From: Soulsteel
Lore: The Ethereal Warding Shield is a legendary creation born from the convergence of ethereal energies and the mystical properties of Soulsteel. It is said that the shield was first crafted by an ancient order of guardians who sought to defend against otherworldly threats and ethereal entities that plagued their realm.
According to legend, the order’s skilled artisans and magicians discovered the unique properties of Soulsteel, a metal with a connection to the ethereal plane. Recognizing its potential, they developed a meticulous process to embed fragments of Soulsteel into a sturdy shield, infusing it with ethereal essence and inscribing powerful protective sigils. The resulting Ethereal Warding Shield became a formidable defense against ethereal attacks, capable of repelling and blocking supernatural assaults.
Use: The Ethereal Warding Shield is designed to provide exceptional defense against ethereal and incorporeal threats. It possesses several notable properties that make it a valuable asset:
Ethereal Protection: The shield’s infusion of Soulsteel and ethereal essence grants it an inherent affinity for the ethereal plane. It enhances the shield’s ability to block and repel ethereal attacks, making it particularly effective against incorporeal beings, ethereal creatures, or magical attacks with an ethereal component.
Sigil Enchantments: The shield is adorned with intricate protective sigils and enchantments that amplify its defensive capabilities. These mystical markings strengthen the shield’s resilience and enhance its ability to withstand supernatural assaults, providing an additional layer of defense against ethereal attacks.
Level One Stats and Skills:
- Stats:
- Defense: High
- Constitution: Moderate
- Skills:
- Shield Proficiency: Novice to Intermediate level proficiency in wielding shields.
- Arcane Knowledge: Basic understanding of ethereal entities, protective sigils, and the principles of magical infusion.
Preparation, Cost, and Process:
- Preparation: The character needs to gather the necessary ingredients and possess a certain level of proficiency in magic or craftsmanship.
- Cost: The cost of acquiring Soulsteel may vary depending on its rarity and availability within the game world. Obtaining ethereal essence may involve embarking on quests, performing specific rituals, or interacting with ethereal creatures. The sturdy shield can be obtained from skilled blacksmiths or specialized weapon merchants.
- Process:
- Embedding Soulsteel: Fragments of Soulsteel are carefully embedded into the shield’s structure, harnessing its ethereal properties. This process requires precision and the knowledge of working with Soulsteel.
- Infusing with Ethereal Essence: The shield is infused with ethereal essence, obtained from specific rituals or rare ethereal creatures. This infusion further enhances its connection to the ethereal plane and grants it the ability to ward off ethereal attacks.
- Inscribing Protective Sigils: Protective sigils and enchantments are meticulously engraved onto the shield’s surface. These markings enhance its defensive capabilities and provide an added layer of protection against ethereal assaults.
- Ritual Activation: The shield may require a ritual or ceremony to activate its full potential. This ritual may involve channeling ethereal energies, reciting incantations, or invoking the aid of ethereal beings.
Tags:
- Ethereal: The Ethereal Warding Shield is imbued with the essence of the ethereal plane, making it highly effective against ethereal threats.
- Protective: The shield’s primary purpose is to provide exceptional defense and protection against ethereal attacks.
- Magical: The shield incorporates enchantments and mystical sigils, harnessing the power of magic to enhance its defensive capabilities.
- Soulsteel: The infusion of Soulsteel adds a unique aspect to the shield, imbuing it with ethereal properties and making it highly sought-after by those familiar with the metal’s lore and significance.
- Additional: Ethereal Resonance, Warding Sigils, Supernatural Defense, Spiritbane, Magical Craftsmanship, Mystical Barrier, Guardian’s Legacy, Anti-Incorporeal, Arcane Forging, Soul-Infused Shield
The recipe for creating an Ethereal Warding Shield and the required ingredients are not typically sold in regular marketplaces or conventional shops. Due to the specialized nature of the ingredients and the knowledge involved in crafting such a shield, its acquisition is often tied to specific environments and individuals:
- Specialized Enclaves: The recipe for the Ethereal Warding Shield and the necessary ingredients can be found within specialized enclaves dedicated to the study of magical artifacts and the arcane. These enclaves may include ancient libraries, magical academies, or secret societies with a focus on mystical craftsmanship. Accessing such enclaves may require proving one’s worth, earning the trust of the inhabitants, or undertaking quests on their behalf.
