Changes: Shield (3.5e Creature Ability)

Revision as of 07:46, 13 September 2009

Created By
Sulacu (talk)
Date Created:	August 20, 2008
Status:	Complete
Editing:	Please feel free to edit constructively!

Shield

Shield is a protection unique to certain creatures, most of which are constructs. A shield defends the creature it envelopes and has the ability to soak damage of most any kind. A creature with the shield special quality has a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to half its HD (with a minimum of +1 and a maximum of +10). For every HD a creature has, the shield that protects it has 5 hit points. Shield hit points are regained at a rate of 1 hit point per HD per minute. When a shield's hit points are depleted, its deflection bonus to AC disappears until the shield gains at least 1 hit point, unless otherwise noted in the creature listing.

As long as a shield has hit points remaining, it can absorb damage of virtually any kind, from physical damage types (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) to energy damage types (acid, cold, electricity and fire), to force damage, to even most typeless forms of damage. Shields are even effective against touch attacks. A shield can never absorb more damage than that it has hit points remaining.

Only certain damage dealing effects can pass through a shield, such as a sonic effect, a gaze attack or psionic effects that allow a Will save. Line of sight and line of effect are unaffected by a personal shield.

Perimeter Shield

Certain machines possess shields that protect an area around them. Any creatures or objects within this area gain the shield's deflection bonus to their Armor Class against attacks originating from outside the shield. As long as the shield has hit points remaining, it stops objects and energy outside it from passing through, like a wall of force, decreasing its hit points by the appropriate amount. Objects and energy coming from inside the perimeter shield can pass through unimpeded. Effects that can pass through shields can also pass through perimeter shields (like sonic energy).

If an area effect deals more damage than a perimeter shield has hit points at a given time, only the remainder of the damage is dealt to designated areas or targets within the area of the perimeter shield.

The effective AC of the perimeter shield itself is 10 plus the deflection bonus it grants. Any object or creature within the area of the perimeter shield with an unmodified AC smaller than 10 instead uses the shield's AC against any attack coming from outside the perimeter shield.

Perimeter shields are always projected as a spherical field around the object or creature projecting it. This is usually a hemisphere, as the shield does not extend down into solid objects. The radius of the shield is listed in the object or creature's description. A perimeter shield blocks line of effect, but not line of sight.

