Lux Pel, a Tremere, was rather inept at spellcasting, and focused his time with the Order in crafting items and creating devices to aid his house. While he often designed mystic wands and staves for his compatriots, after a campaign against aggressive Giants in northern Rhine, he befriended a Flambeaux who had come to hunt them, and decided to show his House's appreciation with this gift (and his Archon's permission). His wizard's sigil is the form of squares.
(Design note: His sigil is pixilation.)
The Glorious Shield (Perdo Terram [Herbam] 25)
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual
This hearty and stout heater shield that protects its bearer in a most aggressive fashion. Any incoming oject or weapon of stone, metal or wood that strikes the designs etched on the shield will crumble away. Due to Lux Pel's sigil, a destroyed sword will appear to decay into cubes that then disperse into smaller and smaller squares. A defender wielding the shield can explicitly target an opponents weapon by taking an action to attack (using the shield's +0 attack). Any attacker who misses the wielder will strike the shield if they are unaware of the effect, and if they are trying to avoid the shield, if they miss by more than 3, they will have struck the shield by accident. Incredibly large objects, such as doors, walls, and wagons, will not be affected.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 magnitude for requisite; +10 levels unlimited uses)
Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: When the effect triggers, the destroyed item will crumble into tiny little cubes, falling in a neat little stack on the ground in the shape of the original object. Although embarrassed at the result in experimentation, Lux Pel refused to give a spare copy of the Glorious Shield to his kitchen staff to aid in food preparation.
2-3 Minor Flaw: While holding the shield in position, a radiation of energy flows from the shield's enruned surface, in tiny little squares. This usually gives sufficient warning to incoming attackers to avoid hitting the shield with their weapons on initial blows, unless they happen to be Reckless.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The shield also destroys dirt, blood, and grime. The face of the shield is always incredibly clean and polished. The face of the shield can be hidden with cloth or similar, but that will prevent attacks from hitting the surface unless they tear through the covering.
6 Minor Benefit:
7 Major Flaw: The effect flows beyond the forwards surface of the shield. The bindings and straps of the shield, as well as the leather-bound grip, are too close to the magical aura of the enchantment, which weakens them over time, requiring frequent replacement. Similarly, the sides and back of the shield can accidentally break things they make firm contact with, such as the owner's weapon, their ally's shield, the chair the shield was just slung over, or the wielder's metal gauntlet.
8 Major Side Effect: Despite not being polished and mirrored, the surface of the shield reflects light as a mirror would, practically gleaming in firelight and sunlight directly. Any light reflected can be easily directed by the one holding the shield, but it is not actually reflective, so one cannot see their own face in it. Strange.
9 Major Benefit: If used as an offensive weapon, shield-bashing against enemies can shatter their weapons, their shields, and their armor. Battering an opponent with the weapon will likely break one of those, increasing any damage the shield strike does by +5, and depriving them of armaments.
10 Fatal Flaw: Every time the shield destroys metal or stone, the object it strikes explodes violently into a cloud of cubic shrapnel, doing a stress die +10 damage to those nearby - most likely only the wielders of shield and weapon. The splintering cubes of wood from items of such construction only deal +5 damage to those caught nearby in the chaotic explosion.