TEXT: a dozen magic shields • page 1
  A Dozen Magic Shields © 2020 Philip Reed, all rights reserved. 
  Artwork by deymos, used under license from Shutterstock.com.
  When engaged in battle, armor is a 
  must for many adventurers. Unfortu-
  nately, some classes perform much bet-
  ter out of armor than in, and it is for such 
  characters that shields are truly valu-
  able. And if a common shield – strapped 
  to the arm and used to deflect blows – is 
  of value against an opponent, a magical 
  shield must be far, far more desired.
  Shields, regardless of their size, style, or 
  the materials used in their construction, 
  can be ensorcelled by a spellcaster who possesses the 
  proper tools, knowledge, and experience. Such magical 
  shields are prized possessions of adventurers of all lev-
  els of experience, though the more accomplished he-
  roes will seek to replace a lesser item with a more pow-
  erful shield at any opportunity to upgrade their gear.
  On the pages that follow, I am happy to present twelve 
  different magical shields that range in power from the 
  weakest of defenses to the greatest of unexpected abil-
  ities. Every shield includes a touch of history, in addition 
  to suggestions for the item’s in-game effects, and any 
  one of these would make for an excellent treasure to 
  reward one of the player characters the next time that 
  the party discovers a treasure hoard.
  As with all of the releases in the A Dozen . . . series, I 
  have described the shields in such a way that you, the 
  GM, will need to flesh out the game effects to suit your 
  chosen system. Fortunately, many games share com-
  mon terms and expanding these items should not be 
  challenging for the experienced GM.
  a dozen  
  magic 
  shields
  by philip reed
  “Any magic item must be properly 
  used to have any effect. A magic 
  shield will have no effect unless  
  it is carried normally; a ring  
  must be worn on a finger to  
  get the magical effect.”
  – Frank Mentzer with  
  Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, 
  Dungeon Masters Rulebook 
  (Dungeons & Dragons  
  Set 1: Basic Rules)
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 2
  anatomy 
  of a 
  shield
  using the shields
  1. A title, to help set the mood.
  2. A brief overview and introduction, to set 
  the scene/mood.
  3. Information on the shield, which includes 
  both any powers the shield may possess 
  as well as a little info on the history of the 
  item.
   
  4. Every shield includes an illustration to 
  help spark your imagination and give you 
  something to show the players: “You have 
  found this.”
  As treasure items, you may simply drop one or two of 
  these into the next hoard that the party discovers when 
  exploring a dungeon or other location. If used in this 
  way, you may want to single out the shield – perhaps 
  by saying it looks unusual – so that the group gives it a 
  little more attention than the latest +1 sword. Of course, 
  every magic item should be special in some way, so it 
  may require as little effort as stating “the item glows 
  faintly in the dark of the dungeon” to alert the party that 
  the item is in some way special.
  Loot. If used as loot, the shield is intended to be ex-
  changed for gold just as soon as the party finds a willing 
  buyer. Loot items should often be small and light, mak-
  ing it easy for the party to transport them back to town. 
  Adventure. A shield that is used to spark an adventure 
  is one that has an owner and a past. When you use a 
  magic item as an adventure hook, it works best if you 
  have some setup before the party finds the item. 
  Curse. The worst treasure of all, cursed items look like a 
  reward and are in fact a punishment. Be careful not to 
  drop too many cursed items into your campaign. You 
  want the party to desire treasure, not run from it.
  1
  2
  3
  4
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 3
  holy guardian
  Crafted during the Age of Troubles, the shield is one of 
  many of an identical design that were given to the 100 
  knights who were charged with protecting 
  the Temple of Righteous Flame from 
  the evil savages who traversed 
  the lands in those days.
  When the Temple of 
  Righteous Flame was 
  destroyed by de-
  monic forces, over 
  half of the tem-
  ple knights were 
  killed and their 
  equipment 
  – 
  including their 
  magical shields 
  – was erased 
  from existence 
  by the demons’ 
  powerful 
  spells. 
  The survivors scat-
  tered, fleeing the 
  scene of destruction, 
  and the temple’s follow-
  ers were forever separated 
  by the disaster. 
