Hey, I was just wondering what you thought of this idea.
This arm/hand/shield item 1/day when activated created, as an immediate action, a tower shield placed in front of you for a maximum of about 3 rounds granting full cover.
I think this is a nice "Oh Shit" item, but I don't know how to make it balanced.
What do you think?
Just use a Command Word activated shield spell 1x/day (Quickened if you want it as a free/immediate/swift action). Granted the duration is more than 3 rounds, but you could use a swift shield variant spell granting the benefit of a shield spell for a single round that is cast as a swift action and use it in a 3x/day item.
Just use a Command Word activated shield spell 1x/day (Quickened if you want it as a free/immediate/swift action). Granted the duration is more than 3 rounds, but you could use a swift shield variant spell granting the benefit of a shield spell for a single round that is cast as a swift action and use it in a 3x/day item.
Would you say that granted full cover? This ideally would help protect against dragon's breath weapon.
Just use a Command Word activated shield spell 1x/day (Quickened if you want it as a free/immediate/swift action). Granted the duration is more than 3 rounds, but you could use a swift shield variant spell granting the benefit of a shield spell for a single round that is cast as a swift action and use it in a 3x/day item.Would you say that granted full cover? This ideally would help protect against dragon's breath weapon.
"Unlike with a normal tower shield, you can't use the shield spell for cover." (PHB pg. 278)
Unless the spell has been changed in PFRPG, you'd need something else. Since cover only grants a +2 to Reflex saves (and IMO, crouching behind a tower shield to gain total cover shouldn't increase this), you might be better off looking for a different way of granting a small amount of protection against dragon breath and other AoEs (maybe blink?).
Alternately, you could design a 1st level Evocation spell that creates a temporary physical tower shield (no magic missile blocking, no incorporeal benefit, full armor check penalties and arcane failure chance) and use it as the base spell.
After looking at the rules, I think what I really want is Improved Cover.
Improved Cover: In some cases, cover may provide a
greater bonus to AC and Ref lex saves. In such situations,
the normal cover bonuses to AC and Ref lex saves can
be doubled (to +8 and +4, respectively). A creature with
this improved cover effectively gains improved evasion
against any attack to which the Ref lex save bonus applies.
Furthermore, improved cover provides a +10 bonus on
Stealth checks.
With out the stealth check bonus though.
It would lost up to 1 round, but they couldn't move or cast any spells or anything else while it was up. They would just have to sit there and defend.
I think a bracer which can resizes itself as any size shield from buckler to tower as a standard action, would be a fun item.
I think a bracer which can resizes itself as any size shield from buckler to tower as a standard action, would be a fun item.
Curse my old flash drive for breaking! I had a version of this, albeit as a warforged item, in one of my older documents. Here's what it approximately was;
Phalanx Bracer
Aura faint transmutation; Price 2,205 gp
DESCRIPTION
This heavy leather bracer is ringed with thick wooden strips. While wearing the bracer, you gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC. As a swift action, you may command the bracer to change size, becoming a +1 version of a buckler, light wooden shield, heavy wooden shield, or tower shield. You suffer the normal penalties associated with each form the bracer takes if you are not proficient with that shield. A phalanx bracer takes up a magic item slot as a pair of bracers.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, shrink item; Cost 1,205 gp
I based the pricing off bracers of armor, +1 shield, masterwork shield cost, and then added the base price of each shield in. It looks sound on paper, though I wouldn't mind some other opinions.
My preference is a shield or weapon ability I developed:
Changing
A shield or melee weapon with this ability can switch between two different forms on command, keeping the same enhancement bonus and other abilities. For example, a +1 dagger can switch into a +1 greatsword and back to a dagger again or a +1 buckler can become a +1 heavy shield; a weapon can even change to the same type, but a different material, such as a +1 cold iron longsword to a +1 alchemical silver longsword. If the change would result in an invalid ability (i.e., keen on a bludgeoning weapon), that ability is ignored for that form, but still counts toward the total shield or weapon cost. Faint transmutation; CL 6; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, shrink item; Price +1 bonus plus the base cost of the second weapon (masterwork, special materials, etc.).
My preference is a shield or weapon ability I developed:
Changing
A shield or melee weapon with this ability can switch between two different forms on command, keeping the same enhancement bonus and other abilities. For example, a +1 dagger can switch into a +1 greatsword and back to a dagger again or a +1 buckler can become a +1 heavy shield; a weapon can even change to the same type, but a different material, such as a +1 cold iron longsword to a +1 alchemical silver longsword. If the change would result in an invalid ability (i.e., keen on a bludgeoning weapon), that ability is ignored for that form, but still counts toward the total shield or weapon cost. Faint transmutation; CL 6; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, shrink item; Price +1 bonus plus the base cost of the second weapon (masterwork, special materials, etc.).
This would probably be a +3 at the least, maybe even a +4 as the material changing is a big cost.
This would probably be a +3 at the least, maybe even a +4 as the material changing is a big cost.My preference is a shield or weapon ability I developed:
Changing
A shield or melee weapon with this ability can switch between two different forms on command, keeping the same enhancement bonus and other abilities. For example, a +1 dagger can switch into a +1 greatsword and back to a dagger again or a +1 buckler can become a +1 heavy shield; a weapon can even change to the same type, but a different material, such as a +1 cold iron longsword to a +1 alchemical silver longsword. If the change would result in an invalid ability (i.e., keen on a bludgeoning weapon), that ability is ignored for that form, but still counts toward the total shield or weapon cost. Faint transmutation; CL 6; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, shrink item; Price +1 bonus plus the base cost of the second weapon (masterwork, special materials, etc.).
Agreed. The Sizing property from the Magic Item Compendium is only an extra 5,000 gp, while the Metalline ability is a +2. They also have the Changeling ability, which costs an extra 2,000 gp, but it only affects spears.
EDIT: Oh wait, I see what Dragonchess did. Instead of having it turn into any weapon, it can only turn into those two weapons. A +1 for that ability seems fair, since all it essentially does is negated you having to drop one weapon to draw another.
EDIT: Oh wait, I see what Dragonchess did. Instead of having it turn into any weapon, it can only turn into those two weapons. A +1 for that ability seems fair, since all it essentially does is negated you having to drop one weapon to draw another.
Pretty much; I suppose a better wording might be "two specific forms on command." It does provide a bit of a cost savings when the item has a +2 (weapon) or +3 (shield) equivalent bonus or more, not counting the changing ability itself. The limitation on keeping the exact same enhancement bonus and abilities means you sacrifice the versatility that two distinct items provide.
Now, you really can have a weapon that is effective against demons and devils: a +5 bane (evil outsiders) changing (alchemical silver greatsword) holy cold iron greatsword (164,630 gp). A +5 changing (buckler) heavy steel shield (36,335 gp) can be almost as useful as a +5 animated heavy steel shield (49,170 gp) for a slightly lower cost.