Let's Talk About Shield (1st Level)

Sometimes its the simplest spells that we most often overlook.

My Assumptions

- Magic has not always existed.

- Magic was discovered last year.

- 1 out of every 1000 people are naturally gifted with magic.

- Spells are being discovered all the time.

- Magic breaks the laws of physics in ways we don't understand.

- This is not the only spell in the world.

 

Shield

1st-level Abjuration

Casting time: Special

Range: Self

Components: Voice, Motion

Duration: 1 round

Reaction trigger: You are hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell

 

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.

 

What It Changes

Here is a very simple example of a spell that directly counters another spell. As I surmised in the previous entry, escalation of offensive capability results in an escalation of defense, which results in a kind-of-boring arms race.

 

Technological Application

Although the spell is technically a reaction to something, I don't see why people couldn't figure out ways to imbue or enchant objects with this kind of defense. In addition to completely negating Magic Missile, it also increases the target's defense capabilities. I don't know exactly what this would mean in the real world, since AC in D&D terms refers to your armor class, a statistic that combines your ability to dodge, avoid, absorb and block damage. It's very broad.

 

I'm not sure if this would put a kind of bubble around a person, or just make their skin resilient ala Superman's skin, or just put up a barrier facing the source of danger (kind of like an actual shield). It's not terribly important. If we had access to something that could make any object or clothing as capable of protection as kevlar or steel, but with no additional weight, we would see a dramatic shift in both military defensive technology, as well as products in the private sector. Imagine clothing that can almost completely prevent dog bites, or bear attacks, or stab wounds as well as bullets. Who knows, maybe it could be used to protect professional athletes (skiers, mountain bikers, etc.) in case of a fall. It's like a knee pad for your whole body. Because of the lack of additional weight added to clothing, it would make any other kind of protective clothing completely obsolete.

 

Assuming magic is uncommon enough to be kept fairly secret (or at the very least, controlled and contained). If it were more readily available, you'd see it in every kind of protective garment. Construction clothing, baby strollers, car safety mechanisms, you name it.

I also wrote blogs in a similar vein for Resurrection and Magic Missile.