View source for Shield (3.5e Creature Ability)

{{author
|author_name=Sulacu
|date_created=August 20, 2008
|status=Complete
}}

== Shield ([[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Extraordinary|Ex]] or [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Supernatural|Su]]) ==

Shield is a protection unique to certain creatures, most of which are [[SRD:Construct Type|constructs]]. [[Summary::A shield defends the creature it envelopes and has the ability to soak damage of most any kind.]] For every [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] a creature has, the shield that protects it has 5 [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]]. Shield hit points are generally regained at a rate of 1 hit point per [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] per minute.

A shield is visible as a semi-opaque film of energy surrounding the protected target. Shields may be spherical, oblate or prolate - with or without geometric patterns - or nearly skin-tight, and can vary in colour depending on their energy source. While certain invisible shields exist, they are rare, and momentarily become visible when an attack is deflected or absorbed.

Shields that are technological in nature, such as those belonging to [[SRD:Construct Type|constructs]] are most often [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Extraordinary|extraordinary]] abilities, whereas the shields of magical creatures and those granted by magic spells and items such as [[Shield Talisman, Lesser (3.5e Equipment)|shield talismans]] are considered [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Supernatural|supernatural]], and can be suppressed in an ''[[SRD:Antimagic Field|antimagic field]]''.

As long as a shield has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] remaining, any damage done to the protected creature is dealt to the shield instead. A shield can absorb damage of virtually any kind, from physical damage types ([[SRD:Bludgeoning Weapon|bludgeoning]], [[SRD:Piercing Weapon|piercing]], [[SRD:Slashing Weapon|slashing]]) to energy damage types ([[acid]], [[cold]], [[electricity]] and [[fire]]), to [[SRD:Force Effect|force damage]], to even most typeless forms of damage. Shields are even effective against [[SRD:Touch Attack|touch attacks]]. A shield can never absorb more damage than that it has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] remaining, and any damage over that amount is dealt to the protected creature.

Only certain damage dealing effects can pass through a shield without being absorbed, such as a [[SRD:Sonic Effect|sonic]] effect, a [[SRD:Gaze|gaze attack]] or [[SRD:Psionics|psionic]] effects that allow a [[SRD:Will Save|Will]] save, such as ''[[SRD:Ultrablast|ultrablast]]''. Line of sight and line of effect are unaffected by a personal shield. Nonstandard and conditional forms of damage such as from the reduced effect of a ''[[SRD:Destruction|destruction]]'' spell or the corrosive effect of a ''[[SRD:Rusting Grasp|rusting grasp]]'' aren't reduced by a shield.

An active shield with 1 or more [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] grants immunity to [[SRD:Critical Hits|critical hits]] to any creature or object it protects.

=== {{Anchor|Perimeter Shield}} ===

Certain creatures and objects possess shields that protect an area around them. As long as the shield has [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] remaining, it stops objects and energy outside it from passing through, like a ''[[SRD:Wall of Force|wall of force]]'', decreasing its [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] by the appropriate amount. Objects and energy coming from inside the perimeter shield can pass through unimpeded. Effects that can pass through shields can also pass through perimeter shields (like [[SRD:Sonic Effect|sonic]] energy).

If the damage caused to the perimeter shield by an area effect breaks through it, the area effect may continue beyond the perimeter shield if the area permits; otherwise its expansion is stopped at the edge of perimeter shield. In the case of an area effect caused by an explosive effect, like a ''[[SRD:Fireball|fireball]]'' or an acid flask, the explosive projectile detonates upon impact with the shield. Regardless, the center of an explosive effect lies outside the perimeter shield.

Attacks originating from outside the perimeter shield cannot directly target a creature inside it until the shield is down. Such attacks are resolved with the shield itself as the target. A perimeter shield has a base [[SRD:Armor Class|AC]] of 10 plus its [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection bonus]], which is equal to the [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] of the creature that projects it. 

Perimeter shields are projected as a spherical field around their source. A perimeter shield does not extend into floors or walls. The radius of the shield is listed in the object or creature's description. When two perimeter shields protect the same area, their effects overlap. 

A perimeter shield blocks line of effect for any effect that the shield stops, provided it has at least 1 [[SRD:Hit Points|hit point]], but does not interfere with line of sight.

