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Do you think a Blossoming Light Cleric should be able to wear/wield a Ring of Force Shield?
Let me explain the situation. I have this idea in my head of an unarmored Blossoming Light of Iomedae who eventually multiclasses into the Holy Vindicator, using the Prestigious Spellcaster feat to keep my full casting progression. If I do this, however, I run into the problem of having the Vindicator's Shield ability be, essentially, useless, as Blossoming Light clerics can't "wield or wear...shields" without losing their powers.
The question is really a 2-parter:
1) Do you think a Blossoming Light Cleric could use a Ring of Force Shield and keep her powers?
2) Do you think that the effect of a Ring of Force Shield would qualify as a shield that could be used by a Holy Vindicator's class feature to be amplified?
I'm interested both in your RAW interpretation, and your reasonability interpretation. To me, the RAW is iffy, since the legitimacy of the ring effect being an actual shield isn't totally clear to me (given the "Functions As" nature of the rules text), but more importantly I wonder: If a player came up to you with this character concept, do you think it would be unreasonable, regardless of RAW? I'm tempted to think not, but I'd like to know your opinions anyways.
The ring doesn't give you a "shield bonus" which would work, it instead gives you a shield, which you can wield like a heavy shield, and I don't see any way you could argue that that is not 'using a shield'.
I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work for a holy vindicator.
In any event, I can't see any possible argument where you could conclude that it isn't enough of a shield to count for blossoming light but is enough of a shield to count as a shield for Holy Vindicator.
However you argue it, it would seem to me that it either is, or is not a shield.
I think the "fluff" of Blossoming Light clerics and that of Holy Vindicators are nearly incompatible.
BLCs "Many are peace-loving or even pacifistic" vs
HVs "are paragons of battle, eschewing sermons for steel."
Now, anyone can ignore fluff, so on the the numbered questions.
RoFS must be actively wielded as a shield "can be wielded by the wearer as if it were a heavy shield". If you simply wear the ring, nothing happens. If you activate the ring and hold your hand above your head, you get "a shield-sized (and shield-shaped) wall of force" but you're using it as an umbrella, not a shield.
I would rule that if a BLC uses a RoFS in such a way that they gain a shield bonus to armor class, then they ARE using a shield (equivalent) and cannot use or benefit from any of her class features.
However, a RoFS produces a wall of force that is not a physical object. I would rule that a wall of force cannot be channeled into.
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I think the "fluff" of Blossoming Light clerics and that of Holy Vindicators are nearly incompatible.
BLCs "Many are peace-loving or even pacifistic" vs
HVs "are paragons of battle, eschewing sermons for steel."
No one is a pacifist when legions of mindless, undead abominations are knocking on your door. :P
But that's a minor point. Thanks for your and Dave's input. Keep it coming, everyone else.
See all the threads about whether a monk can use a ring of force shield. That might save this thread from bloating into hundreds of posts to no avail.
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See all the threads about whether a monk can use a ring of force shield. That might save this thread from bloating into hundreds of posts to no avail.
I actually had been looking at those. That's part of why it's a two-part question, and why I worded my questions as carefully as I did. I really am just asking for opinions. I'd REALLY like to play this character, and was curious about how reasonable this interaction would be to ask my DM to allow, from a mechanical and narrative perspective.
I don't actually need a resolution in-thread. I'm just testing the waters on this specific issue.
No one is a pacifist when legions of mindless, undead abominations are knocking on your door. :P
The mindless ones don't knock OR even ring the bell. Of the intelligent undead, vampires do, but don't invite them in.
See all the threads about whether a monk can use a ring of force shield. That might save this thread from bloating into hundreds of posts to no avail.I actually had been looking at those. That's part of why it's a two-part question, and why I worded my questions as carefully as I did. I really am just asking for opinions. I'd REALLY like to play this character, and was curious about how reasonable this interaction would be to ask my DM to allow, from a mechanical and narrative perspective.
I don't actually need a resolution in-thread. I'm just testing the waters on this specific issue.
Fair enough!
For the first question, I'd answer the monk threads will have the same answers that you'll get here, as the question boils down to "Does a ring of force shield count as a shield for the purpose of triggering class restrictions other than lack of proficiency?".
The second question is more interesting. As my answer to the first question is "'treated as a heavy shield' means 'it's basically a heavy shield except as specified in the description'", I'd let the holy vindicator's abilities work with it--it has all the pros and cons of a heavy shield except for weight, arcane spell failure, and, ah, force-itude.