He stopped and glowered when he saw
my pencil moving (I was scribbling hastily).
Dropping the pencil, I pushed a decanter
and glass toward him. ?Shields?? I asked
politely. ?You mean there are special magical
shields??

?Of course, ye dolt! What d?ye think
stops all those swords of power? Else the
Realms?d be ruled by eternally warring
bladesmen, an? there?d not be enough men
in the lands to take to the field and fall in
the slaughter!?

I stifled an impulse to tell Elminster that
our earlier discussions about the Realms
had given me an impression very close to
just that. Instead I said, ?Yes, of course.
Are any of these shields famous, then, with
names and traditions??

?Aye, but not having quite the romance
of the swords, I?ll grant,? Elminster allowed
gruflly, nodding his head. Then he was off
and running, flicking from topic to topic
with the agility of a grasshopper, late into
the night. From his discourse I gleaned
news of six magical shields of the Realms,
whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
(DMs should take note that
these shields are eminently suitable for use
by low-level parties who plan to take on
stronger foes.)

Dzance's Guardian
Experience Point Value: 1,000
Gold Piece Sale Value: 10,000

Lore: The Ranger Dzance found this
shield in a chest in the depths of Gauntlgrym,
the Lost City; its origin is
unknown, but it is thought to be of
dwarven manufacture.

Dzance’s Journals tell us of the properties
of this item. When he retired
from adventuring to live in the Lady’s
Court at Silverymoon, Dzance gave the
Guardian to Belpir, a young knight of
that city. The new owner forthwith
went adventuring and has not been
seen since. The fates of Belpir and the
Guardian are yet a mystery.

Function: The Guardian is a “+0 shield,”
magical in nature but conferring no
AC bonus to its bearer besides
the one-place benefit provided by any
shield. However, it has a special defensive
power: when worn, it radiates an
insubstantial magical energy field that
envelops its bearer, and only the bearer,
like an aura. Any magic missile directed
at the Guardian’s bearer from any
direction—not just ahead—strikes this
field and is reflected unerringly back at
the sender with no damage to the
shieldbearer.

The field also absorbs all electrical
discharges of natural or magical origin,
such as shocking grasp, lightning bolt,
or chain lightning, without harm to the
bearer. These attacks dissipate gradually
and harmlessly if the shield is taken
off, but if the shieldbearer can bring
the shield into physical contact with a
foe within 4 rounds of any such discharge(
s), the entire stored electrical
energy of the field can be transmitted
to the foe (save vs. paralyzation for half
damage). The bearer is made immediately
aware of this storage and discharge
power whenever the field
intercepts electrical energy<.>

When this discharge is activated by
the bearer’s will, there is a 30% chance
that the bearer and shield (but not any
companion creatures or foes unless
direct, physical contact is present at the
time) will be plane shifted to a random
known plane of existence. This power
is unknown to the bearer until it actually
occurs; identify and sage lore do
not reveal it.

Grimjaw
Experience Point Value: 800
Gold Piece Sale Value: 5,000

Lore: Named for the small common
tongue inscription found deeply
engraved on the inside top rim of the
shield, this plain iron shield is dented
and blackened, and of normal and unassuming
appearance. It bears no rust,
and rusting does not affect it regardless
of the handling it receives, due to the
protective magics cast upon it. Grimjaw
was first identified by the sage Ragefast
of Baldur’s Gate, as borne by the adventurer
Krystus and having a certain awesome
power described hereafter.
Krystus the Proud soon met his death at
the hands of a dwarven patrol half the
continent away, in the mountains near
Thethyamar, in a dispute over passage
through the dwarven mines there.
Grimjaw is known to have been in the
hands of the ruling dwarven clan “Iron
House” for many years, but was lost in
battle when orcs and evil mages drove
out or slew all the dwarves of Tethyamar.
The present head of the “Iron
House,” Ghellin, wishes to regain the
shield.