=== {{Anchor|Hard Shields}} ===

A few special creatures and objects have very powerful shields that can absorb a certain amount of damage from an attack without weakening, making even shields with a low amount of [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] hard to break through. These shields have a set [[SRD:Breaking and Entering#Hardness|hardness]], subtracting that number from any damage the shield takes, to a minimum of 0. This particular property can be added to any type of shield.

=== Special Shield Types ===

Some forms of shielding have special properties. Specialized types of shields only block specific effects or specific forms of damage. A shield can have only a single specialized type.

==== {{Anchor|Kinetic Shield}} {{Ex}} ====

Kinetic shields are shields that only stop high-speed physical projectiles. The stopping power of a kinetic shield is dependent on the speed of the object hitting it, providing a degree of deflection correspondent to the momentum of the object. The result is a shield that stops fast moving objects like weaponsfire but has no effects on slow moving objects, allowing the creature to interact with its environment without deflecting it.

Objects stopped by a kinetic shield include high speed objects and projectiles. Weapons such as handguns and rifles, cannons and particle beams are stopped, but lasers, energy effects and other massless or incorporeal weapons are not. Melee attacks are not stopped by a kinetic barrier, nor are slow-moving ranged attacks such as arrows or thrown projectiles.

Kinetic shields are a usual staple of science-fiction and are always [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Extraordinary|extraordinary]] in nature.

==== {{Anchor|Spell Shield}} {{Su}} ====

Spell shields do not stop damage in the way normal shields do. Instead, they absorb incoming spells. Whenever a creature or object protected by a spell shield is targeted by a harmful spell, the spell is reduced to its base components upon touching the shield, converting it to raw energy that deals 5 damage to the shield per converted spell level. Spells that create area effects are only absorbed for the creature or within the area that a spell shield protects. If a creature with a personal shield has [[SRD:Spell Resistance and Spell Immunity#Spell Resistance|spell resistance]], the spell shield takes effect against a spell only if the creature fails to resist it. Spells that do not allow spell resistance are not absorbed by a spell shield.

Spells absorbed by a spell shield deal 1 extra point of damage per spell level if the spellcaster has the [[SRD:Spell Penetration|Spell Penetration]] feat, and 2 extra points of damage per spell level if the spellcaster has the [[SRD:Greater Spell Penetration|Greater Spell Penetration]] feat.

Damage dealt to a spell shield over its remaining hit points are not dealt to the protected creature. Instead, if the shield is a permanent ability, the shield maintains its negative hit points and remains down until its hit points are restored to positive values by the shield's natural recovery.

Spell shields are always [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Supernatural|supernatural]] in nature.

==== {{Anchor|Psi-Shield}} {{Su}} ====

Psi-shields function the same way as [[#Spell Shield|spell shields]] do, except in that they absorb incoming psionic [[SRD:Powers|powers]] instead of spells. Powers that do not allow [[SRD:Power Resistance|power resistance]] are not absorbed by a psi-shield.

==== Other Shield Types ====

Specialized shields exist for many purposes. Creatures that only need protection against a single type of effect do not need universal shields, that are usually prohibitively expensive, difficult to maintain and especially powerful. Possible types of shields specialized to a single group of effect types are listed below, complete with a summary of what they protect against and any further benefits they grant. All examples can be either [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Extraordinary|extraordinary]] or [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Supernatural|supernatural]], unless noted otherwise.

*'''Heat Shields:''' Grants constant ''[[SRD:Endure Elements|endure elements]]'' against high temperature effects, absorbs [[SRD:Fire Effect|fire]] and heat damage.
*'''Electromagnetic Shield:''' Absorbs [[SRD:Electricity Effect|electricity]] damage and turns away projectiles and small objects made of metal.
*'''Psychic Shield {{Su}}:''' Absorbs [[SRD:Mind-Affecting Effect|mind-affecting]] effects in the same way a [[#Spell Shield|spell shield]] does. Supernatural abilities that create mind-affecting effects count as spells with an effective level equal to half the attacking creature's [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] for the purpose of interacting with a psychic shield, rounded down.

=== Special ===

A creature with any type of inherent shield ability may benefit from the [[Augment Shielding (3.5e Feat)|Augment Shielding]] feat, granting it 2 extra [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] per [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]].


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[[Category:3.5e]]
[[Category:User]]
[[Category:Creature Ability]]
Author	Sulacu +
Identifier	3.5e Creature Ability +
Rating	Unrated +
Summary	A shield defends the creature it envelopes and has the ability to soak damage of most any kind. +
Title	Shield +