D&D General Is Shield Guardian the Best Item Hidden in the Monster Manual?

[Dire Bare]

View attachment 441349
This is DDBeyond, but likely the 2014 stuff.

This is actually from the 2024 DMG. The RotFM version is considered "legacy". There isn't another entry from the 2014 rules, unless it's under a weird name.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

This is actually from the 2024 DMG. The RotFM version is considered "legacy". There isn't another entry from the 2014 rules, unless it's under a weird name.

The odd thing is, the other user mentioned that "Command Amulet" is the 5.5e term, and that is in fact correct. The Master's Amulet is specifically from 2014.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

The odd thing is, the other user mentioned that "Command Amulet" is the 5.5e term, and that is in fact correct. The Master's Amulet is specifically from 2014.

That tracks.

 

[Dire Bare]

The odd thing is, the other user mentioned that "Command Amulet" is the 5.5e term, and that is in fact correct. The Master's Amulet is specifically from 2014.

Interesting, I dug a little deeper . . . I'm going from D&D Beyond only at the moment, rather than the printed books . . .

In the 5.5 monster description of the Shield Guardian, it does refer to a "command amulet", but it is not bolded as if a proper name, as "master's amulet" was for the 5.0 version, and there is no hyperlink from the monster entry to the item entry.

When searching under magic items on DDB, I cannot find a "command amulet". "Master's amulet" comes up, isn't marked as legacy . . . but it is the item linked from the legacy monster description. It lists the DMG as the source, but not the DMG 2014. The legacy version of the item is referred to as "Shield Guardian's Amulet" but is sourced from Rime.

Of course, none of that is super important. Call it what you want. It is, of course, confusing if you are trying to look it up for your game! I do prefer the version where the amulet requires attunement!

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

It's both the "Master and Commander" amulet.

 

[Silam]

Bear in mind that the details for the creation of the amulet are for the purposes of creating a replacement after the previous one was destroyed by the system given immediately before that section.

No details are given for the creation of the actual Guardian. This would likely be very expensive and difficult - more like creating a golem.

Absolutely. No cost is given for creating the guardian itself, but it should definitely be high…

I wonder if there are any good strategies for keeping the guardian alive at higher levels. Hiding it or what not.

Regarding the protection of the guardian itself… casting Sanctuary on it may be an effective way to protect it, but it only lasts a minute, so not very efficient… Invisibility could be nice too, and lasts 1h, though that requires concentration. It could be the guardian’s own concentration if you make it cast it on itself, but then that means you can’t use the spell storing benefit for anything else.

Honestly, the more I think about it, for high level play, if you want to make the guardian last, you should probably leave it parked in the previous room and go ahead, staying within 60 ft in front of it for the damage transfer. In extremis, you could choose to take an action to stop wearing the amulet (or command the guardian to walk further away) so that the life transferance stops short of killing off the poor construct.

Or, an even more extreme strategy would be to leave the guardian further than 60 ft behind you if it is concentrating on a buff you don’t want it to lose concentration for (e.g., Haste…)! At that point, you would be using very few of its features. It’s basically more of a burdensome pet than a benefit

Mid-levels it’s probably very clutch though.

 

[Seramus]

I wouldn't call it overpowered, especially since the Guardian itself can be destroyed, but it has the potential to create a little salt when it DOES finally get destroyed. Destruction certainly isn't inevitable, especially if the party uses it sparingly, but there comes a point where the party has gotten enough use out of it that the "plot armor" wears off and it becomes fair game.

 

[Azzy]

Interesting, I dug a little deeper . . . I'm going from D&D Beyond only at the moment, rather than the printed books . . .

In the 5.5 monster description of the Shield Guardian, it does refer to a "command amulet", but it is not bolded as if a proper name, as "master's amulet" was for the 5.0 version, and there is no hyperlink from the monster entry to the item entry.

When searching under magic items on DDB, I cannot find a "command amulet". "Master's amulet" comes up, isn't marked as legacy . . . but it is the item linked from the legacy monster description. It lists the DMG as the source, but not the DMG 2014. The legacy version of the item is referred to as "Shield Guardian's Amulet" but is sourced from Rime.

Of course, none of that is super important. Call it what you want. It is, of course, confusing if you are trying to look it up for your game! I do prefer the version where the amulet requires attunement!

I can confirm that neither a "command amulet" nor "master's amulet" appear in the 5.5e print DMG.

 

[Burnside]

So it's very well hidden. So well hidden that it isn't in the book at all.

 

[Savage Wombat]

I wouldn't call it overpowered, especially since the Guardian itself can be destroyed, but it has the potential to create a little salt when it DOES finally get destroyed. Destruction certainly isn't inevitable, especially if the party uses it sparingly, but there comes a point where the party has gotten enough use out of it that the "plot armor" wears off and it becomes fair game.

Generally one good-sized AoE that hits both character and guardian will do the trick.