d20 Ronin Arts A Dozen Shields.pdf

www.roninarts.com

A Dozen Shields

by Michael Hammes

Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons ®

Player’s Handbook

Introduction

Everybody needs a good shield, or at least

that’s what I’ve been told. In any case, the title of

this PDF says it all; you’ll get exactly twelve

shields of both a mundane and magical nature, no

more, no less. Having said that, let’s get on to the

goods, er, shields.

Appraise Information: DC 13. This excel-

lent shield is truly a find. Not only is it of great

quality, but also the iridescence evident in the

metal, which is strongly suggestive of fire, just

adds that certain something.

A successful Craft (weaponsmithing) check

(DC 12) suggests that the shield is of dwarven

manufacture, but a more successful check (DC

20) reveals that it is actually of fire giant manu-

facture, which is quite similar.

Value: 25,159 gp (9 gp for the shield, 150 gp

for masterwork quality, 25,000 gp for enchant-

ment costs)

Special Rules: The shield is a +3 blazing

light steel shield .

B LAZING S HIELD

Appearance: This quality light steel shield

shimmers and sparkles in the light with a faint red

iridescence.

B ONE S HIELD

Appearance: This square shield is made

entirely of bones held together by rope. You can

see noticeable gaps between the bones.

Appraise Information: DC 10. This shield

was surely crafted out of desperation or a severe

lack of resources. While dried bone such as this is

effectively as hard as wood, the fact is that the

gaps between the bones reduce the protection

afforded by the shield quite significantly and I

wouldn’t be surprised if it fell apart the moment

it was used. A successful Heal check (DC 20)

identifies the bones as humanoid.

Value: N/A (there’s a reason no one makes

shields out of whole bones).

Blazing: This enchantment can be applied

to any shield except a buckler.

On command, a blazing shield is

enveloped with crimson flames. The flames do

not harm the wielder. Any creature within 10

feet of the shield suffers 2d4 points of fire

damage while creatures past 10 feet but within

20 feet suffer 1d4 points of fire damage. The

blazing shield deals its fire damage on its bear-

er’s turn at the beginning of each round to all

creatures in the area.

If used to attack (i.e. shield bash) the

shield deals 1d6 points of additional fire dam-

age on a successful hit.

Strong evocation; CL 12 th ; Craft Magic

Arms and Armor, wall of fire ; Price +2 bonus.

For more PDFs please visit and www.roninarts.com.

You may not distribute this PDF without permission of the author. Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast®

are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are used with permission.

www.roninarts.com

A Dozen Shields

Special Rules: The shield is equivalent to a

light wooden shield with a hardness of 5 and 7 hit

points in every aspect, except that its poor con-

struction means that anytime it absorbs a blow

(that is, the bearer is not hit) the shield takes the

weapon’s damage minus its hardness.

How do you determine when the bone shield

was struck? Well, an easy way is to assume that

any blow that the bearer is aware of (so no back-

stabs or surprise attacks; the bearer must not be

flat-footed) and that misses the bearer hits the

shield.

Of course, if you want to make things a little

more complex you can assume that the shield

blocks two thirds (1-4 on a d6) of such blows. But

this does require rolling a d6.

Even more complex is adding in the idea of

Dexterity and other dodge bonuses. In this case,

the shield blocks any blow that the bearer is

aware of and misses him but would have hit his

flat-footed AC (his AC without any Dexterity or

dodge bonuses).

Example: Ivar the Desperate has the bone

shield. Ivar is wearing chainmail and bearing the

bone shield and has a Dexterity bonus to his AC

of +1.

Ivar’s AC is 17, 16 while flat-footed.

If Ivar is stabbed in the back, or otherwise

surprised, then he can’t bring up his shield so that

particular attack does not strike the shield. If,

however, he is aware of the attack and able to

react to it and it misses but would have hit his

flat-footed AC of 16 then the shield was hit by the

blow (he instinctively used it to block). If the

attack misses but would have hit AC 17, then the

miss is due to his Dexterity (he completely avoid-

ed the blow thanks to his quickness).

Of course, you can still throw in that d6 at

this point . . .

Appraise Information: DC 12. Yes, that is

definitely a shield under that piece of black silk.

Looks to be of good quality too. Let’s see what’s

under there . . .

