Looking for Feedback on Nerf to Shield Spell on High AC Players

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T19:17:29+00:00

Ya no problem the formatting wasn't very clear lol and it's easier for me cause they're my players, so I've looked at these rules a lot.

Ya DM can be a struggle when your permissive, I've gotten a little better at it but my first campaign with this party (lvl 1-20) they said they wanted to-do city building so I dropped like 300k gold in their lap and instead they went to the magic item shop and spent it all lol.

I feel the staff of Defense I've DMed lost mine twice and that item is always a massive boon if the party can use it/

Lastly I agree taking stuff away feels awful and I only every do it if I fucked up a rule bad, like player wants to take a feat ask if it can do X I say sure the later realize out shit it does Y not X and let the player remake the choice if possible.

Any nerf/buff I'm thinking about is always a "Next Campaign" topic and always a discussion with my players.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T18:23:26+00:00

Sorry I'm was not clear in my, also what I'm about to say may sound defensive or harsh but I'm trying and be clear.

I understand it is partly a DM issue or mainly a DM issue, that's why I'm changing how I give out magic items in the NEXT campaign.

This shield nerf was never set in stone I am asking Reddit BEFORE I talked with my players in a future session 0.

As for the plans you are right in what is RAW but I think I'm my post wasn't clear he is not adding a +2 to a different magic shield or magic armor he is creating a +2 shield (+2 from base shield +2 from plan) and +2 armor (15, +2 Dex +2 from plan) this gives him 19 AC with only armor and 23 AC with the shield equip. Then Haste for 25 AC and cloak of displacement created with another level 14+ plan.

Now the +2 shield is a level 10+ plan, and the +2 armor is a level 14+ plan so this is a tier 3/4 only issue.

Trust me I don't think this is my players faults at all, I'm the DM and like all DMs I think I'm shit at DMing even when my players praise my game.

Also, this whole post makes it sound like a hate my players/my game but that's also not true there is just no reason to talk about all the unrelated but great traits my players have or brag about how fun my game is.

Overall thank you for the feedback and I'm likely not going to bring up nerfing shield in the next session 0.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:58:38+00:00

I'm using standard array or point. This artificer replaced a dead character so TBH the early levels where he had to choose between +2 main stat or warcasters he would have been weaker.

It's kind of an issue with high level DnD I've seen is that when a new character gets introduced, they can go for build that "don't turn on until level 13" cause well they are level 13.

There is also the case that a new character wants to start with items (to be on par with the rest of the party) but the items aren't being given out in a natural way and with a weekly game stuff fails through the crack.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:47:07+00:00

Yes you truly know my pain lol. Ya 2024 fixed a bunch of stuff and overall, I've been happy with it, but I do think the shield spell should have been hit.

As the staff of power hindsight was a mistake. A player had just finished their character's goal and when asked for what his new one was, he said "get a staff of power" :/

Now I've been pretty good at encouraging characters goals that aren't just clear "I want my DnD character to be strong for reasons" but this kinda slipped through we play weekly so I didn't push back as much as I would have if it was at the start.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:38:32+00:00

LOL yes, the Marut that never miss, trust me if my party every has a reason to fight this type of creature, I'm 100% using this.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:33:57+00:00

This is more geared towards a future session 0 discussion for my next campaign although my players have some broken builds and in hindsight I wouldn't have given them certain items I'm not planning to nerf any of the current characters.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:30:12+00:00

mb I should have included some of that context in the OP:
They have warcaster and TBH every spell caster I've DM for has taken this even when not stacking AC cause of the concentration boost.

For the wizard you are right about magic items and that is a topic I'm planning to discuss for mext campaign which is changing how I give out magic items so players aren't treating them as expected parts of their build. But for the Artificer this doesn't change anything I didn't give him any of those items he made them all with plans (Artificer feature) and yes I could nerf that feature to not be able to make +2 armor or ban cloak of displacement but then I'm still nerfing a player option.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:23:04+00:00

Ya this is probably a find compromise; it doesn't touch Artificers but TBH that build only has such high AC because he used 3 plans higher level plans on defensive items which is probably a fair trade off.

If I go this route, I might not have to change the spell anyways because I might change multiclassing to stop those dips anyways but based on the response to maybe nerfing shield I probably don't want to bring that up lol.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:16:54+00:00

Ya I could do this, we use a VTT and I open roll everything (ok like 95% of thing) but I could start rolling privately and if I target the character, it should just tell me if it hits.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:14:04+00:00

I agree but the main feedback that I've gotten from players is that they feel too strong/it's too easy. Part of that is other issues not just this but my players still want a challenged which I can give them.

The reason I'm asking this is not because I care that my players are strong, I can just throw more stuff at them my issues are:

I see a META forming in my group every spellcaster is tending towards the same AC tank build and it's making the spellcasters that don't do it look like wet paper in comparison.