- Ethereal Realms: In certain instances, the recipe and ingredients for the Ethereal Warding Shield may be hidden within ethereal realms or pocket dimensions that intersect with the material plane. These realms could be accessed through powerful rituals, ancient gateways, or by making contact with ethereal entities. Exploring these otherworldly environments may involve facing ethereal guardians, solving arcane puzzles, or navigating treacherous landscapes.
- Master Craftsmen and Enchanters: Skilled craftsmen and enchanters who possess expertise in working with rare metals and enchantments may have the knowledge required to create an Ethereal Warding Shield. These individuals can be found in secluded workshops, hidden villages, or as reclusive hermits dwelling in remote locations. Gaining their assistance may involve proving one’s worth, completing challenging tasks, or offering valuable resources or favors.
- Mystical Auctions or Black Markets: In the shadowy corners of the underground, mystical auctions and black markets cater to those seeking rare and forbidden artifacts. The recipe for the Ethereal Warding Shield and the ingredients may occasionally surface in these illicit marketplaces, traded among collectors, wealthy patrons, or unscrupulous individuals. Acquiring them in such settings may involve participating in secretive bidding wars, navigating dangerous deals, or uncovering hidden information.
Usage of the End Result: Once the Ethereal Warding Shield is crafted, it can be used in various ways:
- Defense Against Ethereal Threats: The primary purpose of the shield is to provide exceptional defense against ethereal attacks. Its unique infusion of Soulsteel and ethereal essence, combined with the protective sigils, makes it highly effective in blocking and repelling ethereal entities, ghostly apparitions, or magical assaults with an ethereal component.
- Exploration of Ethereal Realms: The shield’s ethereal properties can serve as a conduit or attunement to the ethereal plane. It can aid adventurers in navigating ethereal realms, crossing into otherworldly dimensions, or interacting with ethereal beings. The shield’s presence can provide protection and stability when traversing these dangerous and unpredictable realms.
- Prestige and Symbolism: The Ethereal Warding Shield is a coveted item among magical enthusiasts, collectors, and those with an interest in the supernatural. Owning and displaying such a shield can convey status, expertise, and a connection to the mystical arts. It may serve as a symbol of power and protection, commanding respect among allies and instilling fear in enemies.
It’s important to note that the creation of an Ethereal Warding Shield is a complex and intricate process, requiring skilled craftsmanship and knowledge of the arcane. Thus, its availability and usage may be restricted to characters who possess the necessary skills or have obtained the shield through specific quests, plotlines, or character progression.
Chronicle of the Veil-Forged Bastion
In the dim age before time was counted, when the skies bore no stars and the earth spoke only in whispers, a terror unseen plagued the realms of the living. Shadows walked as men, and voices of the lost filled the air with laments and laughter, neither kind nor cruel. It is said that no mortal blade could cut such darkness, nor shield halt its advance.
Among the people dwelled a guardian order, the Wardens of the Silent Shore, who sought to end the ceaseless hauntings. Their leader, Eryndas of the Black Forge, heard in her dreams the voice of a being neither spirit nor god. It spoke of a substance birthed in the heart of the veil between realms: Soulsteel, a metal steeped in the whispers of the ethereal.
Eryndas and her kin journeyed to the boundary where the worlds of the seen and unseen trembled against one another. There, under moons that shone pale as bone, they wrenched the Soulsteel from jagged crags of twilight. The process of forging was no craft of mortals but a ritual bound in silence, where no hammer struck without a chant and no sigil carved without a prayer.
The first shield, the Ethereal Warding Shield, was born from their toil. Its surface shimmered like ripples upon a still pond, and its edges whispered faintly, as though the souls within longed to speak. When raised against the phantoms, the shield stood unyielding, its sigils burning bright, casting the spirits back into their formless abyss.
