Someguy said:
I think it would be too powerful...an armour bonus that ignores armour bonuses is just basically an unamed bonus, and +3...Some people would want this in a ring form, I eman hey, another +3 armour...
It would have to be a high level spell anyway...
Good point. I did not think of the magic item creation problem. How about this:
Mage Shield
Conjuration (Creation) [Force]
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Target: The character
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
An invisible but tangible field of force in the shape of a large shield forms on the left (or at the caster's discretion, the right) arm of the caster, providing a +3 armor bonus to AC, like a mundane shield. A mage shield does entail armor check penalties, however, unlike mundane shields, mage shield does not incur any arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction. Since mage shield is made of force, incorporeal creatures can not by pass it the way they do normal shields.
For the duration of the spell, the caster can turn off the mage shield as a free action to allow them to perform some action. Turning the mage shield back on is also a free action although it can not be turned off and turned back on (in any order) in the same round (even if hasted). If the caster desires, he may turn off mage shield off on his left arm and turn it back on on his right arm. It is impossible for a caster to have two mage shields at the same time, subsequent castings of mage shild will effectively end the one of the shorter remaning duration and replace it with the casting of the longer remaining duration.
In order for mage shield to provide the bonus to AC, the user must use it as a shield. While the caster's hand is free (as the user does not have to hold a shield strap) his arm is more or less committed to holding the shield in place. This means that effective use of two handed weapons is impossible. Attacking with the a weapon in the hand of the arm holding the mage shield (even touch attacks) causes the caster to incurr a -4 penalty.
Mage shield will stack with Mage Armor and mundane armor but will not stack with anything else providing an armor bonus (including mundane shields).
Mage shield can be used in place of Mage Armor in the construction of permanent magic items such as Bracers of Armor, and as such will overlap (not stack with) bonuses to AC from such items. Mage shield from a wand, scroll, or potion, or cast directly does stack with mage armor from any of those same sources, as the caster would be under the effect of two different spells.
(whew!)
g!
