Arcane Ward

Arcane Ward is a passive feature of the Abjuration School Wizard. When you cast an Abjuration spell, you gain a charge in Arcane Ward that blocks incoming damage. Each time you take damage, the damage is reduced by the charge count and the charge count reduces by 1.

Description

The residual magic of your spells forms a ward around you that protects you from harm.

Each time you cast an Abjuration spell, the intensity of the ward increases by the amount of the spell's Level, up to a maximum of 2x your Wizard level.

Each time you take damage, the ward blocks an amount of damage equal to its intensity, and its intensity decreases by 1.

After each Long Rest, the ward's intensity resets, and becomes the same as your Wizard level.

Condition: Arcane Ward

 Arcane Ward

• Your Arcane Ward blocks damage equal to its charges and then loses 1 charge. Casting Abjuration spells will add charges equal to the level of the spell.

How to learn

Classes:

• Class level 2: Abjuration

Notes

• Arcane Ward gains charges from any Abjuration spell
  •  Cleric Level 1 Spells give access to both  Shield of Faith and  Sanctuary, neither of which require Attack Rolls or allow Saving throws, meaning that you can dump stat Wisdom and still get the full benefit.
  • Spells cast from Scrolls also add to the intensity of the ward.
  •  Armour of Agathys is an upcastable Abjuration spell and synergizes a lot with Arcane Ward.
  •  Warding Bond grants, as a Level 2 Abjuration spell, 2 charges of Arcane Ward. You can use True Love's Embrace and the matching ring True Love's Caress, too. Damage transferred from Warding Bond is reduced by Arcane Ward charges. This transferred damage does not trigger Armour of Agathys.
  • An abjuration wizard multiclassing into Warlock for at least two levels can acquire  Armour of Shadows, allowing them to cast  Mage Armour on themselves without using a spell slot. This can be done repeatedly (though it is necessary to equip and unequip some armour each time) to rapidly charge the ward up to its maximum level.