Yet, as the tale goes, the shield bore a heavy cost. For each soul it deflected, another etched its echo into the shield’s heart. Over time, the whispers upon its edges grew louder, more restless. Eryndas, though proud of her creation, warned her descendants: “Let not the shield’s whispers tempt you to the veil, for no defender can bear the weight of all realms.”
Still, it is said that when the realms falter and the living cry out, the Ethereal Warding Shield will reappear, its whispers rising like a storm to shield the worthy.
Moral of the Story: That which guards the living from the unseen must walk a narrow path, for protection may come at the cost of the protector’s soul.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
- Description: A Soulsteel shield inscribed with protective sigils, capable of defending against otherworldly entities and ethereal forces.
- Item Type: Mythos Artifact
- Effects:
- Ethereal Defense: Grants +20% to Dodge and Fighting (Shield) rolls when defending against incorporeal or magical attacks.
- Ward Spirits: When held, the shield creates a barrier that repels spirits within a 10-foot radius. Spirits must succeed on a POW roll (Hard difficulty) to approach.
- Sanity Loss: Each hour of use incurs 1d4 Sanity loss as the whispers of trapped souls seep into the wielder’s mind.
- Use Limitations:
- Requires 20% Occult skill to unlock its full potential. Failure to meet this requirement halves all bonuses and increases Sanity loss to 1d6 per hour.
Blades in the Dark
- Description: A rare and heavy shield forged from Soulsteel, perfect for warding off ghosts and supernatural threats.
- Item Type: Arcane Equipment
- Mechanics:
- Ghostly Barrier: While wielded, the shield provides +1d to Resistance rolls against ghostly or ethereal attacks.
- Ethereal Warding: Creates a supernatural barrier, forcing any ghost attempting to pass within 5 feet to make a successful Attune roll (Risky position) or be repelled.
- Drawbacks: Carrying the shield increases stress costs by +1 when engaging with spirits, due to the constant whispers of trapped souls.
- Load: 3
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Armor (Shield), Very Rare (Requires Attunement)
- Effects:
- Ethereal Protection: You gain a +2 bonus to AC while holding this shield.
- Ward Spirits: Ethereal creatures that target you or creatures within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or be unable to target you for 1 minute.
- Sigil Defense: Once per short rest, as a reaction, you can activate the shield to cast Dispel Magic (level 3) targeting an ethereal creature or effect.
- Curse: The shield is imbued with the whispers of trapped souls. Each long rest while attuned, roll a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you gain a level of exhaustion due to restless dreams.
Knave
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Type: Shield (1 slot)
- Effects:
- Defense Bonus: +2 to Defense against incorporeal or magical attacks.
- Spirit Barrier: For 1d6 exploration turns, the shield repels spirits and ethereal creatures within 10 feet, forcing them to make a successful Wisdom save (DC 15) to approach.
- Curse: After each use of its Spirit Barrier, roll 1d20. On a 1–2, the wielder loses 1 point of Wisdom permanently, as the shield siphons their mental energy.
- Use in Game: A rare item, likely found in ruins haunted by ethereal entities or created through complex magical rituals.
Fate Core
- Description: A legendary shield forged from Soulsteel, providing potent protection against supernatural threats.
- Item Type: Magical Equipment
- Mechanics:
- Aspect: “Guardian of the Ethereal Veil”
- Grants +2 to rolls involving Defend actions using Athletics or Physique against attacks by ethereal or supernatural entities.
- Stunt: Once per session, the wielder can automatically create an advantage, “Repelled by the Shield,” to block an ethereal creature from advancing or attacking.
- Drawbacks: The GM may compel the shield’s aspect to represent the mental strain caused by the whispers of trapped souls.
- Cost/Availability: Rare, available only through significant story milestones or crafted by master artisans.
Numenera & Cypher System
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Item Type: Artifact
- Level: 6
- Effects:
- Ethereal Barrier: While wielding the shield, gain an asset on Speed Defense rolls against ethereal or incorporeal creatures.