  In the years that followed, as the remain-
  ing knights did what was necessary to survive, 
  they wandered farther and farther from the temple un-
  til, as the knights died and their gear was claimed by 
  others, the shields were scattered so widely that many 
  who encountered one thought that it was a unique 
  item. Those sages, scholars, and experts in arcane items 
  and artifacts carefully recorded the location of each 
  shield as they surfaced in different parts of the world, 
  though no one person ever knew the location of each 
  of the surviving shields.
  When the cleric Atreju Ermel was buried with his gear, 
  those closest to him assumed that the shield – along 
  with his magical hammer and rings – were 
  going to remain with his remains 
  until the end of time. That may 
  have happened, if not for 
  the grave robbers who 
  raided the fresh grave 
  the same day that the 
  cleric was buried.
  The shield’s exact 
  whereabouts is 
  unknown at this 
  time. 
  Chances 
  are, it was sold 
  to 
  someone 
  who then died 
  in a dungeon 
  in the nearby 
  woods. Perhaps, 
  when exploring an 
  underground cham-
  ber, the party stum-
  bles across the shield.
  Abilities
  In addition to functioning as a +3 
  shield, the Holy Guardian grants the 
  user a few different powers:
  • 
  The ability to case cure light wounds, as a 1st-level 
  cleric, once each hour. 
  • 
  Once each day, the shield’s wielder may surround 
  himself and all friends within 10-feet in a holy aura 
  that grants each one of them a +2 to attack and 
  damage rolls for five rounds. Any who stray more 
  than 10-feet from the shield’s user lose this bonus.
  • 
  Once each week, the shield’s user may instantly heal 
  3d6 points by touching the intended recipient.
  The cleric Atreju Ermel carried this shield during his many years as an adventurer, using 
  it to protect himself and his companions during their exploration of the world’s dun-
  geons. Ermel found the shield in the hoard of Pynothagius, an ancient green dragon 
  who lived deep in the forests of the Scavengers. The shield may only be used by good-
  aligned characters; it will burn any evil character that attempts to wield it in battle.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 4
  mageclaw’s terror
  The war-
  rior known 
  only as Mage-
  claw had this tower 
  shield specially con-
  structed for him only 
  a few months before 
  his death. The man used 
  the shield in battle only 
  once – a battle in which 
  he was slain – and now the 
  shield is said to be cursed. 
  It was lost several years ago 
  after its fifth owner, the elven 
  warrior Alais Venvyre, was killed 
  the first time she used the shield 
  in a fight.
  Similar in appearance to the Orcskin Shield (see p. 11), 
  Mageclaw’s Terror is perhaps best known for all of the 
  wrong reasons: the shield is considered to be a cursed 
  item and those who recognize it will refuse to touch the 
  shield for fear that they will be impacted by the curse.
  A Cursed Shield
  While almost anything bad could happen to someone 
  using a cursed shield, GM’s are encouraged to only 
  place Mageclaw’s Terror into the hands of a character 
  who is being eliminated from the campaign. Do you 
  have a member of the gaming group who no longer 
  has time to attend and will be leaving? Take that player 
  aside and discuss the situation, suggesting that they 
  join in one last session where their character will find a 
  magic shield . . . and then immediately die. This will have 
  a lot more of an impact on the other players if they’re 
  unaware that their companion is leaving the group.
  Are There Any Benefits?
  Unlikely, though the GM may wish to hide the shield’s 
  true nature by giving the item a small bonus to defense. 
  Perhaps the shield is a +3 magic item that, over time, 
  loses its benefit. How would a PC react if they discovered 
  that the magic shield that granted a +3 to defense 
  changed each time that the character was attacked? 
  The first attack against the character, the shield is a +3, 
  then a +2 against the second, a +1 against the third, no 
  bonus against a fourth attack . . . and then things get 
  bad as every subsequent attack gains a cumulative +1 
  bonus to strike the shield’s bearer. 
  As you can see, the shield is a nasty piece of work 
  and one that the PCs will want to avoid at all costs. 
  Unfortunately, a character who picks it up cannot drop 
  it until they die or a remove curse spell is cast on the 
  shield’s current owner. 
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 5
  the shield of wounds
  After Weishaupt dropped the shield, it spent several 
  years on the banks of a gentle, slow-flowing river that 
  snaked its way through the lower levels of the mines. 
