Shield
- Level & School
- 1st-level abjuration
- Casting Time
- Reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack roll or targeted by the Magic Missile spell
- Range
- Self
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- 1 round
- Classes
- Sorcerer, Wizard
An imperceptible barrier of magical force protects you. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus to AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take no damage from Magic Missile.
- Level & School
- 1st-level abjuration
- Casting Time
- Reaction
- Range
- Self
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- 1 round
- Classes
- Sorcerer, Wizard
An invisible barrier of magical force appears and protects you. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus to AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take no damage from magic missile.
Shield 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
There are no significant mechanical differences between the 2014 and 2024 versions of the Shield spell. Both provide a +5 AC bonus and immunity to Magic Missile damage for 1 round, with identical durations and effects.
Spells similar to Shield
Shield of Faith, 1st-level abjuration
Both are first‑level abjurations a caster uses to boost a creature's defenses in combat, making them natural alternatives when you want to avoid getting hit.Mage Armor, 1st-level abjuration
Like Shield, it’s a low‑level abjuration option a wizard or sorcerer can use to improve AC and survive longer, but it does so as a longer‑lasting protective effect.Mirror Image, 2nd-level illusion
This spell also gives a short‑term personal defensive effect that makes you harder to hit, serving a similar tactical role in staying alive during an encounter.Sanctuary, 1st-level abjuration
Although it works differently, Sanctuary is another low‑level way to discourage or reduce attacks against a protected character, keeping them safer for a round or more.Counterspell, 3rd-level abjuration
Counterspell and Shield share the same instantaneous, reactive mindset: you spend a reaction to negate or blunt an incoming magical threat at the moment it happens.