- Ward Spirits: As an action, create a 10-foot radius barrier for 1 minute that blocks ethereal creatures unless they succeed on a Might roll (difficulty 6).
- Depletion: Roll 1d20 after each use of the Ward Spirits ability. On a roll of 1, the shield loses its power permanently.
- Source: Found in ruins associated with ancient guardians or crafted using advanced numenera technologies.
Pathfinder (2nd Edition)
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Item Type: Shield (Magic), Rare
- Usage: Held in one hand.
- Activate: [Reaction] Raise Shield
- Effects:
- Ethereal Defense: Grants a +2 bonus to AC against incorporeal or ethereal creatures.
- Ward Spirits: When raised, the shield emits an aura for 1 minute, creating a 10-foot radius barrier. Incorporeal creatures within the aura must succeed at a DC 20 Will save or become slowed 1.
- Runic Shielding: Once per day, as a free action, you can cast Shield Other on a creature within the aura, redirecting half of their damage to the shield.
- Hardness: 10
- Price: 1,200 gp
Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Item Type: Magical Shield
- Mechanics:
- Defense Bonus: Grants +2 Parry against attacks from ethereal or incorporeal creatures.
- Ward Aura: As an action, the wielder can activate an aura for 3 rounds that prevents spirits and ethereal creatures from approaching within 5 feet. These creatures must succeed on a Spirit roll to enter the aura.
- Drawback: Activating the aura costs 1 Benny and imposes a level of Fatigue for the remainder of the encounter.
- Weight: 15 lbs
- Cost: 600 gold
Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Item Type: Magical Equipment
- Effects:
- Ethereal Defense: Grants +2 Defense against astral or magical attacks.
- Warding Aura: When activated, the shield creates a 5-meter radius barrier that repels spirits. Spirits attempting to enter the barrier must succeed on a Magic + Willpower (3) test.
- Astral Overload: After using the Warding Aura for more than three combat rounds, the wielder takes a -1 penalty to all Magic-linked tests until the end of the encounter.
- Availability: 12R
- Cost: 8,000¥
Starfinder
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Item Type: Heavy Shield (Magic), Level 8
- Activation: Standard action (activate aura)
- Effects:
- Shield Bonus: Provides a +2 AC bonus, with an additional +2 against attacks from incorporeal creatures.
- Ethereal Ward: When activated, creates a 10-foot radius aura for 1 minute that prevents ethereal or incorporeal creatures from entering. Affected creatures must succeed at a DC 18 Will save or be unable to enter the area.
- Aftereffect: The wielder takes 1d4 Stamina damage after the aura ends due to strain from sustaining the effect.
- Bulk: 2
- Price: 9,500 credits
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Item Type: Exotic Artifact
- Effects:
- Ethereal Barrier: Provides DM+2 to all Melee (Shield) rolls and reduces damage from energy-based or incorporeal attacks by 2.
- Spirit Ward: When activated, creates a 5-meter radius barrier that prevents ethereal or ghostly entities from approaching. Entities must succeed on an opposed Psionic Strength test to bypass the barrier.
- Drawback: Each activation imposes DM-1 to all Intelligence-based checks for 1d6 hours due to psychic feedback.
- Availability: Rare, typically acquired through ancient ruins or high-tech markets.
- Price: 50,000 credits.
Warhammer (4th Edition)
Ethereal Warding Shield
- Item Type: Magical Shield, Rare
- Effects:
- Ethereal Defense: Grants +1 to Toughness Bonus when defending against magical or incorporeal attacks.
- Ward Aura: Once per day, the shield emits a 10-yard radius ward that prevents ethereal creatures from entering. Creatures must pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or remain at the ward’s edge for 1 minute.
- Curse: The wielder must make an Easy (+20) Cool Test after each use of the aura. On failure, they suffer 1 Corruption Point due to exposure to the shield’s whispers.
- Encumbrance: 2
- Cost: 40 gold crowns