Section 8: Armor & Shields

Armor and Shields

Magical armors & shields normally apply their bonuses (+1, +2, +3, +4 or +5) to the characters AC. Most armors are purchasable as +1 through +5 armor (racial armors are only purchasable by members of the particular race - 1/2 breeds do not qualify) as long as they have appropriate listings in the Magic Encyclopedia’s 1 & 2.

Special Magical Armors

Armor of Blending: This appears to be a normal suit of magical armor. However, upon command (determined by the DM), the armor changes shape and form, assuming the appearance of a normal set of clothing. The armor retains all its properties (including weight) when disguised. Only a true seeing spell will reveal the true nature of the armor when disguised.

Armor of Command: This finely crafted plate mail radiates a powerful aura of magic. When worn, the armor bestows a dignified and commanding aura upon its owner. The wearer is treated as if he had a Charisma of 18 for all encounter reactions. Friendly troops within 360’ of the user have their morale increased by +2. Otherwise, the armor functions as plate mail +1. Since the effect arises in great part from the distinctiveness of the armor, the wearer cannot hide or conceal himself in any way and still have the effect function.

Plate Mail of Etherealness: This is seemingly normal plate mail +5, but if a command word is spoken, the suit enables its wearer and all nonliving items he wears and carries to become ethereal, as if oil of etherealness had been used. While in the ethereal state the wearer cannot attack material creatures. A phase door spell will negate the ethereal state and prevent the armor from functioning for one day. There are 20 charges placed upon plate mail of etherealness. Once used, these cannot be replaced or recharged. Furthermore, every 5 uses reduces the bonus of the armor by one: If 5 charges are used to become ethereal, the armor is +4, if 10 are used it is +3, +2 if 15 are used, and only +1 if all 20 are exhausted.

Plate Mail of Fear: This armor functions as normal plate mail +1. However, it is imbued with 2d23 fear charges. Upon command (determined by the DM), a charge is spent and the wearer radiates a 30’ aura of fear. All creatures (except the one wearing the armor) must save vs. spell or flee in panic for 1d4+1 rounds. When all charges are spent, the armor functions as normal plate mail +1. It cannot be recharged.

Magical Armor Modifications

The following modifications can be made to basic enchanted armor (+0) to +5 magical armor. However no total of bonuses can equate to greater than a +5 magical armor. These modifications cannot be added to the special magical armors listed above. Only one modification power can be used (active or latent) per round.

Acidic: A suit of armor or shield with this ability has a slick sheen and is constantly covered in a layer of lightly smoking acid. The wearer (and anything she carries) is immune to acid, including that produced by the armor. Acidic armor deals 2d4 points of acid damage per round of contact during a grapple/consistent contact to organic material; momentary touch attacks have no effect. Organic objects/creatures not held by the wearer can be damaged by direct contact with the armor for a full round. Magical Adjust: +4 bonus.

Anchoring: A character wearing a suit of armor or a shield with this property is difficult to move from his position during a fight. The wearer gains a +5 bonus on the appropriate ability checks to resist overrun (trample) additionally they are considered one size category larger for the purpose of the overrun. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Anchoring, Greater: As anchoring, except it grants a +10 enhancement bonus on the appropriate ability checks and considered two sizes larger. Magical Adjust: +4 bonus.

Angelic: This armor or shield is adorned with featherlike patterns and other heavenly motifs. The armor or shield increases the wearer’s enhancement bonus to AC by +1 against attacks from evil creatures. It also grants its user a +4 bonus on saving throws against spells cast by an evil being, creature or object. An evil creature that dons the armor or uses the shield does not gain its benefits. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Anti-Impact: Armor with the anti-impact quality is designed to cushion the blow from massive blunt traumas. Anti-impact armor doesn’t give extra protection against weapon damage (beyond its AC bonus), but bludgeoning damage that affects all or most of the entire body (such as constriction and falling damage) is halved. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Aquatic: This armor appears streamlined and possesses a greenish glint. Aquatic armor enables its wearer to move freely through water without the need for Swimming NWP checks. Drowning rules still apply, unless the wearer can breathe water. Rare versions of aquatic armor include a persistent water breathing effect (as the spell, but affecting only the wearer). Magical Adjust: +2 bonus (+4 bonus with water breathing).

Axeblock: This armor is magically enhanced to turn away slashing weapons such as axes and most swords. The wearer gains damage reduction 5/bludgeoning or piercing. This ability may be combined with Hammerblock or Spearblock, but only one of them may be combined with this ability and the DR 5 does not increase. It also applies if two objects have the “-block” abilities. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Bane Blind: A favorite armor of rangers and bounty hunters, bane blind armor grants improved invisibility to the wearer against a specific creature type chosen when the armor is created. Creatures that are subject to the bane blind find that their scent ability is likewise unable to detect the wearer, although hearing, tremorsense, and other sensing methods still work. Any category of creature on the ranger’s favored enemy list can be chosen for the bane blind effect, however once chosen the armor is tuned to the creature type. There are no examples of bane blind armor designed for use against plants. Magical Adjust: +3 bonus.