Value: 172 gp (2 gp for the silk, 20 gp for the

shield, 150 gp for masterwork)

Special Rules: The black silk covers a per-

manent (per the spell permanency ) symbol of

death (as per the spell). The symbol is inactive for

as long as it is covered. Once uncovered, the sym-

bol works as per the spell until it is disabled

(either magically or by covering it up) or has

affected its maximum number of hit points, at

which point it becomes inactive for 10 minutes

before it can be triggered again.

D RAGONHIDE S HIELD

Appearance: This shield large shield shim-

mers with green iridescence. It is made of the

hide of a large reptile stretched across a wooden

frame and, although quite light, feels very strong.

Appraise Information: DC 13. This is an

absolutely gorgeous shield to look at and would

make a truly stunning decorative item above

someone’s fireplace. That being said, a successful

Knowledge (nature) check (DC 13) reveals that

the shield is made from the hide of a green drag-

on.

What is most unusual about the shield is its

lack of magical enhancements, since most indi-

viduals that go through the trouble of slaying a

dragon usually have the ability to have such a

shield enchanted. Perhaps it was just a display

item, or perhaps something unexpected happened

to it.

Value: 2,300 gp (300 gp for the shield, 2,000

gp for rarity)

Special Rules: Dragonhide shields are as

hard as steel shields, but only as durable wood

(hardness 10, 10 hit points/inch of thickness). All

dragonhide shields are masterwork shields. A

dragonhide shield costs twice the cost of a stan-

dard masterwork shield to produce (+300 gp) and

weighs one-half of what a wooden shield of equal

size weighs (rounded up).

Example: A dragonhide heavy shield would

have a shield bonus of +2, an armor check penal-

ty of -1, an arcane spell failure chance of 15%,

and weigh 5 lbs.

C OVERED S HIELD

Appearance: What looks to be a large steel

shield has its face covered by a piece of black

silk. Taking a closer look at the shield, you notice

that the silk is not simply draped over the shield,

but is actually an integral part of the shield, being

riveted in several places to the shield’s rim.

www.roninarts.com

A Dozen Shields

F OUL S HIELD

Appearance: This beat-up heavy steel shield

features a nasty barbed spike jutting from its boss.

The shield has been blackened and painted with

lurid red lines and splotches. For added effect it

looks to have been encrusted with all manner of

foul material.

Appraise Information: DC 11. This is a rather

crude shield, undoubtedly of humanoid origin. Its

previous owner no doubt believed that by blacken-

ing the shield with soot and contrasting that with

bright red it would look even more fearsome to his

opponents.

More worrisome by far than the shield’s color

is the wicked spike that adorns the shield’s boss, or

rather, what is on the spike.

Judging by the smell and look, it appears that

the shield’s previous owner was fond of increasing

the lethality of his shield by using it as his toilet.

Value: 10 gp (10 gp for the heavily used shield,

after it has been cleaned).

Special Rules: As is, anyone that is injured by

the shield spike must succeed at a Fortitude saving

throw (DC 12) or contract filth fever.

a hide shield has the same number of hit points as a

wooden shield of its size, its hardness is only 2.

I NTERPOSING S HIELD

Appearance: Although dirty and scratched,

this is obviously a quality light steel shield.

Appraise Information: DC 11. This is a fine

shield despite the fact that it has evidently been in

its share of battles, but it is nothing that some

Interposing: This enchantment can be

applied to any shield except a buckler.

As a standard action, an interposing shield

can be loosed to remain between its bearer and

one opponent, providing its protection to its

bearer while restricting the ability of the oppo-

nent to reach the shield’s bearer.

Once loosed, an interposing shield moves

to remain between its bearer and the designat-

ed opponent, providing its normal armor bonus

(i.e. a +2 interposing light steel shield pro-

vides a +3 armor bonus) to its bearer.

Nothing can fool the shield – it sticks with

the designated opponent in spite of darkness,

invisibility, polymorphing, or any other

attempt at hiding or disguise. The shield does

not pursue an opponent, however.

Any creature weighing 1,000 pounds or

less that tries to push past the shield is slowed

to half its normal speed. The shield cannot

reduce the speed of a creature weighing more

than 1,000 rounds, but it still affects the oppo-

nent’s attacks.

