A shield guardian was a powerful construct created to defend arcane spellcasters.[3] They were called aegiskeryn in Elven.[4]
Description[]
Shield guardians could be made with various sizes and strengths, but the simplest and cheapest to make stood about 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall and weighed over 1,200 pounds (540 kilograms). They looked something like a large stick figure made of wood with rocky appendages and metal parts.[3]
Behavior[]
Each shield guardian was keyed to a special magical amulet. If the amulet were destroyed, the guardian would cease to function until keyed to a replacement amulet. A replacement amulet could cost 1,000[1] to 20,000 gold pieces[3] depending on materials and the crafter, and took seven days to construct.[1] Whoever wore the amulet could control the shield guardian, and if the last wearer died, the guardian would obey its final orders to the best of its ability.[3]
A shield guardian could not speak, but it could magically understand the commands of anyone controlling it through the amulet, no matter the speaker's language. Moreover, the wearer of the amulet could summon the shield guardian magically from anywhere within the same plane. Though the guardian might have some difficulty making the journey, it would always know the location of its amulet.[3]
The default behavior of a shield guardian was to follow its master everywhere and protect him or her. If given other orders, it would do its best to obey, though it was not adept at solving problems. One could be programmed to perform certain tasks at certain times or in response to certain stimuli.[3]
Abilities[]
A shield guardian protected its master with great speed and agility, attempting to deflect blows and attacks. If commanded to, a shield guardian could generate a magical shield that would partially defend its master from harm, provided the master remained within 100 feet (30 meters) of the guardian. A shield guardian also acted similar to a ring of spell storing, being able to store a single spell that was cast upon and recast the same spell at a later time, provided it was commanded to do so.[3]
Construction[]
A shield guardian offering a flower to a girl during the Day of Wonders parade in Waterdeep.
A shield guardian was constructed from at least 5,000-gold pieces-worth of bronze, stone, steel, and wood and required skill in blacksmithing and carpentry. The magical amulet through which the construct was controlled usually cost between 1,000[1] and 20,000[3] gold pieces. The shield guardian could only be animated in the presence of the amulet, and the process required a special laboratory, knowledge of the art of crafting constructs, and an extended ritual that involved the casting of the spells discern location, limited wish, shield, and shield other.[3]
Notable Shield Guardians[]
- After the war between the elves of Evereska and the phaerimms, shield guardians were used to guard the houses and mansions from intruders.[5] Likewise, the lake surrounding Herald's Hall was patrolled by shield guardians.[6][7]
- When fanatical worshipers of Ilvaash kidnapped citizens of Phandalin around 1491 DR, they kept them under observation in the Endless Void by five shield guardians that were shaped like mind flayers.[8][note 1]
Notable Owners[]
A shield guardian amulet.
- Drannin Splitshield, an evil dwarf of Mithral Hall[9]
- Halanther Dayne kept a shield guardian in the Shield Trading Company's offices in Voonlar circa 1373 DR.[10]
- Ixusaxa Terrorsong, an evil wizardess of the Cult of the Dragon[11]
- Khelben Arunsun, the famous Chosen of Mystra[4]
- Zelraun Roaringhorn, a Harper archmage[12]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Pages 30‒31 of Lost Mine of Phandelver describe the eruption of Mount Hotenow (1451 DR) as occurring "30 years ago", which would place the adventure in 1481 DR. When the adventure was later remade into Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, this 30 year time frame was kept (pages 50 & 53). However, pages 103 and 179 of Acquisitions Incorporated, a source published after the former, state that the events described in the adventure happen five years after both Lost Mine of Phandelver and Princes of the Apocalypse. Since the latter is explicitly set in 1491 DR, and considering this answer by Ed Greenwood about dating the adventure, this wiki will use 1491 DR for events related to both versions of the adventure.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Novels & Short Stories
Video Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 271. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 223–224. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 3. ISBN 978-0786940165.
- ↑ Rand Sharpsword (October 2002). More Evereska (HTML). Rand's Travelogue. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-09-20. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (September 1993). The Code of the Harpers. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 81. ISBN 1-56076-644-1.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 119. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
- ↑ Richard Baker, et al. (September 2023). Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk. Edited by Eytan Bernstein, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 184. ISBN 978-0-7869-6900-5.
- ↑ Richard Baker, et al. (April 2015). Princes of the Apocalypse. Edited by Michele Carter, Stacy Janssen. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 209. ISBN 978-0-7869-6578-6.
- ↑ Ossian Studios (August 2019). Designed by Luke Scull. Neverwinter Nights: Tyrants of the Moonsea. Beamdog.
- ↑ Greg Marks (2014-12-01). Tyranny in Phlan (DDEX01-10) (PDF). D&D Adventurers League: Tyranny of Dragons (Wizards of the Coast), p. 27.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Adam Lee, Richard Whitters (September 1, 2015). Out of the Abyss. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 126–127. ISBN 978-0-7869-6581-6.