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Light Shield
Martial Light Melee
Critical: ×2
Range Increment:
Type: Bludgeoning
Shield Bonus: +1
Maximum Dex Bonus:
Armor Check Penalty: −1
Arcane Spell Failure Chance: 5%
Hardness (Steel): 10
Hardness (Wood): 5
Size Cost Damage Weight hp
Steel Wood Steel Wood Steel Wood
Fine 4 gp 5 sp 1 gp 5 sp 3/5 lb. 1/2 lb. 1 1
Diminuative 4 gp 5 sp 1 gp 5 sp 3/5 lb. 1/2 lb. 1 1
Tiny 4 gp 5 sp 1 gp 5 sp 1 3/5 lb. 1/2 lb. 2 1
Small 9 gp 3 gp 1d2 3 lb. 2-1/2 lb. 5 3
Medium 9 gp 3 gp 1d3 6 lb. 5 lb. 10 7
Large 18 gp 6 gp 1d4 12 lb. 10 lb. 20 14
Huge 36 gp 12 gp 1d6 30 lb. 25 lb. 40 28
Gargantuan 72 gp 24 gp 1d8 48 lb. 40 lb. 80 56
Collossal 144 gp 48 gp 2d6 72 lb. 60 lb. 160 112

Description[]

You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A light shield’s weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it.

Wooden or Steel: Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to special attacks.

Shield Bash Attacks: You can bash an opponent with a light shield, using it as an off-hand weapon instead of using it for defense. Used this way, a light shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a light shield as a light weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.

Enhancements[]

Shield Spikes

When added to your shield, these spikes turn it into a martial piercing weapon that increases the damage dealt by a shield bash as if the shield were designed for a creature one size category larger than you. Otherwise, attacking with a spiked shield is like making a shield bash attack.

Table: Light Spiked Shield Damage
Fine Diminuative Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal
1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 3d6

An enhancement bonus on a spiked shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but a spiked shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.

Compared to a regular light shield, a light spiked shield costs 10 gp more and is 5 lb. heavier.

Light Shield Material Enhancements
Material Average Masterwork1 Hardness hp Special
Steel 9 gp 159 gp 10 10
Wood 3 gp 153 gp 5 7
Adamantine 2,009 gp 20 13 Bypass hardness less than 20
Deep Crystal 1,003 gp 10 21 Psionic
Mundane Crystal 153 gp 8 17 No rusting, not metal
Darkwood 203 gp 5 7 1/2 weight
Dragonhide 306 gp 10 7 Usable by druids
Iron, Cold 18 gp 168 gp 10 10 Magical enchantments cost an additional 2,000 gp.
Mithral 1,009 gp 15 10 1/2 weight, no arcane spell failure chance
Silver, Alchemical 29 gp 179 gp 8 3 −1 damage
  1. Unlike other weapons, shields do not gain an enhancement bonus on attack rolls from being masterwork quality. Instead their armor check penalties are lessened by 1.
Magical/Psionic Weapon Enhancements
Bonus Value Additional Cost1 Hardness Increase2 Additional hp2
+1 +2,000 gp +2 +10
+2 +8,000 gp +4 +20
+3 +18,000 gp +6 +30
+4 +32,000 gp +8 +40
+5 +50,000 gp +10 +50
+6 +72,000 gp3 +12 +60
+7 +98,000 gp3 +14 +70
+8 +128,000 gp3 +16 +80
+9 +162,000 gp3 +18 +90
+10 +200,000 gp3 +20 +100
+11 or more + bonus × bonus
× 20,000 gp
+ enhancement bonus × 2 + enhancement bonus × 10
  1. Increase total cost for magical enhancement by 2,000 gp for cold iron weapons.
  2. Unlike the additional cost, the increase the weapon's hardness and hit points are only gained from its enhancement bonus, not its special abilities.
  3. If the weapon has a magical bonus greater than +5 or a special ability worth more than +5, the weapon is epic. Multiply magic cost by 10.
Magical/Psionic Armor and Shield Enhancements
Bonus Value Additional Cost Hardness Increase1 Additional hp1
+1 +1,000 gp +2 +10
+2 +4,000 gp +4 +20
+3 +9,000 gp +6 +30
+4 +16,000 gp +8 +40
+5 +25,000 gp +10 +50
+6 +36,000 gp2 +12 +60
+7 +49,000 gp2 +14 +70
+8 +64,000 gp2 +16 +80
+9 +81,000 gp2 +18 +90
+10 +100,000 gp2 +20 +100
+11 or more + bonus × bonus
× 10,000 gp
+ enhancement bonus × 2 + enhancement bonus × 10
  1. Unlike the additional cost, the increase to the armor or shield's hardness and
    hit points are only gained from its enhancement bonus, not its special abilities.
  2. If the armor or shield has a magical bonus greater than +5 or a special ability
    worth more than +5, then it's epic. Multiply magic cost by 10.

See Also[]



Back to Main PageSystem Reference DocumentArmor

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