Armor spell provides a solid defense, inventive wizards often strive for more. Through dedicated study, significant expense, and the collaborative process of magical research with their Dungeon Master, more powerful versions of existing spells can be brought into being. These wouldn’t just be simple upgrades; they’d be new spells in their own right, likely with unique requirements and perhaps even a suitably impressive name chosen by the caster. Imagine the following possibilities, born from such endeavors, after much trial, error, and DM approval:

A wizard seeking to enhance their basic Armor spell might, after considerable research, develop a 2nd-level version. This “Improved Armor” would represent a significant step up in personal protection:

Spell Level: 2nd

• Anticipated School: Conjuration
• Proposed Armor Class: AC 4 (equivalent to Plate Mail)
• Proposed Damage Threshold: The magical field dissipates after the wearer sustains cumulative damage greater than 16 points + 2 points per caster level.
• Proposed Casting Time: 1 minute

This spell offers a substantial boost to AC, bringing it on par with excellent physical armor. The increased damage threshold (both base and per level) means it can withstand considerably more punishment. However, this amplified power comes at the cost of a greatly extended casting time of 1 minute. This firmly moves “Improved Armor” into the realm of preparatory magic, requiring foresight and a safe casting environment – a common outcome when refining magical effects to be more potent. The DM might also decide that the material components are more exotic or costly, reflecting the spell’s enhanced nature.

Greater Armor” (Hypothetical 3rd-Level Spell)

For the wizard who delves even deeper into the theories of magical protection, an even more formidable 3rd-level “Greater Armor” could be the prized result of their advanced research:

Spell Level: 3rd

• Anticipated School: Conjuration
• Proposed Armor Class: AC 2 (rivaling Plate Mail & Shield)
• Proposed Damage Threshold: The magical field dissipates after the wearer sustains cumulative damage greater than 24 points + 3 points per caster level.
• Proposed Casting Time: 10 minutes

“Greater Armor” represents a pinnacle of personal magical defense for its level. An AC of 2 is exceptional, and the vastly improved damage threshold makes it incredibly resilient. The trade-off is, once again, a significantly longer casting time – 10 minutes – marking this as a spell used only when extensive preparation is possible. Such a powerful ward would undoubtedly be the result of lengthy research, considerable investment, and careful adjudication by the DM, who might have tweaked its final parameters from the wizard’s initial concept. Naming such a spell would be a moment of triumph for the researching wizard.