I am having trouble with the shield spell. How does it really work? Is the half the battlefield 50% of squares around the character, or simply front or back direction? Also, I have heard rumors that in reality the shield provides a cover bonus, but isn't cover so attacks of opportunity still happen. Is this true?
Shield Spell
- Thread starter sfgiants
- Start date
Henrix
Explorer
It sounds like you need Eric Noah's old Black Pages, primarily these scans from Dragon #280:
www.d20reviews.com/Eric/shieldpic.jpg
and
www.d20reviews.com/Eric/shieldtext.jpg
As for the cover or just cover bonus question, it seems that different answers have been given by different peopleat different times. So I don't know.
I prefer the cover bonus theory, as it otherwise is too easy for arcane spellcasters to avoid AoO's.
But easiest is probably to stick with the rules as written, as no official errata or FAQ has changed that.
www.d20reviews.com/Eric/shieldpic.jpg
and
www.d20reviews.com/Eric/shieldtext.jpg
As for the cover or just cover bonus question, it seems that different answers have been given by different peopleat different times. So I don't know.
I prefer the cover bonus theory, as it otherwise is too easy for arcane spellcasters to avoid AoO's.
But easiest is probably to stick with the rules as written, as no official errata or FAQ has changed that.
Henrix
Explorer
If Shield give cover, and not just cover bonus, then it'd negate AoO's.
AS it stands in the PHB it does give cover, and there's no errata or FAQ that says anything different.
There has been some loose talk from various people at WotC, notably Sean Reynolds, saying that it should only give a cover bonus, but not anything official.
So unless the DM decides differently, Shield gives cover.
That is, I think, the best anyone may answer (barring The Sage, possibly).
AS it stands in the PHB it does give cover, and there's no errata or FAQ that says anything different.
There has been some loose talk from various people at WotC, notably Sean Reynolds, saying that it should only give a cover bonus, but not anything official.
So unless the DM decides differently, Shield gives cover.
That is, I think, the best anyone may answer (barring The Sage, possibly).
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Rashak Mani
First Post
This has been errated before... Shield gives you "only" +7 AC deflection bonus.. no cover... no reflex bonus
As for 50%... use those figures...
As for 50%... use those figures...
Henrix
Explorer
Rashak Mani said:
No, it's not in the official errata, nor in the FAQ.
It would still give the reflex save bonus, AFAIK, even if it does not give cover.
I would prefer it not to give cover, but there's no official change to that effect.
Official errata: www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/er/er20010525b
FAQ: www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/er/er20020428a
Thanee
First Post
We play after the semi-official errata (which is printed nowhere, AFAIK).
Shield grants a +7 cover bonus to AC and a +3 cover bonus to Reflex saves, but does not grant actual cover.
BTW, the picture depicting the shield is not very precise (thos pretty easy to use), since it does not provide protection from 50% of the battlefield (only 3 out of 8 main directions are covered, instead of 4).
The easiest way to make shield protect against exactly 50% is to designate 4 adjacent squares next to the caster and any attacks passing through those squares can be deflected by the shield spell.
Another method, which works with miniatures is, to use some thin line (a long needle or something like that) and place it under the miniature, centered on the center of the miniature, turning it in any direction (full 360° possible). Any attacks originating from one side of the line can be deflected by the shield spell.
Bye
Thanee
Shield grants a +7 cover bonus to AC and a +3 cover bonus to Reflex saves, but does not grant actual cover.
BTW, the picture depicting the shield is not very precise (thos pretty easy to use), since it does not provide protection from 50% of the battlefield (only 3 out of 8 main directions are covered, instead of 4).
The easiest way to make shield protect against exactly 50% is to designate 4 adjacent squares next to the caster and any attacks passing through those squares can be deflected by the shield spell.
Another method, which works with miniatures is, to use some thin line (a long needle or something like that) and place it under the miniature, centered on the center of the miniature, turning it in any direction (full 360° possible). Any attacks originating from one side of the line can be deflected by the shield spell.
Bye
Thanee
Last edited:
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