Shield (3.5e Creature Ability)
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Shield
Shield is a protection unique to certain creatures, most of which are constructs. A shield defends the creature it envelopes and has the ability to soak damage of most any kind. A creature with the shield special quality has a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to half its HD (with a minimum of +1 and a maximum of +10). For every HD a creature has, the shield that protects it has 5 hit points. Shield hit points are regained at a rate of 1 hit point per HD per minute. When a shield's hit points are depleted, its deflection bonus to AC disappears until the shield gains at least 1 hit point, unless otherwise noted in the creature listing.
Shield Absorption: As long as a shield has hit points remaining, it can absorb damage of virtually any kind, from physical damage types (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) to energy damage types (acid, cold, electricity and fire), to force damage, to even most typeless forms of damage. Shields are even effective to touch attacks. Shield absorption functions as both a damage reduction/- and damage resistance of 10 plus 5 for every 5 HD, to a maximum of 30. Damage dealt over this amount bypasses the shield and is dealt to the creature itself. A shield cannot absorb more damage than it has hit points at any time. After the damage of an attack is reduced by shield absorption, any remaining damage is still susceptible to any other damage reduction or resistance to energy types the creature may have.
Only certain damage dealing effects can pass through a shield, such as a sonic effect, a gaze attack or psionic effects that allow a Will save. Spells that do not deal damage and that do not require touch are unaffected by a shield.
Perimeter Shield
Certain machines possess shields that protect an area around them. Any creatures or objects within this area gain the shield's deflection bonus to their Armor Class against attacks originating from outside the shield. As long as the shield has hit points remaining, it stops objects and energy outside it from passing through, like a wall of force. The same restriction does not apply to objects and energy inside it, which can pass through unimpeded. Things that can pass through shields can also pass through perimeter shields (like sonic energy).
The effective AC of a perimeter shield itself is 10 plus the deflection bonus it grants. Any object within the area of the perimeter shield with an AC smaller than that of the perimeter shield instead uses the shield's AC against attacks originating from outside the perimeter shield.
Perimeter shields are always projected as a spherical field around the object or creature projecting it. The radius of the shield is listed in the object or creature's description. A perimeter shield blocks line of effect, but not line of sight.
| Author | Sulacu + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Creature Ability + |
| Rating | Unrated + |
| Title | Shield + |