  The shield likely would have remained there for many 
  more years if not for Tina Taneva and her sister Simo-
  na, two sorceresses who had less control of their ar-
  cane powers than they realized. While exploring the 
  Mines of Virdan, the women were attacked by a minor 
  demonic beast and, in their haste to extinguish the 
  monster’s flaming swords, the two unleashed a flood 
  of summoned water that exceeded their expectations. 
  The water destroyed the bridge that they were standing 
  on, killing both of them, and then the massive flood of 
  water overflowed the river’s banks at which point the 
  shield was caught up and swept downstream.
  By the time that the waters had subsided and the had 
  river had returned to its calm, native state, the shield 
  was washed from the Mines and eventually ended up 
  on the shore many miles downstream, where it was 
  found by a farmer who traded it for a pair of cows.
  After a few years, the shield’s owner – who used it only 
  as decoration in his home – died of natural causes and 
  his possessions were passed down to his children. The 
  youngest of them, Stefo Georgiev, sold the shield in the 
  city to a merchant who, to be fair, ripped the young man 
  off. It now sits there, waiting to be purchased.
  The Shield of Wounds
  This magical item grants the user a +2 magical bonus 
  to resist attacks. Also, once per day as a free action, the 
  shield’s wielder may unleash the shield’s magical power 
  to wound others; any living characters or creatures 
  within 20-feet of the shield when this power is activated 
  immediately suffers 1d6+2 points of magical damage. 
  The shield does not allow the user to designate targets; 
  all living characters or creatures within the affected area 
  are harmed by the shield’s power. 
  When used, the wounding power appears as a flash 
  of silver, glowing light that radiates outward from the 
  shield in the shape of thousands of spectral needles. The 
  effect is instantaneous and pierces all mundane armors; 
  a target wearing magical armor (or possessing natural 
  magical defense against attack) has a 50% chance of 
  suffering only one-half damage (round up) from the 
  shield’s wounding attack.
  This shield was lost decades ago 
  when the warrior Volker Weishaupt 
  dropped it during his escape from the 
  Mines of Virdan as he fled the great 
  dragon, Ossikarth. Though Volk-
  er considered the shield a valu-
  able and important tool, he choose 
  life over riches after the shield fell as 
  he crossed one of the Mine’s many 
  stone bridges. The man always in-
  tended to return and search for the 
  shield, but he never made it back to 
  the Mines before he died.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 6
  spellshell blocker
  As with the Protective Spellshell armor and the Spell-
  shell Helmet, this shield is one of several that were 
  made and given to warriors one-thousand years ago. 
  Not as common as the helmet, but not as 
  rare as the armor, this magic shield 
  may be found in the hands of 
  any enemy or locked safely 
  away in a treasure vault.
  If the party digs into 
  the history of this 
  item and the oth-
  er pieces of the 
  set, they may 
  learn that the 
  last 
  recorded 
  instance of the 
  complete 
  set 
  being used in 
  battle was when 
  the warrior Lar-
  isa Petric faced 
  the armies of the 
  Zombie King. The 
  woman killed many of 
  the King’s forces, though 
  she failed to survive the 
  encounter and it is said that 
  the Zombie King gave her belong-
  ings to his skeletal champion. The story 
  is that the champion was soon slaughtered by Heero 
  Awedan (see A Dozen Magic Helmets, p. 11) and that 
  Petric’s helmet, shield, and armor were reclaimed and 
  buried alongside her remains. 
  Whether or not the slain warrior’s grave was disturbed 
  after Awedan returned her possessions to her final rest-
  ing place is a question that only the GM can answer.
  The shield’s exact abilities depends entirely on whether 
  or not other pieces of the set are also worn. 
  NOTE: If you do not have access to the 
  linked PDFs in this series, feel free 
  to devise whatever powers you 
  wish for this magical set.
  Shield Alone
  On 
  its 
  own, 
  the 
  spellshell 
  blocker 
  acts as a +1 shield.
  Shield  
  and Helmet
  When 
  worn 
  t o g e t h e r , 
  h e l m e t 
  increases 
  the 
  shield’s bonus to 
  defense by one, 
  to a total of +2.
