Six Very Special Shields

[Bupp]

So I've been going through old issues of Dragon Magazine and converting things into 5e on my blog. Here's some unique magic shields I've taken from Dragon Magazine #89.
http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2014/11/six-very-special-shields-part-4-dzances.html

Dzance’s Guardian
Unique magical shield

The ranger Dzance found this shield in a chest in the depths of Gauntulgrym, the Lost City; its origin is unknown, but it is thought to be of dwarven manufacture. Dzance's Journals tell us of the properties of this item. When he retired from adventuring to live in the Lady’s Court at Silverymoon, Dzance gave the Guardian to Belpir, a young knight of that city. The new owner forthwith went adventuring and has not been seen since. The fates of Belpir and of the Guardian are yet a mystery.

The Guardian is a “+0 shield”, magical in nature but conferring no additional armor class bonus. However, it has a special defensive power: when worn, it radiates an insubstantial magical energy field that envelops you (and only you) like an aura. Any magic missile directed at you from any direction - not just at the shield - will strike this field and be reflected unerringly straight back at the sender with no damage to you.

This field also absorbs all lightning damage, without harm to you. These attacks dissipate gradually and harmlessly if the shield is taken off, but if you can bring the shield into physical contact with a foe within 4 rounds of any such damage, the entire stored electrical energy of the field can be transmitted to the foe (a successful Constitution saving throw results in half damage). You will be made immediately aware of this storage and discharge power whenever the field intercepts electrical energy.

When this discharge is activated, there is a 30% chance that you and the shield (but not any companion creatures or foes unless direct, physical contact is present at the time) will be plane shifted to a random known plane of existence. This power will be unknown to the bearer until it actually occurs; identify and sage-lore will not reveal it.

 

[Bupp]

http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2014/09/six-very-special-shields-part-3.html
Hawkstone’s Bulwark
Unique magic armor (shield)
The ranger Hawkstone bore this shield in his war against the giants of the Great Glacier and the beast-men (ogres) of Thar. Some time after his death, his grave was violated and all his treasures stolen, among them the blade Durelva and this shield, known in ballads as Hawkstone’s Bulwark. It is generally believed that Hawkstone won this shield from the hoard of the black dragon Yrindoth. Its origin is as unknown as its present fate.

The shield is a single slab of 2-inch-thick, polished steel of a beautiful blue hue, a fine metal unique in its quality in the Realms. It has the usual two straps within, of black bullhide, and weighs no more than a wooden shield. It has the abilities of a +2 shield, and upon command the shield grows magically into a bridge. (The command word, known through lore but not written anywhere on the shield, is “Bulwark.”) The shield will disappear from the bearer’s possession and reappear at the start of the following round as a 5-inch-thick span of line steel, 2’ wide by 60’ long. Its length is not variable, and the change is not always automatic; if the command word is spoken when the Bulwark doesn’t have enough room to expand, the power will simply fail to function. The bridge will extend out in the direction the bearer of the shield is facing, beginning just in front of the bearer’s feet. Once placed, the bridge cannot be moved (although it can be shrunk back to a shield and re-expanded in a different location). It will support up to 5,000 pounds of weight at one time; exceeding that limit will cause it to collapse back into a normal shield (see below), leaving the creatures and objects upon it without any visible means of support.

If its weight capacity is not exceeded, the bridge will remain in that form for 33 days, or until the bearer of the shield holds onto one of the straps and utters the reverse-command word “Krawlub.” (When it is in bridge form, the shield’s straps are located on the top surface of the bridge at either end.) The shrinking process works essentially the same as the expanding process: the bridge disappears upon utterance of the command word, and at the start of the following round the Bulwark reappears at the bearer’s feet in shield form.

No magic short of a wish will cause the bridge to shrink, shift, break, or otherwise move (although the ground on which it rests could well be affected by disintegrate, dig, or similar magic). The bridge will conduct heat, electricity, and other similar forms of energy, and in such respects acts as normal metal does.

