Shield

Magic-user 1

Range. 0

Duration. 5r per CL

Area of Effect. Special

Evocation

Components. V, S

Casting Time. 1s

Saving Throw. None

When this spell is cast, an invisible barrier before the front of the magic-user comes into being.

This shield will totally negate magic missile attacks.

It provides the equivalent protection of armor class 2 against hand hurled missiles (axes, darts, javelins, spears, etc.), armor class 3 against small device-propelled missiles (arrows, bolts, bullets, manticore spikes, sling stones, etc.), and armor class 4 against all other forms of attack.

The shield also adds +1 to the magic-user's saving throw dice vs. attacks which are basically frontal.

Note that all benefits of the spell accrue only to attacks originating from the front facing the magic-user, where the shield can move to interpose itself properly.

Dragon #60, Sage Advice: Q: "Suppose an elven fighter/magic-user in plate mail (AC 3) casts a shield spell on himself. Does this simply raise his armor class to 2, as the spell description indicates, or raise it 8 places (as from AC 10 to AC 2), to AC -5, with respect to hand-propelled missiles? If the former is the case, why doesn’t a shield spell function at full effectiveness when cast by an armored magic-user?" A: The former is the case, and the shield spell does indeed function at "full effectiveness". The spell description is specific and should be taken literally: a magical shield will give protection equivalent to AC 2, AC 3 or AC 4 (depending on the situation), regardless of what the spell-caster’s armor class was prior to the casting. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for a M-U who is already AC 3 to “waste” a shield spell on himself for the minimal benefit in armor class that the spell might offer. Of course, some of the spell’s other benefits (immunity to magic missiles, bonus to saving throws) might make it worthwhile for certain purposes.

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