  Armor  
  and Shield
  If the shield and armor 
  are worn together, the 
  wearer may – once each day 
  – project a magical force field that 
  blocks all incoming damage for five 
  rounds. The force field extends outward from the 
  wearer 10-ft in all directions and protects the wearer 
  and any others within the field’s area of effect.
  Armor, Helmet, and Shield
  See A Dozen Magic Armors, p. 6, for details on wearing 
  all three pieces of the set at once.
  See A Dozen Magic Helmets, p. 6 and A Dozen Magic Armors, p. 6.
  Part of a set that includes armor and helm, the Spellshell Blocker is a magical shield 
  that is far more powerful when used with the other pieces of the set than it is when 
  used on its own. Please see A Dozen Magic Armors and A Dozen Magic Helmets to 
  learn more about the other pieces in this set of magic items.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 7
  shield of the dwarves
  Lost for decades, the Shield of the Dwarves is a legend, 
  a well-remembered magical item that is spoken of by 
  the bards and sages of the lands when they tell of Mo-
  tralsia Orcbreaker and her work protecting the dwarves 
  of Mount Frostlance. The item was last seen in 
  the hands of Oriz Hardbasher, a dwar-
  ven warrior who had dreams of 
  collecting the set. Unfortu-
  nately for Hardbasher, he 
  fell into an underground 
  river while exploring 
  one of the many 
  dungeons of the 
  land; the dwarf 
  and all of his gear 
  – including the 
  shield - have not 
  been seen since 
  that day.
  This shield grants 
  the user a +1 bonus 
  to defense (+2 if it is 
  used while wearing 
  the Armor of Dwarven 
  Stoicism) and the wearer 
  may heal an ally – once per 
  day – by touch. This requires a 
  full action and heals 2d4+1 points.
  Shield  and Helmet
  Anyone carrying both the shield and wearing the 
  helmet gains the powers of both as well as the benefit 
  of darkvision (50-ft). 
  Where is the Shield?
  The helmet is in the hands of the goblin king Brugs 
  Fung (see A Dozen Magic Helmets, p. 7), the armor is in 
  the hoard of the dragon Zazzurri (see A Dozen Ancient 
  Dragons, p. 4), while the shield is – surpisingly – safe 
  and secure in The Enchanted Scabbard (see Fantasy 
  City Sites and Scenes, pp. 24-25), one of many small 
  taverns in the city. Vana Granic, the tavern’s 
  owner, keeps the shield locked away 
  in a chest in her private room in 
  the lower level of the tavern. 
  She knows that the shield 
  is magical, but she has 
  no idea of its history 
  or that it is part of 
  a set of magical 
  items. 
  Perhaps the PCs 
  are visiting the 
  “Scabbard” after 
  finding 
  either 
  the helmet or 
  armor and Granic 
  overhears 
  the 
  PCs speaking of a 
  magic shield that, 
  she realizes, sounds 
  familiar. Depending on 
  how friendly they are with 
  the woman, she may bring it 
  out to show them.
  Or, even if they don’t mention the shield in her presence, 
  there may come a day when Granic needs adventurers 
  to perform a task for her. Does she have a shipment of 
  wine coming in that needs guards? Is there a friend who 
  got himself lost in a nearby dungeon and she needs 
  heroes to rescue him? Regardless of the specifics, it is 
  possible that Granic will offer the shield as payment to 
  the heroes if they will help her in some way.
  See A Dozen Magic Helmets, p. 7 and A Dozen Magic Armors, p. 7.
  This shield was once used by the dwarven warrioress, Motralsia Orcbreaker, during her 
  years defending the dwarven clans that once lived deep beneath Mount Frostlance. 
  Along with a magically bonded suit of armor and helmet, the shield gave Orcbreaker 
  the power she needed to protect her people from all manner of threats.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 8
  ironstone’s spikewall
  When leaving The Enchanted Scabbard (see Fantasy 
  City Sites and Scenes, pp. 24-25) one evening, the PCs 
  are approached by a dwarf who introduces himself as 
  Ironstone Roughcut. “Son of Heartstone Roughcut,” he 
  adds as he bows. The dwarf tells the party that he is 
  searching for a few skilled warriors to help him get back 
  a shield that was stolen from him a few days ago.
  “It were me father’s,” the dwarf tells the PCs after he in-
  vites them to join him at a different tavern so that he 
  can lay out his offer. 
