Shield Yourself
Hello everyone and welcome to another exciting edition of Magic Market, where week after week we bring you the finest new magical items to stock your shelves. This week I would like to talk to you about some new magical shields. Well, not talk about, so much as show, really. And, in that vein, let’s get to it!
SHIELD OF THE DEFENDER
Aura moderate abjuration; CL 9th
Slot shield; Price 80,170 gp; Weight 15 lbs.
Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, stoneskin; Cost 40,170 gp
This heavy steel shield is round and made from a grim- and dark-colored metal. The shield seems to move of its own initiative to intercept blows, and rather than dodging attacks, it seems only to be interested in absorbing the brunt of the impact.
Whenever the wielder of this +2 heavy steel shield uses the total defense action, any attack that damages him deals only half damage. This ability only applies to weapon damage: spells, supernatural abilities, and other non-weapon attacks deal full damage against the wielder.
None of the shield of the defender’s special abilities count as an enhancement bonus, and it is considered a +2 heavy steel shield for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
SHIELD OF THE GLADIATOR
Aura faint conjuration; CL 1st
Slot shield; Price 40,170 gp; Weight 15 lbs.
Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, mage armor, shield;Cost 20,170 gp
This beautiful gleaming heavy steel shield is decorated with an emblazoned image of a gladiator surrounded by magical enchantments. When donned, the shield seems almost weightless in the wielder’s hand, effortlessly moving to defend him.
The shield of the gladiator has no shield bonus on its own, but provides the wielder with additional defenses based on his existing defenses. The shield bonus granted by a shield of the gladiator is equal to the number of the following bonuses to AC that the wearer is currently benefitting from: armor, deflection, dodge, insight, luck, natural armor, profane, or sacred. For each of these types of bonuses for which the bonus is +6 or higher, the shield bonus increases by an additional +1 (for example, a character with a +4 armor bonus, +2 deflection bonus, and +1 luck bonus would gain a +3 shield bonus from the shield of the gladiator, while a character who had just a +6 natural armor bonus would gain a +2 shield bonus, etc.).
Some of the shield of the gladiator’s special abilities count as an enhancement bonus, and it is considered a +3 heavy steel shield for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
SHIELD OF THE INNOCENT
Aura faint abjuration; CL 1st
Slot shield; Price 180,170 gp; Weight 15 lbs.
Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, sanctuary; Cost 90,170 gp
This pale heavy steel shield is decorated with a white dove flying above a newborn infant. A shield of the innocent always functions as a +4 heavy steel shield. Further, the wielder of a shield of the innocent cannot be attacked by a creature whom he has not attacked first, unless that creature succeeds on a Will save (DC equal to 10 + the wielder’s shield bonus + the wielder’s Charisma modifier). This ability also prevents the wielder from being targeted by harmful spells and abilities (any that deal hit point or ability score damage, or offer a saving throw that is not denoted as harmless), though he can still be affected by such spells if he is not targeted directly (for example, if he is within the area of a fireball spell). Once a character damages or has been damaged by the wielder of a shield of the innocent, that character is free to attack the wielder as normal.
None of the shield of the innocent’s special abilities count as an enhancement bonus, and it is considered a +4 heavy steel shield for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
SHIELD OF THE STAG
Aura faint transmutation; CL 5th
Slot shield; Price 25,157 gp; Weight 10 lbs.
Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, beast shape; Cost 12,657 gp
This humble wooden shield has the skull and antlers of a massive stag mounted on the front. The skull leers with red lights that inhabit its empty eye sockets, and opens its mouth in a grim parody of a smile as it is swung through the air.
This +1 heavy wooden shield was designed for bashing, and deals 1d8 points of bludgeoning damage when used to perform a shield bash. Additionally, whenever the wielder makes an attack with the shield of the stag as part of a charge action, he deals an additional 2d8 points of bludgeoning damage on a successful hit. Finally, if the wielder’s type changes to animal (for example, as a result of a polymorph spell or similar effect) he grows antlers and his hide becomes covered with a boney carapace, granting him a +1 enhancement bonus to his natural armor and a primary gore natural attack which deals 1d8 points of damage on a successful hit (for a Medium creature).
Some of the shield of the stag’s abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is considered a +3 heavy wooden shield +3 shield for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.