The Glass Ward

The Glass Ward is a medium-sized round shield made from a twisted mass of black volcanic glass tinted with red and green stains caused by impurities. The edges of the shield have been polished smooth, but the face is a mass of twisted, razor sharp spines and spikes. A bronze frame secures the Ward's leather grip to the polished back of the disc. The Glass Ward radiates Superb protection and alteration magic, and a Great test of divination will reveal the item's powers.

• The Ward can be used as a normal shield, it's glass surface magically enhanced to resist damage (Epic toughness). It provides a Fair bonus to defense. The shield can be used as a weapon as well, inflicting Good damage with the many spines and spires of glass on its face.
• Glass Barrier - At will the bearer can invoke this power, which causes an array of three glass discs to spin forth from the shield and circle its owner. The Glass Barrier lasts ten rounds and absorbs damage from melee attacks directed at the bearer, reducing each attack by three ranks. Absorbed damage accumulates in the Barrier, and must be released before the effect ends or all accumulated damage is applied when the Barrier expires (see below). Invoking the Barrier takes a full round of concentration.
• Shatter Barrier - This power breaks an existing Glass Barrier, spraying forth chunks of razor sharp glass in a 10 foot radius. These shards inflict damage on all targets within the area of effect (including the Ward's wielder) equal to one-quarter the accumulated barrier. Invoking this power takes a full round.
• Enhance Barrier - The wielder can recharge an existing Barrier, extending its life by ten rounds. Accumulated damage ranks are reduced by one. Enhancing takes a full round and can be used at will.
• Negate Barrier - The wielder can Negate any accumulated damage on the existing Barrier converting it into healing energy and applying it to any single target within 20 feet. Negating takes three rounds of concentration and if interrupted automatically becomes a Shatter Barrier effect. Negate Barrier can be used at will.

Shield of Spinning Discs

This heavy round shield is made from a brilliantly polished silvery metal, etched with a repeating pattern of three discs arranged in a triangular pattern. The shield's large, flat boss is made from gleaming copper, which is, in turn, set with three discs of silvery metal that match the shield's primary material. The shield radiates Great combat and alteration magic, and a Great test of divination will reveal its enchantments.

When wielded in battle the three silver discs in the center of the shield begin glowing, detach themselves from the shield boss, and whirl around the bearer's head in a dizzying pattern of reflected light. The person so protected gains the following benefits:

• All attackers suffer a three rank penalty when targeting the protected individual, their aim distracted by the shifting pattern of polished metal.
• The spinning discs reflect up to three ranks of damage from any magical attack. Reflected energies are directed back at the caster. Any remaining damage affects the target as usual.
• The shield bearer can command the discs to strike at one or more targets within 30'. Anyone struck by a disc suffers Fair physical damage, and is blinded for six rounds. Each disc must score a normal melee attack (as the shield bearer) and the victim can make a Good test of resistance to avoid the blindness effect. The shield bearer loses the discs' defensive characteristics while they are attacking. The discs can be commanded to attack up to six times per day.

Discs can be targeted by attacks or spells. Each has Fair toughness and requires Great accuracy to hit. Any disabled disc returns to the shield and becomes inactive for one day.

Stonetoe, Stormfist and Ramwall

Today's post features a collection of armor pieces. I'm feeling lazy, so short and sweet:

Stonetoe
A pair of heavy leather boots reinforced with metal plates and fitted with heavy hobnails. Stonetoe radiates Good evocation magic. They grant their wearer Superb stability when walking on any natural stone or earth surface, making it impossible to knock them off their feet. Thrice per day the wearer can stomp their foot to cause a tremor in the earth. Anyone within 30 feet is knocked prone (Great reflex check to avoid).
 
Stormfist
These light-weight gauntlets are fashioned from the skins of electric eels covered with the tiny neck scales of a blue dragon. They radiate Great elemental and protection magic. Stormfist's wearer gains Great resistance to all forms of electrical attack. Five times per day they can add Fair electrical damage to any normal melee attack they carry out with a metal weapon.

Ramwall
Ramwall is a thick oak shield covered with the shaggy hide of a mountain goat and decorated with a pair of matching horns. It radiates Great protection and alteration magic. It provides Great protection from physical attack. Three times per day the wielder can hold the shield before them and charge forward along a 30 foot path, inflicting Good damage on anyone they strike and knocking them back or to the side 10 feet.

Fleshwall

This over-sized buckler has a hideous appearance. Its face is covered by a pallid mass of quivering flesh three inches thick. This resilient surface is pocked with curiously crusty slits and grooves, and the whole mass seems to shift and move of its own accord. The back of the buckler is a rather plain affair of heavy limewood bound with iron and leather. If examined for magical properties the item radiates Superb animation and alteration magic and Good healing magic. A Superb test of divination magic will reveal the ritual required to bind the device to its owner.