  Ironstone promises to pay each of them ten gold coins if 
  they’ll assist him in reclaiming the shield from one who 
  he calls a thief and a coward. “Nela Bottova,” he names 
  her, “and she’s one you’ll want to keep a close eye on.”
  If the PCs agree to aid the dwarf, he cheers happily and 
  buys each of them another drink. After downing his 
  ale, he stands up. “Let’s go, then, and deal with that lying 
  thief!”
  Though Ironstone is unhappy about the situation, Bot-
  tova did win the shield fairly; she may be a thief, a liar, 
  and a killer, but she’s not one to try and pull a fast one in 
  a tavern that she frequents regularly.
  When confronted by the dwarf and his hired help, Nela 
  Bottova tries to convince the adventurers that she won 
  the shield fairly and did not cheat. Any heroes who 
  choose to listen to the woman speak may make skill 
  checks (as determined by the GM) and may, depending 
  on the results, decide that she is telling the truth. Iron-
  stone refuses to leave the shield in the woman’s hands, 
  but maybe there’s a way to resolve this without violence?
  A Minor Magic Item
  For as important as the shield is to Ironstone Roughcut, 
  it’s actually nothing more than a +1 magic shield and 
  possesses no special powers or abilities. If it were not 
  for the fact that it was his father’s, Ironstone would likely 
  drop the entire situation and forget about the shield.
  This jagged, spike-adorned 
  tower shield was in the 
  possession of Ironstone, 
  a dwarven warrior, up 
  until a few weeks 
  ago when he lost 
  it in a dice game 
  at a tavern known 
  as the “Scabbard.” 
  Ironstone was angry, 
  and insists that he 
  was cheated, but the 
  dwarf was unable to 
  prove that his oppo-
  nent 
  was 
  cheating 
  and so the shield was 
  lost. Ironstone is now, 
  some say, plotting to re-
  claim the shield . . . and he 
  may need some help in get-
  ting the job done.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 9
  ranger’s 
  locked  
  door
  The tower shield provides a +2 magical bonus 
  against attacks and, when used to block a mag-
  ical attack, has a 10% chance of redirecting the 
  magical energy of that attack back on the attacker 
  (the damage that would have been applied to the 
  shield’s user is instead inflicted on the attacker).
  If a ranger carries the Locked Door, that charac-
  ter’s bonus to defense is increased to +3. Addition-
  ally, the ranger may – at any time as an attack action 
  – stand the shield in an open doorway, hallway, or pas-
  sage and instantly will the shield to barricade the area. 
  The shield grows until it fills the space as magical hinges 
  sprout from one side and embed themselves into the 
  material on one side of the wall or passage. This new-
  ly-installed “door” is automatically locked and can only 
  be opened by magical means, a very skilled thief, or if 
  the shield’s owner wishes the door to unlock.
  This “door” remains in place until the shield’s owner wills 
  the shield to revert to its normal form or that charac-
  ter dies. A Locked Door is an unusual shield and there 
  are fewer than a dozen known to exist in the world. This 
  particular shield was claimed by the assassin who killed 
  el-Kazi; the shield’s location is currently unknown.
  Hall of Locked Doors
  In one of the land’s many dungeons, the fallen ranger 
  Sufyan Nusayr has claimed the lair as his own and uses 
  his skills as a ranger to trap beasts in the forest that he 
  then lets wander the dungeon to act as guards. Nusayr 
  devoted a few years of his life to seeking out the Locked 
  Door and has, as of this writing, located six of the existing 
  shields and taken them from their owners.
  The ranger has now used all six of the shields as doors 
  in his dungeon home, filling one hall – the passage that 
  connects a side tunnel in the dungeon to a chamber that 
  he has made his sanctuary – with the six magical doors.
  The ranger has taken steps to ensure that the shields die 
  if he dies, though, paying wizards to curse each item. 
  They are now bonded to his life force and if he dies, the 
  shields will crumble to dust.
  While anyone may use this magi-
  cal tower shield, it is most powerful 
  when in the hands of a ranger. 
  This shield was originally crafted for 
  the ranger Fawzi el-Kazi, a young 
  soldier of King Theodon Adalbertus. 