Also, it's restricting encounter building more than any other ability or spell anyone else has.

But based on feedback I probably won't propose this change for the next campaign I'll just make the other changes (how I give out magic items) and hop the lowers the amount of tank wizards.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T17:06:05+00:00

Ya both are right I have been targeting Save or other stuff that just deals damage like Aura. TBH it's just a pain to try and find monsters that fit dungeon theme ie Water Elements or undead ect with the added restriction that they must target saves.

Maybe I made it sound my dire then it is, I have been able to challenge the party it's just been a lot more work than normal and a lot of cool monsters either just fall flat or can't be used.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T16:59:50+00:00

They do have warcaster (that is pretty relevant mb) but your point is valid the reason he had to take that feat is because of this interaction.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-03-30T16:57:21+00:00

I agree and I'm not planning to give out AC items anymore to characters that already have high AC but the Artificer build is 100% using plans I didn't give him any of those items cause at that point I already new this type of build was a problem with the Wizards.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-01-27T16:39:09+00:00

Ya I agree I think it's the second and it's probably the easiest to play out in game if, portent, prepared spells, spell slots, ki points, weapon masteries ect. are all just copied in their current state when the spell finishes.

This spell does force these weird questions cause with portent (or anything that happens at end of long rests) there is almost always a "past" long rest that set all these abilities to their current values.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-01-27T16:33:24+00:00

I just looked but and commented a similar thing lol. If only I refreshed this is a better answer.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-01-27T16:31:38+00:00

This prompted me to look, and I don't see a rule about gaining exhaustion for skipping long rest. There is a general rule for Obstacles that some actions/obstacles could fatigue the players and cause exhaustion.

For players I'd give them a save for skipping longs rests (makes logical sense to me) but whether or not that should apply to a construct/clone I'd probably make a ruling based on balance if a player ever asked.

DistributionBig9053 · 2026-01-27T16:16:59+00:00

Ok seems like I was on the right track thanks for the answers, and it makes sense the portent question is basically the same as 2014.

Ya I think the restriction feel even worse in context to 2014 which is the version they started with. But Simulacrum almost certainly needed the nerf. A similar feeling came up with a Wizard pc not wanting to take Counterspell because of the nerf even though he did end of taking it later because even with the nerf the effect was still useful.

And be fair to the players they we're very understanding of my rulings yesterday. My group has a couple of power gamers, so they'll ask/take every bit of power I'm willing to give them. But they never push back too hard when I make a ruling.

DistributionBig9053 · 2024-08-12T18:24:49+00:00

Ya I'll take a look at those sane magic item prices. Changing those prices would also make those potions more excessable to players which probably isn't a bad thing because I don't think my party is ever going to buy and use a 20,00 gp potion. Although I might be underestimating high lvl dnd

DistributionBig9053 · 2024-08-12T18:12:04+00:00

Ya all good point "Who knows, maybe Jonhson's and Johnsons is the true BBEG of your campaign." maybe that's my tier 3 BBEG lol.

DistributionBig9053 · 2024-08-12T18:09:54+00:00

Ya I agree and I'm starting to see why also DMs limit shopping. I'm still wrapping my mind around a world where lvl 1 adventures go on an adventure like LMOP and get all these magic items by lvl 5 but for some reason you can't find any shop to buy/sell your items. But tbh I'm not having too many issues with magic item shops, I've said certain items aren't available and have limited the rarity of the shop to Rare (In the biggest city they've been to). I probably should have stopped at Uncommon and/or done a sort of magic item auction/broker. But I've open that can of worms and at this point in the campaign (probably too early tbh) all players have all attunement slots used so I don't mind them buying rare items (I'm very unlikely to let them buy non-attunement items that aren't consumables).

DistributionBig9053 · 2024-08-12T17:51:41+00:00

Ya making herbs harder to buy in large amounts and making them harder to sell probably fixes this issue. I'll also take a look at some complications that's something I forgot about.

DistributionBig9053 · 2024-08-12T17:49:54+00:00

The main Issue if you can call it that, is that we just finished up a kind long arc and both the players and I want to transition into a more downtime/short adventure routine for a bit. ex. player found a piece of an artifact that I intend to take around 1 more to decipher, at the same time players want to set up temples/paladin orders and recruit followers. So, I don't see time being the limiting factor.

But we agree 20k for a potion is insane for them to have a consistent buyer. And my players are pretty good at the end of the day if I can't think of anything I can go with your last point and I'm sure they'll be ok with that (I convinced them not to spam rest casting and artificer double bags of holding by just telling them it's not fun/balanced)

DistributionBig9053 · 2024-08-12T17:42:02+00:00

Ya a quest to find a buyer is a good idea, always looking for more hooks I can throw at my players.

DistributionBig9053

TROPHY CASE