Shield Magic Properties

Magic shield properties grant the wearer special abilities while the shield is equipped. These abilities vary greatly, but often bear a resemblance to spell effects. Note that Spell Effects cannot be applied to shields.

Those magic shield properties which provide a permanent bonus must be worn for 24 hours in order to attune to the item and get its benefits. Once attuned, the item provides the bonus any time the magic item is wielded in the off-hand. When set down, the magic item does not provide any bonuses but the attunement stays intact (if there are exceptions to this rule, the magic shield property will specifically state that the effect continues even if the shield is set down). An attunement is lost if someone else wears the item for 24 hours and becomes attuned, at which point the previous attunement is disrupted. The original character can, of course, re-attune to the item with a new 24-hour attunement.

A magic shield cannot have any magic shield properties applied to it unless it has at least a +1 Enhancement bonus also applied to it. For example, you cannot make a heavy steel shield with the +2 magic shield property of Animated unless it has at least a +1 enhancement bonus (and therefore an Absolute Bonus of +3). No shield may be enchanted with Epic magic shield properties unless it has an Enhancement bonus of at least +6.

Important Note: If a character has more than one item equipped which provides magic shield properties, only the item with the highest enhancement bonus actually provides benefits to the wearer (in the event they are the same, the wearer may choose which item functions and which is dormant). The lesser item's magic shield properties provide no benefits whatsoever, even if they are 'always on' abilities, unless the greater item is stowed away.

Magic Shield Costs

To determine the cost of a magic shield, three elements must be added together:

• The cost of the shield.
• The cost of any special materials used to create the shield (e.g. mithril, adamantine, etc.).
• The cost of the Absolute Bonus (the sum of the magic properties and the enhancement bonus).

Absolute Bonus

The Absolute Bonus is determined by adding together the 'plus' values of the shield's Enhancement Bonus and any Magical Properties it will be enchanted with. For example, a +2 Animated Heavy Steel Shield has a +4 Absolute Bonus, which is the sum of the +2 Enhancement bonus and the +2 Animated property.

Dweomermetals

Dweomermetals, such as mithril, argent and bloodgold, can grant a shield special qualities, as well as improved hardness and durability. The prices and special qualities of each dweomermetal are described in detail on the Dweomermetals page.

Dweomermetals do not alter the Absolute Bonus of a shield, though the cost for a shield made with a dweomermetal is added to the overall cost of the shield.

Note that special materials can be added to an existing shield, or an existing dweomermetal can be removed entirely, or removed and replaced with a different dweomermetal. See the reforging rules referenced from the Dweomermetals page.

Campaign Level

Heroic tier characters (characters from level 1 to level 20) can equip a shield with an enhancement bonus up to +5, and can have up to +5 pluses worth of Magic Shield properties applied to their shield, though there must always be at least +1 Enhancement bonus on the shield before any magic shield properties can be applied. As a result, heroic tier characters can equip a shield with an absolute bonus of anything from +1 to +10.

Epic tier characters (characters level 21 to level 35) can equip a shield with an enhancement bonus up to +9, and can have a total of up to +9 pluses-worth of Magic Shield properties applied to their shield (resulting in an Absolute Bonus as high as +18). However, the enhancement bonus of the shield must be raised to at least +6 before it can have any Epic magic shield properties applied to it.

Any attempt to equip a shield more magically enchanted than your level allows results in the character taking a non-proficiency penalty with the shield (-4 to attack rolls), and the possibility of even more dire consequences (such as insanity, or being controlled by the shield).

At level 36 and higher (apotheosis) all restrictions on enhancement bonuses and the magic item properties are lifted, at which point the shield may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

Upgrading and Changing Magic Shield Properties

Magic shield properties can be removed from a magic shield, replaced with altogether new properties, or upgraded to a higher version of the existing magic shield property (when applicable). The cost to do so is the difference in cost between the old Absolute Bonus and the new Absolute Bonus. However, if the Absolute Bonus goes down, there is no refund of money unless you can convince the craftsman performing the alterations why he should actually pay you for the privilege of doing that work. Performing magic shield property swaps and upgrades takes one full day of work per change in the Absolute Bonus, with a minimum of 1 full day. Even if this work isn't performed by a player, the player must wait for the alterations to be performed, and they cannot make use of the shield while the craftsman is working on it. Some craftsmen might offer to lend or rent out a shield while their customers wait, though they would expect the loaner shield to return to them in good condition.

Enhancement bonuses cannot be removed from a magic shield once applied, but the enhancement bonus can be increased. If the shield is made from a dweomermetal that offers an alternate way of allocating the enhancement bonus, this can also be changed by a craftsman (or a character with the Creator feat), but performing this work also takes one full day of work per change in the Absolute Bonus, with a minimum of 1 full day.

A magic shield which is altered in such a way as to violate the limitations of the campaign level will inflict a non-proficiency penalty on the wearer, or worse.

