Animated Shield - four questions

[Hypersmurf]

1. Is there any duration on the animation? Or does it just follow the character around like a puppy outside of combat?

2. Is an animated shield a valid target for the Divine Shield feat? How about a Ring of Force Shield?

3. Can an animated shield bash, if the character takes the appropriate attacking-with-two-weapons penalties?

4. Can an animated shield protect someone with no hands - for instance, an animal companion?

-Hyp.

 

[shilsen]

Don't have my books with me, so I can't recall the exact wording on the ability, but this is based on how I remember it:

1. No. Yes

2. Yes. No.

3. No.

4. Yes.

 

[hammymchamham]

Don't have my books with me, so I can't recall the exact wording on the ability, but this is based on how I remember it:

1. No. Yes

2. Yes. No.

3. No.

4. Yes.

IIRC thats correct. So I'm with stupid

 

[hammymchamham]

btw whats the bonus on that? I just had a thought for my great sword weilding charecter

 

[Madriver]

+2 for animated, great for a two-handed weapon user.

 

[hammymchamham]

thanks. Since my charecter is at level 13, should be a couple adventures to get 9k

 

[jontherev]

Don't have my books with me, so I can't recall the exact wording on the ability, but this is based on how I remember it:

1. No. Yes

2. Yes. No.

3. No.

4. Yes.

1. No. Yes

2. Maybe. I'm not sure how the DS feat works, but the animated shield PROTECTS as normal. I don't think you can command the shield to bash, for that you'd need a Dancing Shield. So, if the feat requires you to actually be wielding the shield, I'd say no.

Yes. The ring of Force Shield simply creates a shield of force for you to wield. Why wouldn't it work?

3. No.

4. Only if that animal companion can activate the shield. The shield is not mentally commanded by you. It protects the person/thing that activates it, and that's it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

4. Only if that animal companion can activate the shield. The shield is not mentally commanded by you. It protects the person/thing that activates it, and that's it.

Let's say Awakened Dog. It can speak, so it can activate command-word items... but the shield "protects the character as if he or she were using it, but freeing up both the character’s hands."

Now, given that it doesn't need hands, the Dog's paws aren't a problem... except that it protects the character "as if he or she were using it". Without hands, the dog can't use a normal shield... so "as if he or she were using it" is not much help.

There's also a good chance the dog doesn't have the Shield proficiency - is that a problem?

-Hyp.

 

[hammymchamham]

From Savage Species pg 42:

Animated: Shields with this special ability are ideal for creatures that lack the humanoid anatomy to wield them normally.

Dancing: Like animated shields....


I think its clear that an awakened dog can use an Animated shield.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Ah! Good quote. I don't have SS.

Does it touch on the proficiency issue?

-Hyp.