  Fawzi went on to become one of the 
  King’s most-trusted huntsmen, and 
  he used the shield in many battles 
  before his life was lost at the dagger 
  of an evil assassin.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 10
  paladin’s barricade
  Though known as the Paladin’s Barricade, this large 
  shield may be used by any warrior; while Alex Olinescu 
  was a true paladin, his father was merely an experienced 
  fighter who served many years as both a mercenary and 
  as an adventurer.
  When carried by a paladin, the shield grants the char-
  acter a +2 magical bonus against attacks by any evil 
  character or creature. This bonus is in addition to the 
  shield’s basic +1 magical defensive bonus, but protec-
  tion against direct attacks is not the shield’s strongest 
  power or where it earned its name. 
  Only in the hands of a paladin can the Barricade show 
  its true nature. Once during any battle, a paladin car-
  rying the shield may shout out a prayer to any good-
  aligned god and trigger the shield’s ability to embed 
  itself into the ground – any surface, even the rockiest 
  of soils as well as crafted stone flooring – and form a 
  five-foot tall wall of metal and wood that encircles the 
  shield’s user. This magical barricade may be of any size 
  the user wishes (up to a 20-foot circle) and it grants all 
  those within the enclosed area a holy +1 bonus to resist 
  any mundane or magical attack.
  The magical barrier, once in place, will remain standing 
  only so long as the shield’s owner concentrates. If the 
  character takes any action beyond walking one or two 
  steps in a single round, the shield reverts to its natural 
  form and the wall vanishes from sight.
  The Paladin’s Barricade is a valuable object and though 
  few of them exist, paladins who are aware of these mag-
  ical shields will certainly hope to find one to add to their 
  belongings.
  Rumors of an evil version of the shield, the Anti- 
  Paladin’s Barricade, may or may not be true as decided 
  by the GM.
  Alex Olinescu, defender, protector, and servant of the God of Purity, inherited this 
  shield from his father, the paladin Soare Olinescu, shortly after the man’s death. Un-
  like many an adventurous warrior, the elder Olinescu was lucky enough to die of nat-
  ural causes in his bed. The younger Olinescu, Alex, was not quite as fortunate as his 
  father; the man was slaughtered by bandits while traveling the road to Hightown.
  “These shields possess great power 
  and should be held triumphantly in 
  the hands of those who find them.”
  – Robyn “Remedeez” Nix,  
  Shields of Wonder
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 11
  orcskin 
  shield
  After Magra Gomoku’s death, the shield was claimed by 
  Yazgash Mor, a particularly nasty orc warrior who used 
  the shield to protect her against many a deadly blow 
  that would have otherwise killed her. Though it is a tow-
  er shield, Mor was such a broad, imposing figure that the 
  shield looked far smaller in her hands than it truly was. 
  Tall even for an orc, Mor would growl and scream at her 
  opponents before smashing them with the shield and 
  finishing them off with her axe.
  When Yazgash Mor died, it was at the hands of a party 
  of adventurers who claimed the shield from her remains. 
  Those same adventurers then sold the shield to Elias 
  Wouters* who placed the item for sale in his small shop, 
  All the Best Wares, where it sits to this day. 
  Spiked Bash
  While the shield offers no magical enchancement to its 
  defensive capabilities (treat it as a normal tower shield 
  when calculating what protective bonuses it may offer), 
  it does have a few magical powers that can be especially 
  deadly in skilled hands. The shield’s least powerful ability 
  is when it is used to bash others in battle.
  By crashing the shield into a foe, the user can skewer 
  opponents with the sharp, jagged spikes that ring the 
  shield and protrude from its center. When used in this 
  way, the spikes inflict 1d8 points of damage (plus what-
  ever strength bonus the user may have) and there is a 
  10% chance that the attack will unleash a magical shock 
  that stuns the target for one round. When stunned, the 
  shield’s victim may make no attack, cannot speak, and 
  may only move at 1/4 their normal speed. The stun attack 
  can be fatal for a victim who is alone; the shield’s user can 
  easily finish off the target while they are stunned.
