There has been some discussion lately that the D&D 5e “Shield” spell was overpowered, giving wizards and sorcerers the ability to use it as a reaction to being attacked, adding +5 to their AC, and negating any effects from magic missile. The spell is a reaction to being hit by an attack or targeted by “magic missile.”
How much is the staff of Defense worth?
Aura strong abjuration; CL 15th; Slot none; Price 62,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs. The staff of defense is a simple-looking polished wooden staff that throbs with power when held defensively. It allows use of the following spells: Shield (1 charge)
Can you cast the shield spell from the staff of?
The staff’s description specifically says “you can use your action” to cast the spell. However, the Shield spell has a casting time of “1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell”. And it seems that Shield is much more useful when you can cast it as a reaction.
What can you do with staff of Defense in 5e?
One of the magical items in the 5E Starter Set is the staff of defense. “With the staff in hand, you can use your action to cast one of the following spells if the spell is on your class’s spell list: mage armour (1 charge) or shield (2 charges).” In 5E, shield has a casting time of 1 reaction
Can a DM cast the staff of Defense?
A DM could also allow casting the spell as a reaction. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. This seems to be the case even for the Staff of Defense, being in the Starter Set, which was released before the DMG errata was.
Do you have to know the roll to cast shield?
There were some that argued that the caster should not know the roll and should cast Shield before seeing if the spell would block the attack or not, because it was metagaming too much to know the roll.