Heroic Tier (Levels 1 through 20) Magic Shield Properties

Shield Properties +1

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Bashing	Add +2 base weapon damage to your shield when shield bashing	+1
Blinding	Blind enemies within 20 feet up to twice per day	+1
Clangorous	Clangorous (Shield Magic Property)	Clangorous (Shield Magic Property)
Cloaking, Least	Grants the wearer a +2 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+1
Fortification, Light	Gain limited, stacking, Damage Reduction that only protects against critical hits or precision damage.	+1
Grinding	Enemies grappling you take damage	+1
Impervious	The shield is much harder to destroy	+1
Ramming	Make opportunity attacks while moving	+2

Shield Properties +2

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Cloaking, Minor	Grants the wearer a +3 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+2
Energy Resistance	Energy Resistance (Shield Magic Property)	Energy Resistance (Shield Magic Property)
Invulnerability, Lesser	Grants Damage Resistance (DR) versus Common physical damage types.	+2
Spell Resistance, Minor	Wearer gains spell resistance	+2
Wyrmsbreath	A Wyrmsbreath shield can make a breath weapon attack in a 15-foot cone of one energy type.	+2

Shield Properties +3

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Arcanist	Lowers the spell failure chance by fifteen percent.	+3
Cloaking, Common	Grants the wearer a +4 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+3
Fortification, Moderate	Gain limited, stacking, Damage Reduction that only protects against critical hits or precision damage.	+3
Hosteling	Store mounts, familiars, and/or animal companions safely within your shield	+3
Radiant	Shield gives off light on command and can reveal nearby concealed or invisible creatures	+3
Spell Resistance, Lesser	Wearer gains spell resistance	+3

Shield Properties +4

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Cloaking, Moderate	Grants the wearer a +5 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+4
Energy Resistance, Improved	Energy Resistance, Improved (Shield Magic Property)	Energy Resistance, Improved (Shield Magic Property)
Innkeepers	Innkeepers (Shield Magic Property)	Innkeepers (Shield Magic Property)
Invulnerability, Common	Grants Damage Resistance (DR) versus Common physical damage types.	+4
Spell Resistance, Improved	Wearer gains spell resistance	+4

Shield Properties +5

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Cloaking, Balanced	Grants the wearer a +6 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+5
Determination	Shield restores wearer to their bloodied value of hit points when they are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points	+5
Energy Resistance, Greater	Energy Resistance, Greater (Shield Magic Property)	Energy Resistance, Greater (Shield Magic Property)
Fortification, Heavy	Gain limited, stacking, Damage Reduction that only protects against critical hits or precision damage.	+5
Invulnerability, Improved	Grants Damage Resistance (DR) versus Common physical damage types.	+5
Spell Resistance, Greater	Wearer gains spell resistance	+5

Epic Tier (Levels 21 through 35) Magic Shield Properties

Important Note: No epic magic shield properties may be applied to a magic shield unless the enhancement bonus of the shield is at least +6.

Epic Shield Properties +5

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Energy Warding	Energy Warding (Shield Magic Property)	Energy Warding (Shield Magic Property)
Invulnerability, Moderate	Invulnerability, Moderate (Shield Magic Property)	Invulnerability, Moderate (Shield Magic Property)

Epic Shield Properties +6

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Cloaking, Greater	Grants the wearer a +7 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+6 (epic)
Dimensional	Dimensional (Shield Magic Property)	Dimensional (Shield Magic Property)
Energy Warding, Improved	Grants Energy Resistance (ER) versus Common energy damage types.	+5

Epic Shield Properties +7

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Cloaking, Major	Grants the wearer a +8 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+7 (epic)
Fortification, Absolute	Gain limited, stacking, Damage Reduction that only protects against critical hits or precision damage.	+7 (epic)
Energy Warding, Greater	Grants Energy Resistance (ER) versus Common energy damage types.	+7 (epic)
Invulnerability, Utter	Invulnerability, Utter (Shield Magic Property)	Invulnerability, Utter (Shield Magic Property)

Epic Shield Properties +8

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Cloaking, Absolute	Grants the wearer a +9 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+8 (epic)
Energy Warding, True	Grants Energy Resistance (ER) versus Common energy damage types.	+8 (epic)

Epic Shield Properties +9

Magic Item Name	Description	Cost
Changeless	The wearer is immune to ability damage, essence damage, and fatigue.	+9 (epic)
Cloaking, Perfect	Grants the wearer a +10 resistance bonus to saving throws.	+9 (epic)
Energy Warding, Utter	Energy Warding, Utter (Shield Magic Property)	Energy Warding, Utter (Shield Magic Property)
Invulnerability, True	Grants Damage Resistance (DR) versus Common physical damage types.	+8 (epic)
Traveler	Traveler (Shield Magic Property)	Traveler (Shield Magic Property)