  Fortress
  The shield’s most powerful ability is one that few are 
  aware of, including some of those who have carried the 
  shield over the years. When someone first picks up the 
  shield and raises it in a protective stance, there is a 5% 
  chance that the shield will reveal – through a telepathic 
  message – that it can also serve as a fortress. Those who 
  know of this power may, once each week, place the shield 
  on the ground and command it to turn into a wood and 
  metal building 10-feet square; the shield itself becomes 
  the building’s door. The shield reverts to its normal form 
  after twelve hours.
  Created at the same time as the 
  shield best known as Mageclaw’s 
  Terror (see p. 4), this tower shield is 
  considered a sibling of that (possi-
  bly cursed) magic shield. Unlike the 
  Terror, the Orcskin Shield served its 
  owner well for several years, protecting 
  the man from harm many times. 
  The shield’s original owner, the orc Magra 
  Gomoku, was killed at the hands of his 
  companions when they discovered that he 
  was stealing from them as they slept.
  See A Dozen Shocking Betrayals, p. 14.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 12
  cyclone defense
  When the wizard Sha Gegievy died in the freak planar 
  accident, none would have guessed that a random 
  item that the wizard was carrying would be forever 
  transformed in the incident. When the shield tumbled 
  through the gate, it was infused with both Gegievy’s 
  soul and the air elemental’s powers.
  When wielded, the shield grants a magical +1 bonus to 
  defense. That minor bonus alone makes the shield use-
  ful to many inexperienced warriors, but it is the shield’s 
  more unusual properties that makes it such an incred-
  ible find for anyone lucky enough to stumble across it.
  Once per day, at will, the wielder may change into a 
  whirling, twisting force of nature that acts as a brutal cy-
  clone. The shield’s user – as well as all carried and worn 
  possessions – is effectively an air elemental and may 
  draw upon the powers of the magical creature (as de-
  termined and allowed by the GM). This transformation 
  lasts for 2d4+1 rounds or until the shield’s user chooses 
  to end the effect. When in this form, the shield’s wielder 
  is treated as if they were an elemental.
  In addition to the ability to change into an air elemen-
  tal, anyone carrying Cyclone Defense may project a 
  magical gust of wind – once each hour – that may knock 
  over human-sized characters and creatures, blow open 
  doors and windows, and generally cause minor destruc-
  tion as if a powerful wind burst had suddenly shaken 
  the targeted area. This gust of wind is treated as if it 
  were a spell for purposes of spell resistance and similar 
  abilities.
  The Missing Shield
  After Gegievy’s death and the creation of the shield, it 
  was first used by the warrior Palladius Rhanga. The man 
  carried the shield from the day that he found it until 
  his death, and he used it often in battle to surprise and 
  overwhelm his opponents. Rhanga died at the hands 
  of an air elemental, where he learned (too late) that 
  beings from the elemental plane of air are immune to 
  the shield’s magical effects.
  The shield was claimed by the elemental that killed 
  Rhanga and it has not been seen since that day. Where 
  the shield is resting is up to the GM to decide.
  Named for the shield’s most mem-
  orable power, Cyclone Defense 
  is a unique item that has yet to 
  be replicated by any wizard or 
  mage. A lot of the reason that 
  the shield’s power has not yet 
  been duplicated is that the 
  creation of the shield itself 
  was an accident when an 
  air elemental and powerful 
  spellcaster fell through a por-
  tal and both were forever lost. 
  All that survived the accident 
  was a shield – an item of trea-
  sure that the spellcaster was haul-
  ing to town to sell – that was forever 
  changed by the strange event.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 13
  hindar’s shield of lies
  Cesar Alguacil spent the majority of his time in the city, 
  working the streets and alleys at night while making 
  an appearance in many of the taverns during the day 
  where he could try and convince others to trust him. 
  The Drunken Sailor (see Fantasy City Sites and Scenes, 
  pp. 26-27) was one of his preferred hangouts, and Ce-
  sar took advantage of many of the tavern’s patrons 
  until Nurgal Daureneva, the owner, threw him out and 
  threatened to have him killed if he ever returned.
  It turned out that the threat was unnecessary. Later that 
  same day, after Cesar tried to fast-talk the wrong wiz-
  ard, the swindler was found dead in an alley. The watch 
  looked into the matter, but they quickly ruled that the 
  man was killed in an accident and tossed his body into 
  a mass grave on the outer edge of the city. As is the law, 
  when none of Cesar’s friends or relatives arrived to claim 
  the body, all of his belongings were sold at auction. 