Function: Grimjaw confers no magical
AC bonus to its wearer, but it
has a powerful ability to affect any magical
items that come into direct physical
contact with it, regardless of the shieldbearer’s
wishes. The effects of any single
such contact are determined by
percentile dice, as follows:

01-20	Item has one charge drained from it by Grimjaw; if the item has no charges as such, its powers are negated for 3-12 turns.
21-65	Item instantly turns and attacks wielder for one round, either striking as if the wielder were attacked by someone of equal class, strength, and level (if a weapon), or firing one charge or magical attack (if a charged staff or similar item).
66-80	Item has all magical powers and abilities negated for 2-12 rounds.
81-95	Item is completely drained of all magical powers forever, as if struck by a rod of cancellation. Artifacts are likely to be unaffected, but may, at the DM’s option, teleport away to a random location, with or without wielder.
96-00	Grimjaw, discharges some of its stored magical energy into the contacting item; the item gains 1-6 additional charges permanently, or a +1 on hit and damage bonuses for 1-6 turns.

If a magical weapon or item is wielded
against the shield bearer, and the
item misses the armor class of the
shieldbearer by 1 point (i.e. scoring
what would have been a hit except for
the shield’s presence), then it is considered
to have struck the shield.

Hawkstone's Bulwark
Experience Point Value: 1,500
Gold Piece Sale Value: 9,000

Lore: The Ranger Hawkstone bore this
shield in his war against the giants of
the Great Glacier and the beast-men
(ogres) of Thar. Some time after his
death, his grave was violated and all his
treasures stolen, among them the blade
Durelva and this shield, known in ballads
as Hawkstone’s Bulwark. It is generally
believed that Hawkstone won
this shield from the hoard of the black
dragon Yindoth. Its origin is as
unknown as its present fate.

Function: The shield is a single slab of 2-
inch-thick polished steel of a beautiful
blue hue, a fine metal unique in its quality
in the Realms. It has the usual two
straps within of black bullhide, and
weighs no more than a wooden shield.
It has the abilities of a +2 shield, and
upon command the shield grows magically
into a bridge. (The command
word, known throughout lore but not
written anywhere on the shield, is “Bulwark.”)
The shield disappears from the
bearer’s possession and reappears at
the start of the following round as a 5-
inch-thick span of fine steel, 2' wide by
60' long. Its length is not variable, and
the change is not always automatic; if
the command word is spoken when the
Bulwark does not have enough room to
expand, the power simply fails to function.

The bridge extends out in the direction
the bearer of the shield is facing,
beginning just in front of the bearer’s
feet. Once placed, the bridge cannot be
moved (although it can be shrunk back
to a shield and re-expanded in another
direction). It can support up to 5,000
pounds of weight at a time; exceeding that
limit causes it to “collapse” back into a
normal shield (see below), leaving the
creatures and objects upon it without
any visible means of support.

If its weight capacity is not exceeded,
the bridge remains for 33 days, or until
the bearer of the shield holds onto one
of the straps an utters the reversecommand
word “Krawlub.” (When it is
in bridge form, the shield’s straps are
located on the top surface of the bridge
at either end.) The shrinking process
works essentially the same as the
expanding process; the bridge disappears
upon utterance of the command
word, and at the start of the following
round, Bulwark reappears at the bearer’s
feet in shield form.

No magic short of a limited wish, alter
reality, or wish can cause the bridge to
shrink, break, or otherwise move
(although the ground on which it rests
could be affected by disintegrate, dig,
or similar magic). The bridge conducts
heat, electricity, and other similar
forms of energy, and in such respects
acts as normal metal does.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Reptar's Wall
Experience Point Value: 2,000
Gold Piece Sale Value: 12,000

Lore: Named for the ranger who once
bore it, the wall is a large, heavy shield
constructed of iron plates riveted to an
iron frame. Its origin, lost in antiquity, is
unknown. Two words are engraved on
the frame in the common tongue, facing
the bearer at eye level when the
shield is held ready for battle: “Eiruvan”
and “Thammis.”