 

[Bupp]

http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2014/09/six-very-special-shields-part-2.html

Thurbrand's Protector
Unique magic armor (shield)
Named for the fighter who found it in a dragon’s hoard, this shield was later sold to King Osbrun of Chessagol, whose treasury and armory were looted six winters ago, some say by magic. The Protector vanished
in that theft, and its present whereabouts and owner are unknown. This shield is a plain, battered, kite-shaped construction of bronze plates bolted to a sturdy wooden frame. It bears no maker’s-mark or inscriptions. It is magical, and has the following powers and abilities:

Any damage that pierces or parts the bronze plates, or cracks through or breaks the wooden frame, is magically mended overnight. Minor dents, scratches, and scars are not so repaired. Manual repairs by a blacksmith or by you seem to have no effect on the shield.

The Protector has all the powers of a ring of protection, giving you a +1 to AC and to saving throws. In addition, whenever you rap the wooden frame of the Protector three times rapidly with a finger or knuckles, the shield will radiate and maintain, through some unknown magical means, a 10’ radius globe of air, cool and breezeless. This globe will withstand the pressures of deep water, gusts of wind, and the like without altering its shape or location, remaining centered upon the Protector. Large, solid, immobile objects like stone walls will cause the “air bubble” to flatten out along the wall or around the object. Creatures within the globe of air cannot drown, suffer harm from poisonous vapors, etc. As many creatures can be protected by the globe as can fit into its area, usually 40 or so, or, if freedom to move and fight is required, 8 or 9 man-sized beings. The air supply can never be “overloaded” or used up.

Most creatures are not physically constrained from entering or leaving the sphere. It seems to keep out only creatures who cannot breathe or move in air (such as living fish), and those who are gaseous in form (air elementals, a vampire in gaseous form, etc.). The globe of air persists until the bearer again raps the wood frame thrice; to be effective, such rapping must be on the inner side of the shield, directly on the frame, and the bearer must have the shield slung on his arm or strapped to him.

 

[Bupp]

http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2014/08/six-very-special-shields-part-1-reptars.html

Reptar’s Wall

Armor (shield), unique, requires attunement
Named for the ranger who once bore it, the Wall is a large, heavy shield constructed of iron plates riveted to an iron frame. Its origin, lost in antiquity, is unknown. Two words are engraved on the frame in the common tongue, facing the bearer at eye level when the shield is held ready for battle: “Eiruvan” and “Thammis.” The shield is magical, and has the following powers and abilities:

Despite its construction, the Wall does not rust or corrode, or conduct heat or cold, its metal remaining inactive. It is a +1 shield, and gives forth no sound when struck or dropped. It does not ring or grate, but is absolutely silent; the heaviest blows falling upon it cannot be heard.

When you speak or whisper the word “Eiruvan”, you and the shield, become invisible for up to an hour. Anything you are wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on the your person. During this time you move silently, because of the shield’s sound- absorbing qualities, and can move about or strike at opponents while so concealed. An attack made on an opponent by you will cause the you and the shield to immediately become visible. This power can only be used once a day, and the power resets each day at dawn.

The shield’s major power, made active when you speak or whisper the word “Thammis” while wearing the shield slung for use, is the ability to fly. You gain a flying speed of 60 feet for up to 10 minutes. You can carry up to 400 pounds with you. The magic also confers full stability for wielding weapons in midair.

Secret: Use of the fly power has an unexpected side effect in that at the onset of flight, the nearest magic item or artifact will be permanently drained of one charge, which serves as energy to power the shield. If the nearest item is of a permanent nature and has no charges (e.g., a magical dagger), all of its powers are negated for 4 hours. The item closest to the shield is always affected, regardless of the your wishes. You are usually unaware of the draining. If no magic item is within 90 ft. of the shield when its fly power is activated, the shield’s own other abilities, including its sound absorption and +1 bonus, are negated for 6 hours.

 

[Umbran]

A small request - do not *start* your posts with links. Google thinks it is spammy, and tends to downplay any post that starts with a link, and the site that holds it.

So, in the future - content first, and finish up with the link. Thanks!