  The shield was purchased by a merchant who set 
  off the following day on the road to Hightown 
  where he planned to try and sell some of 
  the goods that he bought at the auction.
  Unfortunately for the merchant, he 
  didn’t make it far before thieves, under 
  orders from Alexandre Bechtold (see 
  A Dozen Guild Leaders), stopped the 
  man’s small caravan and slaughtered 
  every member of his party. The shield 
  has not been seen since, though those 
  in the know suspect that it was sold 
  to Jimi Brinley, who is known to deal in 
  stolen goods (see Fantasy City Sites and 
  Scenes, pp. 16-17). If so, there’s a chance that 
  the heroes will find the shield for sale the next 
  time they visit the man’s shop. 
  The Shield’s Power
  As has been mentioned, the Shield of Lies offers no 
  magical bonus to defense. Where the shield is most 
  useful is when the wearer enters into negotiation and 
  conversation with others. The shield grants a +4 bonus 
  to all attempts to deceive others, which the GM will 
  adjudicate as appropriate.
  Additionally, the shield increases the wearer’s social 
  skills, providing a +2 bonus to any skill involving 
  persuasion, such as convincing others to take actions 
  that make little real sense. 
  While most magic shields are created to assist the wielder in battle, this unusual item 
  was crafted for the thief and swindler Cesar Alguacil, who used the shield’s powers to 
  amplify his already masterful skill at deceiving others. You see, when in combat, the 
  shield acts as any standard shield, but when slung over the back, the item’s arcane 
  powers boost the wearer’s ability to fast-talk others.
  
  a dozen magic shields • page 14
  the lost spellshield  
  of the arcanist
  See A Dozen Magic Armors, p. 14.
  Once owned by the arcanist Akbar Jahangiri, a guard at the a once-great fortress 
  that guarded the trade road between Hightown and Deepheaven, this shield is said 
  to have protected the man against spells unleashed by opposing spellcasters. Bards 
  and sages lost track of the shield when it, and Jahangiri’s magic armor, were taken 
  along with his corpse after he fell at the Blood Moon Feast.
  Though not an exact match for the armor that he also 
  created,  Akbar Jahangiri used this magic shield 
  until his death and it served him well in dozens 
  of encounters. The shield grants a +2 bonus 
  against all physical attacks and, if brought into 
  contact with Jahangiri’s magic armor (see A 
  Dozen Magic Armors, p. 14) the shield increases 
  the armor wearer’s spellcasting ability to cast 
  any of the listed spells – Detect Magic, Flaming 
  Touch, Lightning Bolt, or Shield – to three times 
  each day.
  The shield and armor of Jahangiri – as well as 
  his spellbook (see below) – were taken by raiders 
  after the Blood Moon Feast and each were sold to 
  different merchants. The shield is most likely lost in 
  some ancient armory or treasure hoard, but the player 
  characters may encounter the shield when they come 
  across an opponent who is using it in battle. A PC bard 
  may make a successful knowledge check to identity the 
  shield, or the GM may require that the adventurers seek 
  out a sage to learn of the shield’s past . . . as well as to 
  learn of the existence of the armor.
  Jahangiri’s Spellbook
  More valuable than the shield, though, is Jahangiri’s lost 
  spellbook that was also taken by the raiders following 
  the Blood Moon Feast.
  A large, thick tome made of dried leathers and wooden 
  planks and decorative elements, the spellbook was never 
  designed for travel and was only on Jahangiri’s person 
  because he was on his way to a wizardly meet when he 
  was thrust into the battle of the Blood Moon Feast. In 
  fact, it may have been the weight of the spellbook that 
  contributed to his failings in that battle; the book was in 
  his backpack and its considerable weight restricted his 
  movement and speed. Unfortunately for the deceased 
  spellcaster, he thought the book so important that he 
  dared not drop the backpack during the battle.
  There are 4d6+10 different spells detailed in the book, as 
  well as enough blank pages that a wizard could record 
  another 4d6 spells in the book. If the party comes across 
  the spellbook, they find that the wizard also used it as 
  a makeshift journal; what secrets of the past can they 
  learn by reading Jahangiri’s spellbook?
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/A Dozen/A Dozen Magic Shields.pdf