Functions: The shield is magical, and
has the following powers and abilities:

* Despite its construction, the wall
does not rust or corrode, or conduct
heat and cold. Its metal remains inac
tive. It is a +1 shield, and gives forth no
sound when struck or dropped. It does
not ring or grate, but is absolutely
silent; the heaviest blows falling upon it
cannot be heard.

* When the bearer (not another
creature, nor anyone not wearing the
shield slung on an arm, ready for battle)
speaks or whispers the word “Eiruvan,”
the shield and bearer, plus any accoutrements
worn and held, become invisible
to both normal sight and infravision
for 2-8 rounds. During this time the
shieldbearer moves silently, because of
the shield’s sound-absorbing qualities,
and can move about or strike at opponents
while so concealed. A successful
attack made on an opponent by the
bearer causes the shield and bearer to
immediately become visible.

Carrying an active source of light
does not affect the invisibility of the
bearer, but the light is clearly seen and
can be used to determine the location of
the invisible shield carrier. The casting
of light, detect magic, or dispel magic in
the area where the invisible shieldbearer
is suspected to be does not
reveal the presence or precise location
of the shieldbearer. Once exercised, this
power does not work again until 16
hours have elapsed from the cessation
of invisibility.

* The shield’s major power, made
active when the bearer speaks or whispers
the word “Thammis” while wearing
the shield slung for use, is the ability
to fly (as per the magic-user spell) for 2
turns. Shield and bearer, plus any nonliving
accoutrements of up to 4000 gp
weight, are empowered to fly at maneuverability
class A, with a movement
rate as per the spell; the magic also confers
full stability for wielding weapons
in midair. The flight ability lasts until 2
turns have elapsed or the bearer wills it
to end, whichever occurs first.

Use of the fly has a side effect in that
at the onset of flight, the nearest magical
item or artifact is permanently
drained of one charge, which serves as
energy to power the shield. If the nearest
item is of a permanent nature and
has no charges (e.g. a magical dagger),
all of its powers are negated for four
turns. The item closest to the shield is
always affected, regardless of the
shieldbearer’s wishes.

The shieldbearer is usually unaware
of the “draining.” If no magical item is
within 9" of the shield when the fly
power is activated, the shield’s own other
abilities—including the sound
absorption and the +1 bonus—are
negated for 6 turns. The wall is directed
in flight by the will of its bearer, who
must remain in full physical contact
with it, or the shield and former bearer
both plummet to the ground; the shield
does not fly alone.
 

Shoon's Buckler
Experience Point Value: 2,000
Gold Piece Sale Value: 12,000

Lore: The adventurer Shoon briefly
possessed this magical shield. Its true
origin is unknown, but he seized it from
the body of a slain male drow during a
battle deep beneath the Hill of Lost
Souls. Amongst the drow, as speak with
the dead has revealed, the buckler was
known as a “blink shield”; it was
unique, and its making a mystery.
Shoon later gave the shield to the fighter
Gorlaung “Blackhelm” in exchange
for training; Gorlaung fell in battle with
orcs in the Stonelands, and his body
was stripped of weapons and valuables
by his slayers. The present location of
the Buckler is unknown, but Shoon
spent so much time complaining that he
should never have let Gorlaung have it
that it has become known as “Shoon’s
Buckler” and become a phrase to
describe any wonderful item lost
through folly.

Functions: The buckler is a 1' diameter
disk of black metal with a fist grip, all
fashioned of one piece, and bearing no
inscriptions. Despite its small size, the
buckler functions as a +2 shield. Its
other easily discernible power is the
ability to glow equal in radiance to a
light spell upon the mental command of
its bearer; the light dies away to nothing
when the bearer wishes it to, falls
asleep, dies, or loses sanity or consciousness.
This power is discovered
whenever the bearer thinks about the
poor light, wishes he could see better,
and so forth. Whenever the buckler
operates thus, three words in the common
tongue appear in small glowing letters
around its inside edge: “Tethema,”
“Sekoe,” and “Brund.”

