You touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends. The target’s base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier. The spell ends it if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell as an action.

The creature who doesn’t wear armor, protective magical force surrounds it until the end of the spell which creature is often called a willing creature so you need to touch that creature. The target base AC will come once you add 13 to its dexterity modifier. to finish the spell you’ve got to dismiss the spell as an action otherwise it’ll end itself when the target dons armor.

Mage Armor 5E

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V S M (A piece of cured leather)
• Duration: 8 hours
• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard

Actually, the unarmored defense can’t work with the mage armor but you would possibly are asked yourself that “why don’t they work together? The mage armor specifies “it works on a creature those that aren’t wearing the armor.”

Any reasonable character who is proficient with the particular kind of armor can cast the spells whenever wearing that sort of armor with none penalty. There are numerous better ways for the mages for getting an honest armor class.

For instance: Draconic Sorcerers will get the permanent mage armor without charge of cost at the first level and provides 13+ Dexterity modifiers AC.

The spell changes the target’s AC to 13 + their Dexterity modifier. The keyword here is changes. tons of individuals get hung abreast of this spell and similar effects like Unarmored Defense, thinking that they ought to be adding their Dexterity again because they’re thinking there’s a general rule that you simply add your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class.

Chances are that mage armor uses 13 rather than 10 as its base in deference to the very fact that it doesn’t involve your spellcasting ability. 13 is extremely high for A level 1 character’s main attribute, but it doesn’t proportion. This is often probably because the 2 closest analogs to mage armor are the Draconic Resilience feature belonging to Draconic sorcerers and therefore the Unarmored Defense features belonging to Monks and Barbarians.

They thus have more potential for growth than mage armor or Draconic Resilience, but a better cost. They also belong to warrior classes. A wizard, sorcerer, or warlock is incredibly likely to possess their spellcasting ability as their highest ability score. So if you’ll use your spellcasting ability as a part of your AC as a mage-type character with mage armor, you’d likely be better protected than an unarmored monk or barbarian, which could be attractive for you as a wizard but wouldn’t exactly be balanced or fair.

Remember that as a wizard, you’ve got other options for defense, from casting shield when something slips past your mage armor to gaining the special ward from specializing in Abjuration. you’ll also use spells to regulate enemy movement or to maneuver out of harm. Unlike mundane armor, improved mage armor entails no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction.

As a wizard, you couldn’t wear armor effectively without spending a feat, so mage armor is one among the foremost useful defensive spells within the game when you’re starting out and low on slots.