Beastskin: First created by powerful druids and rangers, armor with this special ability is particularly useful to characters with shape changing abilities. Whenever you use a shapechaning ability (class or race) while wearing a suit of armor with the beastskin property, you can expend an additional daily use of your shape change ability to cause the armor to be transformed with you. When used in this manner, the beastskin armor becomes a suit of armor fitted for your new form rather than simply merging with your body. The armor continues to grant its armor bonus and functions as a suit of armor fitted to the new form. The armor’s weight increases or decreases to match your new size (and shape, if you assume a quadrupedal form) and therefore might affect your carrying capacity differently than it does in your natural form. This special ability can be applied only to armor, not to shields. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Blurring: The form of a creature wearing this type of armor or shield shifts and wavers. This distortion grants the wearer the same effects of a blur spell. Those who cannot see the wearer may ignore the effect, as can someone under the effect of true seeing. Magical Adjust: +5 bonus. Blueshine: This quality can be applied only to metal armor, which gains a blue-black color when so treated. The armor never tarnishes and is immune to acid and rust attacks. The wearer also gains a +25% bonus on Hide in Shadows checks. This bonus does not stack with the Hide in Shadows benefits from other magic items. Magical Adjust: +1 bonus. Buffering: Buffering armor and buffering shields are always dull black, and they appear to possess depths that couldn’t exist. A suit of armor or a shield with this quality absorbs ability-draining and level-draining attacks. It can absorb as many points of ability damage or levels drained per day as its magical (adjusted) bonus. It also allows a saving throw against energy drain attacks that normally don’t allow such saves. A successful save halves the effect. Buffering armor and buffering shields do not change saves against attacks that already allow them. Magical Adjust: +3 bonus.

Comfort: Armor with this property allows its wearer to ignore the effects of intense natural heat or cold. The character can exist comfortably in conditions between –50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The character’s other equipment is likewise protected. Magical Adjust: +3 bonus.

Command: This armor or shield always appears brilliant and gleaming, no matter what the conditions and despite all attempts to paint over or obscure it. Coveted by military leaders of all sorts, it carries a powerful aura that grants a +4 bonus on Charisma based checks and reaction checks. Furthermore, all allies within 30’ of the wearer of the armor or shield get a +2 bonus on Willpower magical defense adjustment saves. Command armor and command shields make their owners very noticeable, imposing a -30% penalty on Hide in Shadows checks. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Dancing: The wearer can release a dancing shield as a standard action and command it to protect a single PC (possibly the wearer himself). The dancing shield floats in the air in front of the protected PC, darting in the way of an opponent’s weapons and providing cover against attacks from one opponent per round. Treat the shield’s armor bonus (including its enhancement bonus) as a cover bonus to AC. At the end of 4 rounds, the dancing shield falls to the ground. It must be picked up and commanded for it to function again. It ceases dancing before 4 rounds have passed if so commanded. Only one dancing shield can protect a PC at a time. It is half as effective (half the cover bonus to AC) when protecting a Large creature, and it cannot provide meaningful cover for a Huge or bigger creature. A dancing shield functions only for a PC that is proficient with shields. Magical Adjust: +3 bonus. Daylight: A suit of armor or a shield with this quality glows with the brilliant light of a daylight spell for up to 30 minutes per day. A command word, usually inscribed on the inside of the armor or the back of the shield, activates and deactivates the illumination. Except when glowing, this armor or shield appears completely normal. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Death Ward: Once per day, armor enhanced by this special ability makes the wearer immune to death effects. The armor’s magic automatically confers death ward for a period of 70 minutes the first time the wearer is exposed to a death effect in the course of a day. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Distracting: Armor or shields with this quality shimmer and glow hypnotically. Anyone engaged in combat with the wearer must succeed on a Will save each round or be affected by the daze spell. Once per day, the wearer can activate hypnotic pattern (as the spell from a 9th-level caster). Magical Adjust: +3 bonus. Empyreal: This exquisitely crafted armor or shield, favored by celestial champions of good, is often set with precious gems and adorned with powerful images of clestials. The wearer can transfer all or part of its AC bonus to a bonus to their next saving throw in the same round. The wearer decides to make the transfer when initiative is rolled, and the choice remains in effect until the start of the next round. Any evil creature wearing empyreal armor or holding an empyreal shield is sickened (–2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and NWP checks) for as long as the armor is worn or the shield is held (no saving throw). Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Everbright: This quality can only be applied to metal armor. The armor is as bright and shiny as polished silver. The armor never tarnishes and is immune to acid and rust attacks. The wearer gains acid resistance 5. Magical Adjust: +1 bonus.

Fearsome: This suit of armor or shield creates an aura of fear around the wearer (as the fear spell from a 7th-level caster). This aura affects all opponents within 40 feet of the wearer. The armor or shield appears completely normal, except to those who fail their save. The fearful see a creature from the their worst nightmares in place of the wearer. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Feathered: A suit of armor or a shield with this ability appears to be created from thousands of iridescent feathers. This characteristic has no effect on the armor’s or shield’s weight, armor check penalty, or other statistics. Feathered armor or a feathered shield allows the wearer to fly up to 50 minutes per day (as the fly spell). Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Focused: A focused shield helps you anticipate your enemy’s moves in battle, helps you see through feints and similar moves, and provides benefits when you are facing only one creature. A focused shield grants a wielder the ability (at the beginning of the round) to avert 1 fighting style benefit of their opponent as well as determine what fighting styles are being used by their opponent (can’t be used if facing more than 1 opponent). In addition, any time when you are threatened by only one creature, the wielder can elect to forgo the fighting style determination and aversion to gain a +1 bonus to their AC. This special ability can be applied only to shields, not to armor. Magical Adjust: +1 bonus.

Freedom: A character wearing armor with this property can act as if continually under the effect of a free action spell. Magical Adjust: +5 bonus.

Hammerblock: Armor with this quality functions the same as axeblock armor, except that it provides damage reduction of 5/piercing or slashing. Magical Adjust: +2 bonus.

Healing: When someone wearing armor with this property is rendered disabled or dying from injuries, the armor heals 20 points of damage automatically (free action - the wearer does not need to activate the property). This ability functions once per day. Magical Adjust: +5 bonus.

Health: A character wearing a suit of armor or a shield with this property is immune to all types of diseases, whether natural or supernatural. Magical Adjust: +4 bonus.