If “Tethema” is said aloud by any creature
holding the shield, that figure
becomes the master of the buckler until
another creature holds the shield and
repeats the word. Control of the buckler
enables a being to override the mental
commands of another character
holding the buckler regarding its radiance,
even from afar (up to 16" away).
Control also allows the following two
powers to be enacted when the master
is not touching the buckler, and is up to
16" distant:

If the word “Sekoe” is spoken, the
buckler levitates for up to 6 rounds,
moving about under the mental direction
of the master, or the bearer if the
master is someone different and does
not countermand the orders. The
shield can carry or support up to 600
pounds of weight resting upon it or suspended
from it, and any number of
creatures or items can make up this
cargo. If its load ever exceeds this limit,
the shield instantly ceases to levitate for
at least 6 rounds and falls. Thus, the
bearer can levitate himself up or down
at will, and also move horizontally
about by pushing off walls, or the buckler’s
master can from afar move the
shield about—plus, perhaps, an unwilling
cargo.

If the word “Brund” is spoken by the
master of the buckler, any other active
shield powers cease; then the shield
and any creature(s) touching it blink, as
per the magic-user spell, about the location
of the shield when it was activated,
until 7 rounds have elapsed or the master
wills it to end (whichever occurs
first).

These powers can be used repeatedly
in consecutive rounds and in any order
(although only levitate and light can be
used in combination) if the commands
are known. Anyone who discovers the
buckler is not informed of any facts
about its operation by any revelation or
by magical means short of a wish, but
must learn them by trial and error. The
blink power does not function for anyone
who discovers the shield until that
character has established himself as the
master of the buckler by using the command
word “Tethema.”
 

Thurbrand's Protector
Experience Point Value: 5,000
Gold Piece Sale Value: 25,000

Lore: This shield is named for the fighter
who found it in a dragon’s hoard. It
was later sold to King Osbrun of Chessagol,
whose treasury and armory were
looted six winters ago, some say by
magic. The protector vanished in that
theft, and its present whereabouts and
owner are unknown. The shield is a
plain, battered, kite-shaped construction
of bronze plates bolted to a sturdy
wooden frame. It bears no maker’s mark
or inscriptions.

Functions: The shield is magical, and
has the following powers and abilities:

* Any damage that pierces or parts
the bronze plates, or cracks through or
breaks the wooden frame, is magically
mended overnight. Minor dents,
scratches, a n d s c a r s a r e n o t s o
repaired. Manual repairs by a blacksmith
or the bearer seem to have no
effect on the shield, undoing themselves
even as they are done.

* The protector has all the powers of
a +1 ring of protection. In addition,
whenever the bearer raps the wooden
frame three times rapidly with a finger
or knuckles, the shield radiates and
maintains, through some unknown
magical means, a 10' radius globe of air,
cool and breezeless. This globe withstands
the pressures of deep water,
gusts of wind, and the like without
altering its shape or location, remaining
centered upon the protector. Large,
solid, immobile objects like stone walls
cause the “air bubble” to flatten out
along the wall or around the object.
Creatures within the globe of air cannot
drown, suffer harm from poisonous
gases, etc. As many creatures can be
protected by the globe as can fit into its
volume, usually 40 or so, or, if freedom
to move and fight is required, 8 or 9
man-sized beings. The air supply can
never be “overloaded” or used up.

Most creatures are not physically
constrained from entering or leaving
the globe. It keeps out only creatures
who cannot breathe or move in air
(such as living fish), and those who are
gaseous in form (air elementals, a vampire
in gaseous form, etc.) In fact, if
such a creature appears in the middle
of the globe through teleport, changing
shape, or summoning, it is immediately
expelled out of the globe. The globe of
air persists until the bearer again raps
the wood frame thrice; to be effective,
such rapping must be on the inner side
of the shield, directly on the frame, and
the bearer must have the shield slung
on his arm or strapped to him. However,
the sound of the rapping need not
be heard and the impact need not be
forceful, thus allowing one to activate
the powers if suddenly submerged,
deprived of all air, etc.