For all maneuvers and effects that target

items, the interposing shield is considered

wielded or attended by its bearer. The inter-

posing shield does not take up any additional

space beyond that taken up by its bearer.

The interposing shield accompanies and

guards its bearer everywhere, whether he

moves by physical or magical means. If the

bearer has an unoccupied hand, he can grasp

and retrieve the shield and redirect it to a new

opponent as a move action that does not pro-

voke attacks of opportunity.

Moderate evocation; CL 9 th ; Craft Magic

Arms and Armor, interposing hand ; Price +2

bonus.

H IDE S HIELD

Appearance: This oblong shield is nothing

more than a layer of thick hide that has been

stretched and allowed to harden across a stick

framework. A stylized deer has been drawn on its

front and a set of bird feathers tied with a thong

hang from the shield’s top.

Appraise Information: DC 15. Hide shields

such as this are a common sight on the Plains of

Anang where trees and metals are scarce. While

obviously light, it is doubtful that it can stand up to

the rigors of prolonged battle against more

advanced arms.

A successful Knowledge (nature) check (DC

14) reveals the hide to have come from a plains

deer.

Value: 1 gp (1 gp for the shield)

Special Rules: A hide shield provides as much

protection, armor check penalty, and arcane spell

failure chance as a wood or steel shield of its size.

Most hide shields tend to be light, but this does not

have to be the case since such shields can be made

of multiple hides stretched across the frame. While

www.roninarts.com

A Dozen Shields

buffing and polishing won’t fix. The design is

nothing unusual and, despite its quality, it could

have come from almost anywhere in the local

area.

Value: 16,024 gp (9 gp for the shield, 15 gp

for masterwork quality, 16,000 gp for enchant-

ment costs)

Special Rules: This shield is a +2 interpos-

ing light steel shield .

Jusrar (whose domains include Law, Good, and

War); this information is revealed with a success-

ful Knowledge (religion) check (DC 18).

The Redstorm order is known for its battle

prowess, serving as both protectors of the Church

Militant of Jusrar as well as the church’s elite

troops when going into battle.

Value: 36,170 gp (20 gp for the shield, 150 gp

for masterwork quality, 36,000 gp for enchant-

ment costs).

Special Rules: This shield is actually a +2

dancing heavy steel shield .

R EDSTORM S HIELD

Appearance: This heavy steel shield has

been immaculately maintained and polished as

befitting an obviously masterwork shield. A

bright red boss in whose center appears a golden

upright sword offsets the bare steel of the shield

itself.

Appraise Information: DC 13. This is

indeed a fine shield and its previous owner obvi-

ously maintained it very well, which is not much

of a surprise considering that it belonged to a

member of the Redstorm order of the LG god

R EED S HIELD

Appearance: This crude diamond-shaped

shield is made entirely of forearm-thick bundles

of reeds. Upon closer inspection you can detect a

musty odor emanating from it.

Appraise Information: DC 11. The lizard-

folk of the Chanmak Marshes are known to make

use of shields such as this for personal protection,

something a successful Knowledge (geography)

or Knowledge (local) check will reveal (DC 14).

Although certainly crude in appearance, a reed

shield such as this is surprisingly effective in

combat, able to ward off blows as effectively as

any wooden or metal shield.

Of course, the fact that it is made out of dried

reeds places a premium on keeping the shield dry

and, even under the best of circumstances, a

shield such as this will not last more than a cou-

ple of years before it needs to be replaced. Given

the smell that this particular shield is giving off,

it appears that rot has already begun.

Value: 5 sp (5 sp for the shield).

Special Rules: A reed shield is equivalent in

all respects, including hardness, hit points, shield

bonus, etc. to a wooden shield of its appropriate

size. A reed shield is a bit of a fire hazard and the

shield automatically catches fire whenever it is

exposed to fire damage greater than its hardness

of 5 (that is, if it takes even 1 point of fire dam-

age). Once alight, a reed shield will burn to noth-

ing in 1d4 rounds. A burning reed shield does 1d6

points of fire damage to its bearer per round the

shield is held and also adds this damage to any

attacks with the shield.

Dancing (Shield): This enchantment can

be applied to a light or heavy shield, but not a

tower shield or buckler.

