Shields of the
Night Sky
Often I find myself drawn to the natural world for inspiration, and while meditating the other evening on how beautiful the night sky was, I found myself to be grateful to be safe inside. As I continued to think about it, I thought that the feeling of safety went along well with the calm, still night, and thought, why not use the very night for protection? To that end, I made these shields so that your characters might carry into battle that feeling of safety and calm that the night sky can provide.
SHIELD OF FALLING STARS PRICE 19,170 gp
Slot shield; CL 5th; Weight 15 lbs.
Aura faint evocation
These magnificent heavy shields are round in shape, composed of cobalt and iron, and emblazoned with the image of a comet in brilliant blue and silver streaking across the surface of the shield. Originally crafted to give the mercenary Knights of the Black Meteor an extra edge in battle, since the Knights' disbanding, these shields have found their way into all sorts of strange hands.
In addition to functioning as a +1 heavy steel shield, a shield of falling stars can be commanded up to 3 times each day to unleash a mighty comet-like projectile up to 500 feet as a standard action. Upon impact, the projectile explodes in a blast of cold and rocky ice in a 20-foot-radius spread, dealing 10d6 points of damage which is half cold damage and half bludgeoning damage to all creatures within the area. If used outside at night, the comet produced by the shield is exceptionally more powerful, able to travel up to 1,000 feet and exploding in a 40-foot-radius spread, instead.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fireball
SHIELD OF THE GUARDIAN STAR PRICE 2,159 gp
Slot shield; CL 1st; Weight 6 lbs.
Aura faint divination
A gorgeously well-made small shield, these magic shields are constructed of gold and silver and adorned with a star burst comprised of hundreds of small pearls, making them nearly as valuable for their materials as for their powers. Under starlight, the word “guardian” appears in Elven across the surface of shield, written in white fire.
In addition to functioning as a +1 light steel shield, a shield of the guardian star can be commanded up to 5 times a day to cause an attack to be oriented against the bearer of the shield instead of against its original target. This is a free action which can be made during another creature’s turn, and can be used to affect any melee attack made by a creature adjacent to the bearer of a shield of the guardian star, or against any ranged attack made against a creature adjacent to the shield’s bearer. The shield can only affect weapon attacks and has no influence on spells, including those requiring a touch attack. Attacks redirected in this way always hit the bearer of shield, regardless of whether the attack roll would meet her AC. This ability may be used after an attack is made, but before it has been determined if the attack is a success or failure.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, true strike
SHIELD OF TRAVELING MOON PRICE 21,155 gp
Slot shield; CL 11th; Weight 5 lbs.
Aura moderate (no school)
These are tiny silver bucklers with each of the moon’s phases meticulously etched in a ring around the edge of the shield’s face and labeled in Elven. These images glow with an inner light, with the image corresponding to the moon’s current phase lighting up. Though always sturdy, these shields are somewhat fickle, having more power under certain conditions.
The strength of a shield of the traveling moon’s enhancement bonus depends on the phase of the moon. On a new moon, or in an environment with no moon, the shield has a +1 enchantment bonus. When the moon is normal, the shield has a +2 enhancement bonus. When the moon is near full, the shield has a +3 enhancement bonus, and when the moon is full, it has a +4 enhancement bonus. The shield further grants its bearer a +2 luck bonus to AC while used outside at night.
Finally, once per week, the bearer of this shield can speak a command word in order to project the shield's magic in a shining light in a 1-mile radius, causing that area to be treated as though it were under the influence of the full moon, both for the effects of this shield’s power, as well as for the effects of other abilities which are influenced by the moon. This effect lasts until daybreak.
For the purposes of this shield’s abilities, the moon is in one of four statuses at any given time: full, near full, new, and normal. The moon is full for the three-day period when the moon appears the largest in the sky, it is near full for four days before it is full, and four days after, and it is new for a three-day period when the moon appears the darkest in the sky. It is considered normal at all other times.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, must be crafted outside under the light of a full moon