Problems with Flickering Shield


Mechanic Class Discussion


The 10th-level feat Flickering Shield has a few problems:

  • 1. The mod's effect (emphasis mine): The creature wearing the modded armor gains temporary Hit Points equal to 5 + your Intelligence modifier and regains Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier for every round the shield is active. In other words, while the mod initially grants temporary Hit Points, it heals the target on the subsequent rounds. This is a spelling error, isn't it?
  • 2. Modify says (emphasis mine): The item remains modded until the start of your next turn, but the effect ends early if you use Modify again or if the item is destroyed or a character other than you, your drone, or your turret attempts to use the item. Flickering Shield says: The flickering shield lasts for 1 minute or until dismissed. I assume that this means that the mod does function for 1 minute, and it ends early if you Modify again?
  • 3. Is it really not possible to Modify someone else's armor? The text of the feat implies that it should be, but the new text of Modify forbids it.
  • 4. How does Flickering Shield interact with Enduring Mods and Permanent Mod (both its duration and the following 10-minute immunity)?

In any case, Flickering Shield seems like a fun mod.


It's probably a botched adaptation of the Force Field. The Force Field in the playtest, instead of having THP, has it's own separate pool of regular HP. It then specifies they are depleted first (ahead of your THP, as well, if you have any). The regeneration language therefore refers to regaining HP on the force field.

I hadn't realized this setup, so if Flickering Shield does do THP it will stack underneath a regular Force Field armor upgrade. It's still unclear if depleting all the THP shuts it down and triggers the cooldown instead of regeneration next round.


This brings up a good question: how should Flickering Shield work with force fields?

  • 1. They're essentially the same thing (both have their own Hit Points), so only one can be active at once.
  • 2. They have the same mechanics (both have their own Hit Points), but they're different things, so they do stack. But which one takes damage first?
  • 3. Flickering Shield grants temporary Hit Points, with everything that implies.
  • 4. Flickering Shield really does restore true Hit Points, with everything that implies.

I think last one is definitely wrong, but what about the other three?

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