Safety and the City
They say that the wilderness is dangerous, but urban environments can present just as many dangers to the unwary, many of which are even more insidious. But fear not, because today’s article has a collection of city-themed defensive items that will keep you safe the next time you find yourself navigating twisting alleys and decidedly mean streets.
DRONE SHIELD PRICE 45,320 gp
Slot shield; CL 11th; Weight 10 lbs.
Aura moderate transmutation
These +3 heavy steel shields are made of an incredibly lightweight metal, and have a curiously curved and aerodynamic design, which, in conjunction with the four propellers that are cleverly hidden in the corners of the shield’s back, give it a very odd appearance.
As a standard action, the shield’s bearer can release the shield and cause it to become an animated drone, with statistics for a Tiny animated object, except that it also has a fly speed of 30 feet with perfect maneuverability. As a move action, the creature that released the drone shield in this way can issue it mental commands from up to 1,100 feet away, allowing the drone shield to take up to a full round’s worth of actions. On any round in which the drone shield does not receive instructions, it simply hovers in place. As a standard action, the creature that released the drone shield can transfer her senses to the drone shield, allowing her to see and hear what it does. While doing so, her body is considered blind and deaf. She can transfer her senses back to her body with another standard action.
None of a drone shield’s unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +3-equivalent shield for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, animate objects, clairaudience/clairvoyance
SEWER RAT SKIN PRICE 53,325 gp
Slot armor; CL 7th; Weight 20 lbs.
Aura moderate transmutation
These suits of +5 studded leather armor are made from the hides of hundreds of sewer rats, or, in rare cases, from one or two wererat skins. In either case, the wearer gains both a climb speed of 10 feet and a swim speed of 10 feet, and adds the armor’s enhancement bonus as a resistance bonus on saving throws made to resist diseases and poisons. Additionally, the wearer can cast dominate animal (DC 15) as a spell-like ability at will, but only on rats or rat-like creatures. He can use this ability on swarms of creatures as though the swarm were a single creature. Finally, once per day, the wearer can cast beast shape II, but only to transform into a rat or rat-like creature.
None of a sewer rat skin’s unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +5-equivalent suit of armor for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, beast shape II, dominate animal, monkey fishACG, remove disease
STREET ARMOR PRICE 125,305 gp
Slot armor; CL 13th; Weight 10 lbs.
Aura strong abjuration
These suits of +5 heavy fortification padded armor are exceptionally comfortable, imposing no arcane spell failure chance and allowing a maximum Dexterity bonus of +10. They were originally designed to be worn by nobility and other important dignitaries when they ventured out in public, to protect them from cutpurses and assassins. As it turns out, however, the same magic that protects against such ne’er-do-wells also serves them quite handily, and the armor has become popular amongst smugglers and backstabbers, as well as the social elite.
In addition to providing significant protection against sneak attacks, a suit of street armor contains a total of six small pockets, each of which functions similarly to a bag of holding, and can hold up to 2 cubic feet or 20 pounds of material. The pockets can be made to meld into the street armor with a command word from the wearer, at which point they are indistinguishable from the rest of the suit and completely inaccessible and undetectable until another command word (which also must be spoken by the wearer to function) causes them to return. Finally, as a feature added to protect against kidnapping attempts, once per day, the wearer can cast whispering wind as a spell-like ability.
None of a sewer rat skin’s unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +10-equivalent suit of armor for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, limited wish, secret chest, whispering wind