As a standard action, a dancing shield can

be loosed to defend its bearer on its own. It

protects its bearer for 4 rounds, providing the

same level of protection as if its bearer were

still wielding it, and then drops.

While dancing the shield cannot be used to

make attacks (i.e. shield bash). For all maneu-

vers and effects that target items, the dancing

shield is considered wielded or attended by its

bearer. The dancing shield does not take up

any additional space beyond that taken up by

its bearer.

The dancing shield accompanies and

guards its bearer everywhere, whether he

moves by physical or magical means. If the

bearer has an unoccupied hand, he can grasp

and retrieve the shield as a free action prior to

it dropping. Once retrieved, the shield cannot

dance again for 4 rounds.

Strong transmutation; CL 12 th ; Craft

Magic Arms and Armor, animate objects ;

Price +2 bonus.

www.roninarts.com

A Dozen Shields

T HYSOLEAN B UCKLER

Appearance: This quality buckler is nonde-

script, being nothing more than unadorned steel.

Appraise Information: DC 19. Despite its lack

of adornment, this is most definitely a masterwork

piece. Taking a close look near the buckler’s edge,

one can see the maker’s mark. A successful Craft

(armorsmithing) check (DC 14) identifies the mark

as that of Itraros, a well-known dwarven armorsmith

from Thysolea.

Value: 20,165 gp (15 gp for the buckler, 150 gp

for masterwork quality, 20,000 gp for enchantment

costs)

Special Rules: The buckler is ensorcelled with

a permanent lesser globe of invulnerability (as per

the spell, centered on the shield) that can be invoked

by its bearer upon command. While active, the less-

er globe of invulnerability prevents any 3 rd level or

lower spells from affecting the buckler’s bearer and

all those within a 10-foot radius of the buckler.

Moderate abjuration; CL 10th; Craft magic

arms and armor, lesser globe of invulnerability ;

Price 20,000 gp

I RONWOOD ,

G REATER

Transmutation

Level: Drd 7

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 minute/lb. created

Range: 0 ft.

Effect: A greater ironwood object weigh-

ing up to 5 lb./level

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

As ironwood except that the wooden

item’s transmutation is permanent.

Material Component: Wood shaped into

the form of the intended greater ironwood

object.

T HISTLE S HIELD

Appearance: This fine, round, and surpris-

ingly light shield is made of a dark wood. The

battle-scarred front has the image of a thistle

upon it in green and purple.

Appraise Information: DC 12. This is

indeed a quality shield, obviously the work of a

master of the craft. A successful Knowledge

(local) or Knowledge (religion) check (DC 19)

will recall that the thistle is the symbol of the

druids of Sydisle, an order that tends and protects

the sacred wooded island of Syd (or Sydisle)

against all non-druids.

Value: 157 gp (7 gp for the shield, 150 gp for

masterwork quality).

Special Rules: This particular shield is a

masterwork heavy wooden shield that is carrying

a greater ironwood enchantment. As a result, it is

equivalent in all respects to a +1 heavy steel

shield .

As an alternate to using the greater ironwood

spell, the DM can allow such a shield to be creat-

ed using Craft Magical Arms and Armor and the

ironwood spell; this is equal to a +1 enhancement

for purposes of cost determination.

W ING -X A F IGHTING

S HIELDS

Appearance: This is a set of two identical

round, light steel shields. Each shield has been paint-

ed yellow and features the top-down image of a

green turtle in its center.

Appraise Information: DC 13. The shields are

certainly of serviceable quality, but what makes

them more interesting is the fact that they are a

matched set. Adding this knowledge to the turtle

symbol and a successful Knowledge (geography)

check (DC 21) reveals that these shields once

belonged to the Shield Warriors of Wing-Xa, a

group of warriors renowned for their use of matched

pairs of shields, rather than weapons, in battle.

Value: 18 gp (9 gp for each shield)

Special Rules: Using two shields gains the war-

rior the armor class bonus of both shields (but also

the combined armor check penalties and arcane spell

failure chances).

Fighting with two light shields is like fighting

with two off-hand weapons. Furthermore, by taking

the Improved Shield Bash feat, the warrior does not

lose the armor class bonus of either shield in combat.

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: