Shield spell & AoOs--this is cool

[Tom Cashel]

[from the SRD]
Cover and Attacks of Opportunity

An attacker can't execute an attack of opportunity against a combatant with one-half or better cover.

[ibid.]
Shield creates an invisible, mobile disk of force that hovers in front of the character. It negates magic missile attacks directed at the character. The disk also intercepts attacks, providing three-quarters cover (+7 AC and +3 on Reflex saves against attacks that affect an area).

Huh. You learn something new about D&D every day.

 

[IceBear]

Hehehe - you're just finding that out now?

Too bad that the Sage and Sean both came back and said that the shield spell as written is too powerful. They say it should only give a cover bonus to AC and not actual cover

I believe that's in the FAQ too

IceBear

 

[Tom Cashel]

I thought I remembered hearing something to that effect even as I clicked on the POST NEW THREAD button.

Heh...Lucius will be pissed.

 

[Aluvial]

I had this thread a while back about the same question but it went the other way... I can't seem to find the evidence though to support that it doesn't provide cover...

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24541

Aluvial

 

[IceBear]

Yeah, here it is. Now, what you do with this depends on how you view the FAQ as opposed to offical errata, because if you're a stickler (I'm not) this hasn't been published in the offical errata.

The description for the shield spell says its provides
three-quarters cover. Page 132 of the Player’s Handbook
says an attacker can't execute an attack of opportunity
against a character with one-half or better cover. So, a
spellcaster with a shield spell up is immune to attacks of
opportunity, even when casting spells in melee?

No. The spell description is erroneous. The spell grants a +7
cover bonus to Armor Class, not three-quarters cover. It does
not negate attacks of opportunity, nor does it provide any
saving throw bonuses. The spell's cover bonus to Armor Class
applies to any attacks opportunity made from the half of the
battlefield covered by the shield.

I think they just wanted the spell to give the bonuses of 3/4 cover and forgot that this would prevent AoO, so then they were caught with a spell that they thought was too powerful if it provided the defenses AND the AoO immunity so they did some fancy talking and said it was a +7 cover bonus to AC only.

IceBear

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

I thought I remembered hearing something to that effect even as I clicked on the POST NEW THREAD button.

Heh...Lucius will be pissed.

Well, AoO aren't that big of a deal once you have +17 to a concentation check and REMEMBER to say you're casting on the defensive.

But although Shield won't work, Bigby's Interposing Hand and Shadow Hand WOULD... effectively preventing any AoO... even as a Wizard moved through combat!!

Take that, Tom Cashel!

 

[Tom Cashel]

Take that, Tom Cashel!

Uh.....

Okay.

But although Shield won't work, Bigby's Interposing Hand and Shadow Hand WOULD... effectively preventing any AoO... even as a Wizard moved through combat!!

You mean "effectively preventing any AoO from one chosen enemy," don't you? And you know full well you can't even cast Bigby's Interposing Hand over there in your little 'world of illusion.'

Pfft. Min/maxer.

 

[Jens]

To the original poster: The Shield spell does not give actual cover but a cover bonus to AC. Nice try. Read the errata and FAQ before wasting bandwith like this.

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

Yes... Jens is right. Stop wastiing bandwidth.

Wait, he's from Denmark... so you can pretty much just ignore him and his snide comments.

 

[fett527]

Nice try. Read the errata and FAQ before wasting bandwith like this.

Totally, unnecessary.