Force Shield Questions

[sfedi]

Can this shield be used against incorporeal creatures? (i.e. shield bash)

Could it be enchanted?

Since is it made of force it allows it's bonus to be used against Incorporeal Touch Attacks, does it?

It doesn't confer any other bonuses due to the facto that it is made of force, does it?
(i.e. it does not grant bonus versus Breath Weapons, Reflex Saves, etc.)

It can't be sundered. At least with nothing that couldn't break a Wall of Force as well.


From the SRD:

Force Shield

An iron band, this simple ring generates a shield-sized (and shield-shaped) wall of force that stays with the ring and can be wielded by the wearer as if it were a heavy shield (+2 AC). This special creation has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance since it is weightless and encumbrance-free. It can be activated and deactivated at will as a free action.

 

[NexH]

Can this shield be used against incorporeal creatures? (i.e. shield bash)

Yes

Could it be enchanted?

A better version of the item could be made, whetever you use the same price guidelines and the same options as with normal shields is up to the DM.

Since is it made of force it allows it's bonus to be used against Incorporeal Touch Attacks, does it?

Indeed.

It doesn't confer any other bonuses due to the facto that it is made of force, does it?
(i.e. it does not grant bonus versus Breath Weapons, Reflex Saves, etc.)

It doesn't

It can't be sundered. At least with nothing that couldn't break a Wall of Force as well.

The shield itself can't be sundered. The ring can.

 

[Goolpsy]

How can its bonus count against an incorporeal touch attack?

incorporeal attacks yes.. but touch attacks...
touch ac is without shield, naturalarmor, armor..

So a normal shield does not count, but one of forc does ??

 

[Infiniti2000]

How can its bonus count against an incorporeal touch attack?

incorporeal attacks yes.. but touch attacks...
touch ac is without shield, naturalarmor, armor..

So a normal shield does not count, but one of forc does ??

Incorporeal touch attacks are a special case. Per the glossary, "Therefore, their attacks negate the bonuses provided by natural armor, armor, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against them, as does anything with the ghost touch ability."

 

[sfedi]

How can its bonus count against an incorporeal touch attack?

incorporeal attacks yes.. but touch attacks...
touch ac is without shield, naturalarmor, armor..

So a normal shield does not count, but one of forc does ??

I was under that impression too.

Unfortunately the choice of how they named an attack made by an incorporeal creture was ill-chosen.
If you look at the rules, an incorporeal touch attack, behaves as an Incorporeal Slam Attack, not as a Melee Touch Attack or even a Ranged Touch Attack.

It has been noted somewhere that this is the case, and an unfortunate one.

 

[Goolpsy]

Incorporeal touch attacks are a special case. Per the glossary, "Therefore, their attacks negate the bonuses provided by natural armor, armor, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against them, as does anything with the ghost touch ability."

theres a diffrence between having a shield of force, and being protected and surrounded by a force effect (mage armor)

 

[IcyCool]

theres a diffrence between having a shield of force, and being protected and surrounded by a force effect (mage armor)

So are you trying to say that a shield of force is not a force effect?

 

[Staffan]

How can its bonus count against an incorporeal touch attack?

incorporeal attacks yes.. but touch attacks...
touch ac is without shield, naturalarmor, armor..

So a normal shield does not count, but one of forc does ??

An incorporeal touch is no more a touch attack than a natural armor bonus is an armor bonus, or a monstrous humanoid is a humanoid. It's unfortunate that they have included some game terms in other game terms that are not the same or subtypes of those terms.

 

[Len]

They could have called it "incorporeal attack" and prevented a lot of confusion.