When wielded by a properly attuned person and the proper command word is spoken Fleshwall comes to life. The slits and grooves balloon outward into hideous tentacles, each bearing a fanged mouth, a needle sharp stinger, or a black, pupil-less eye. These tentacles extend in a five foot radius around the wielder, and can affect any opponent within melee range. Despite their size the magic of Fleshwall negates any weight or maneuver penalty caused by the tentacles. The tentacles have the following properties:

• Mouth - Does an Average bite attack once per round. A successful bite inflicts normal damage and remains attached for one round draining a Good amount of blood. At the end of the following round Fleshwall sprouts a new random tentacle.
• Stinger - Does an Average sting attack once per round. A successful sting inflicts Poor damage, but paralyzes the target unless they make a Good resistance check versus poison.
• Eye - Each round the eye gazes at a single foe. If the target fails to resist vs. Willpower, they are panicked for three rounds, dropping any held items and fleeing at a run.

When the tentacles are invoked 1d4+4 random tentacles will appear. Each tentacle has Fair toughness. Destroyed tentacles retract into the main body of the shield. If all tentacles are destroyed, Fleshwall becomes inert for one day. When used without invoking the tentacles, Fleshwall serves as a mundane shield.

Gloomwall

Gloomwall is a tower shield of black iron, fitted with three columns of twelve small silver bosses. An abstract pattern of swirling clouds is visible on the shield's face, while the back of the shield is painted gray. The edges of the shield are wrapped in silver wire. The heavy arm straps are fashioned from black leather trimmed with silver wire. Gloomwall radiates Superb protective, weather and enchantment magic. A Great test of divination magic will reveal its attributes:

• Gloomwall provides the bearer with a Great defensive bonus versus melee attack and an Epic defensive bonus versus missile weapons.
• When carried into battle, the bearer and all allies within a 100' radius are surrounded by an obscuring black mist shot through with silvery flickers of light. Any foe facing those so enchanted suffers an Good morale penalty.
• Thrice per day the bearer can summon a vast cloud of obscuring mist, 100 yards in diameter, effectively hiding anyone within from mundane sight. Anyone entering the mist with hostile intent has a Great chance of losing their direction and becoming lost. The bearer's allies are unaffected by the mist.
• Once per day the bearer can cause Gloomwall to darken the skies in a 1 mile radius. Low black clouds roar in from all directions, forming a rapidly swirling wall overhead in three rounds. This wall obscures the sun and blocks all mundane vision. Once the wall is in place the bearer can call down a vortex of swirling winds upon a chosen target within the covered area doing Great damage to all within a 10' radius. This power lasts 12 rounds once established, and a new vortex can be summoned each round.

The Dragon Slayer's Shield

The Dragon Slayer is a near legendary figure these days, a wandering warrior who dedicated himself to eradicating dragons from the known world. As suicidal as that career choice might sound, the Dragon Slayer was responsible for the death of many great wyrms. His success was based on the strengths of his small band of specialists and his ability to gain support of local military organizations when called upon. No fewer than seven dragon defeats are credited to the Dragon Slayer's hand.

The Dragon Slayer's Shield displays the trophies of some of the Slayer's most prominent victories. The shield itself is made up of four distinct components which could be separated and used individually.

Dragon Bone Body - The body of the shield is formed from the pure white shoulder bone of a dragon, cut into a round form about two and a half feet in diameter. It has a central hole cut for a boss, and is fitted with a white, dragon bone handle.

The body radiates Superb protection magic and provides Great protection from physical harm. It has Epic toughness, able to withstand blows from the strongest of foes without harm.

Scale Boss - The boss of the shield is formed from three black dragon scales cut to completely cover a mithril form.

The boss radiates Superb protection, damage, and accuracy magic. Like the shield body, the boss has Epic toughness. A shield blow struck with this boss attached gains a Great bonus to both damage and accuracy.

Hide Shield Cover - The shield cover consists of three pieces of dragon hide (red, white, and blue), cut and sewn to fit the shield. The hides are covered in very fine scales, which radiate outward from the central boss. Each color covers one-third of the shield's face.

The cover radiates Superb protection magic. It provides Great resistance to fire, cold, and electrical elemental attacks. It has Epic toughness, turning blows and blades with ease.

Bone Rim - The rim protector consists of slices of dragon bone cut into strips, stained black, and sewn to a leather backing. The whole laced to the shield's edge.

The rim radiates Superb divination and protection magic. Like the rest of the shield's components it has Epic toughness. Its divination magic will cause the rim to pulse with faint red light when draconic beings are within 100'.