Template:3.5e Creatures Breadcrumb → Glossary

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 Shield is a protection unique to certain creatures, most of which are [[SRD:Construct Type|constructs]]. A shield defends the creature it envelopes and has the ability to soak damage of most any kind. A creature with the shield [[SRD:Special Attacks and Special Qualities (Creature Statistic)|special quality]] has a [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection bonus]] to [[SRD:Armor Class|Armor Class]] equal to half its [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] (with a minimum of +1 and a maximum of +10). For every [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] a creature has, the shield that protects it has 5 [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]]. Shield hit points are regained at a rate of 1 hit point per [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] per minute. When a shield's hit points are depleted, its [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection bonus]] to [[SRD:Armor Class|AC]] disappears until the shield gains at least 1 hit point, unless otherwise noted in the creature listing.
-'''{{Anchor|Shield Absorption}}:''' As long as a shield has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] remaining, it can absorb damage of virtually any kind, from physical damage types ([[SRD:Bludgeoning Weapon|bludgeoning]], [[SRD:Piercing Weapon|piercing]], [[SRD:Slashing Weapon|slashing]]) to energy damage types ([[acid]], [[cold]], [[electricity]] and [[fire]]), to [[SRD:Force Effect|force damage]], to even most typeless forms of damage. Shields are even effective to [[SRD:Touch Attack|touch attacks]]. Shield absorption functions as both a [[SRD:Damage Reduction|damage reduction]]/- and [[SRD:Resist Energy|damage resistance]] of 10 plus 5 for every 5 [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]], to a maximum of 30. Damage dealt over this amount bypasses the shield and is dealt to the creature itself. A shield cannot absorb more damage than it has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] at any time. After the damage of an attack is reduced by shield absorption, any remaining damage is still susceptible to any other [[SRD:Damage Reduction|damage reduction]] or [[SRD:Resist Energy|resistance]] to energy types the creature may have.
+As long as a shield has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] remaining, it can absorb damage of virtually any kind, from physical damage types ([[SRD:Bludgeoning Weapon|bludgeoning]], [[SRD:Piercing Weapon|piercing]], [[SRD:Slashing Weapon|slashing]]) to energy damage types ([[acid]], [[cold]], [[electricity]] and [[fire]]), to [[SRD:Force Effect|force damage]], to even most typeless forms of damage. Shields are even effective against [[SRD:Touch Attack|touch attacks]]. A shield can never absorb more damage than that it has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] remaining.
-Only certain damage dealing effects can pass through a shield, such as a [[SRD:Sonic Effect|sonic]] effect, a [[SRD:Gaze|gaze attack]] or [[SRD:Psionics|psionic]] effects that allow a [[SRD:Will Save|Will]] save. Spells that do not deal damage and that do not require touch are unaffected by a shield.
+Only certain damage dealing effects can pass through a shield, such as a [[SRD:Sonic Effect|sonic]] effect, a [[SRD:Gaze|gaze attack]] or [[SRD:Psionics|psionic]] effects that allow a [[SRD:Will Save|Will]] save. Line of sight and line of effect are unaffected by a personal shield.
 === {{Anchor|Perimeter Shield}} ===
-Certain machines possess shields that protect an area around them. Any creatures or objects within this area gain the shield's [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection]] bonus to their [[SRD:Armor Class|Armor Class]] against attacks originating from outside the shield. As long as the shield has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] remaining, it stops objects and energy outside it from passing through, like a ''[[SRD:Wall of Force|wall of force]]''. The same restriction does not apply to objects and energy inside it, which can pass through unimpeded. Things that can pass through shields can also pass through perimeter shields (like [[SRD:Sonic Effect|sonic]] energy).
+Certain machines possess shields that protect an area around them. Any creatures or objects within this area gain the shield's [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection]] bonus to their [[SRD:Armor Class|Armor Class]] against attacks originating from outside the shield. As long as the shield has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] remaining, it stops objects and energy outside it from passing through, like a ''[[SRD:Wall of Force|wall of force]]'', decreasing its [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] by the appropriate amount. Objects and energy coming from inside the perimeter shield can pass through unimpeded. Effects that can pass through shields can also pass through perimeter shields (like [[SRD:Sonic Effect|sonic]] energy).
+If an area effect deals more damage than a perimeter shield has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] at a given time, only the remainder of the damage is dealt to designated areas or targets within the area of the perimeter shield.
-The effective [[SRD:Armor Class|AC]] of the perimeter shield itself is 10 plus the [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection]] bonus it grants. Any object or creature within the area of the perimeter shield with an unmodified [[SRD:Armor Class|AC]] smaller than 10 instead uses the shield's [[SRD:Armor Class|AC]] against attacks originating from outside the perimeter shield.
+The effective [[SRD:Armor Class|AC]] of the perimeter shield itself is 10 plus the [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection]] bonus it grants. Any object or creature within the area of the perimeter shield with an unmodified [[SRD:Armor Class|AC]] smaller than 10 instead uses the shield's [[SRD:Armor Class|AC]] against any attack coming from outside the perimeter shield.
-Perimeter shields are always projected as a spherical field around the object or creature projecting it. The radius of the shield is listed in the object or creature's description. A perimeter shield blocks line of effect, but not line of sight.
+Perimeter shields are always projected as a spherical field around the object or creature projecting it. This is usually a hemisphere, as the shield does not extend down into solid objects. The radius of the shield is listed in the object or creature's description. A perimeter shield blocks line of effect, but not line of sight.