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

[Silam]

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

Yes, especially since the damage transference means the amulet’s wearer will receive 50% of the AoE damage while the guardian will receive 150%…

These AoE risks are the main reason I was considering the strategy of leaving the guardian behind in the previous room. This way, you would forsake the benefit of the Shield effect, but could still benefit from damage transference and possibly the spell storing/concentration as well (assuming the damage transference doesn’t make the guardian fail its concentration…).

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

I've been doing a solo campaign using some prepublished adventures, one of which gave the PC a shield guardian pretty easily and early on (restoring Freedale from FRaiF) and I basically have had to deliberately leave it behind or else it trivializes the game.

 

[Silam]

I've been doing a solo campaign using some prepublished adventures, one of which gave the PC a shield guardian pretty easily and early on (restoring Freedale from FRaiF) and I basically have had to deliberately leave it behind or else it trivializes the game.

There is one also towards the beginning of DotMM and I’m wondering what to do about it. I hadn’t realized the implications until reading the stat block…

It seems so strong that I’m almost wondering if it should drain a fraction of the XP as an extra party member would.

 

[aco175]

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

Maybe it is just listed like the new Monster Manual references.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If I were going to let a low level character acquire a Shield Guardian I would modify it to use the sidekick rules and level up with its master.

It seems a good way to support a solo player, especially if they are a caster.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

There is one also towards the beginning of DotMM and I’m wondering what to do about it. I hadn’t realized the implications until reading the stat block…

It seems so strong that I’m almost wondering if it should drain a fraction of the XP as an extra party member would.

I think that's RAW actually, if you have any combat-capable NPCs traveling with the party they "get" an accursed share of the XP which is then destroyed.

 

[Silam]

I think that's RAW actually, if you have any combat-capable NPCs traveling with the party they "get" an accursed share of the XP which is then destroyed.

For sure, though there are many things that aren’t as clear cut as a NPC.

Is a PC wearing a command amulet and shadowed by a Shield Guardian a party of two, or just one? What about a PC owning a Figurine of Wondrous Power? I think most people would say the latter is a party of one, with just a magic item involved, and yet the former case is roughly the same… but also feels maybe different ? The Figurine does not even require attunement by the way, so you could have a hundred of them…

And how about strategies for making a more sparing use of the Shield Guardian (so that it survives longer), such as leaving them in the previous room (to protect them from AoE, and still benefit from damage transference, but not the Shield reaction, nor their attacks). Does that count as a "NPC traveling with the group"? Kinda, but also not exactly…

Or even the most sparing use which would be to just have the Shield Guardian cast a concentration spell (using one of your own slots too!) and then stay parked further than 60 ft away from the fight, so that it doesn’t flunk its concentrarion save due to damage transference... that is basically the same as a NPC casting Bless on the party and wishing them luck at the entrance of the dragon’s lair and then promptly walking away. Does the caster (NPC or Shield Guardian) in this case get a share of the XP?