 

[Bupp]

Shoon’s Buckler
Unique magical shield, requires attunement
The adventurer Shoon briefly possessed this magical shield. Its true origin is unknown, but he seized it from the body of a slain male drow during a battle deep beneath the Hill of Lost Souls. Amongst the drow, as speak with dead has revealed, the buckler was known as a “blink shield”; it was unique, and its making a mystery. Shoon later gave the shield to the fighter Gorlaung “Blackhelm” in exchange for training; Gorlaung fell in battle with orcs in the Stonelands, and his body was stripped of weapons and valuables by his slayers. The present location of the Buckler is not known.

The Buckler is a 1’ diameter disk of black metal with a fist grip, all fashioned of one piece, and bearing no inscriptions. Despite its small size, the Buckler functions as a +2 shield. Its other easily discernible power is the ability to glow upon mental command. It sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. The light dies away to nothing at will. This power is discovered whenever an attuned wielder thinks about the poor light, wishes he could see better, or so forth. Whenever the Buckler sheds light, two words in the common tongue will appear in small glowing letters around its inside edge: “Sekoe,” and “Brund.”

If the word “Sekoe” is spoken, the Buckler will levitate for up to 6 rounds. The shield can carry or support up to 600 pounds of weight resting upon it or suspended from it, and any number of creatures or objects can make up this cargo. If its load ever exceeds this limit, the shield will instantly cease to levitate for at least 6 rounds and will fall.

If the word “Brund” is spoken, any other active shield powers cease; then the shield and the attuned weilder will blink, as per the spell, about the location of the shield when it was activated, for up to 7 rounds.

These powers can be used repeatedly in consecutive rounds and in any order (although only levitate and light can be used in combination) if the commands are known. Anyone who discovers the Buckler will not be informed of any facts about its operation by any revelation or by magical means short of a wish, but must learn them by trial and error.

http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2014/11/six-very-special-shields-part-5-shoons.html

 

[Bupp]

The final installment of this Ed Greenwood article from Dragon Magazine #89! Another with no magical bonus to armor class, but with a completely random effect!

I'd rule that if a wild mage sorcerer had gained proficiency with shields and wielded this one, that they could add or subtract their spell attack modifier from the roll. I'd probably do this with any magic items that had a random roll.

Grimjaw
Unique magical shield (requires attunement)
Named for the small common tongue inscription found deeply engraved on the inside top rim of the shield, this plain iron shield is dented and blackened, and of normal and unassuming appearance. It bears no rust, and rusting will not affect it regardless of the handling it receives, due to protective magics cast upon it. Grimjaw was first identified by the sage Ragefast of Baldur’s Gate, as borne by the adventurer Krystus and having a certain awesome power described hereafter. Krystus the Proud soon met his death at the hands of a dwarven patrol half a world away, in the mountains near Tethyamar, in a dispute over passage through the dwarven mines there. Grimjaw is known to have been in the hands of the ruling dwarven clan Iron House for many years, but was lost in battle when orcs and evil mages drove out or slew all the dwarves of Tethyamar. The present head of the Iron House, Ghellin, wishes to regain the shield.

Grimjaw confers no magical armor class bonus to its wearer, but it has a powerful ability to affect any magical items that come into direct physical contact with it, regardless of the shieldbearer’s wishes. The effects of any single such contact are determined by percentile dice roll, as follows:

01-20
Item has one charge drained from it by Grimjaw; if the item has no charges as such, its powers are negated for 3-12 hours.
21-65
Item instantly turns and attacks wielder for one round, either striking as if the wielder were attacked by someone of equal class, strength, and level (if a weapon), or firing one charge or magical attack (if a charged staff or similar item).
66-80
Item has all magical powers and abilities negated for 2-12 rounds.
81-95
Item is completely drained of all magical powers forever. Artifacts are likely to be unaffected, but may, at the DM’s option, teleport away to a random location, with or without wielder.
96-00
Grimjaw discharges some of its stored magical energy into the
contacting item; the item gains 1-6 additional charges (permanently), or a +1 on to hit and damage bonuses for 1-6 turns.

If a magical weapon or item is wielded against the shieldbearer, and the item misses the armor class of the shieldbearer by 2 points (i.e., scoring what would have been a hit except for the shield’s presence), then it is considered to have struck the shield.

http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2014/11/six-very-special-shields-part-6-grimjaw.html