Magic Armor You Need to Add!

[General_Gronker]

Animated (Shield)
Upon command, an animated shield floats within 2 feet of the wielder, protecting her as if she were using it herself but freeing up both her hands. Only one shield can protect a character at a time. A character with an animated shield still takes any penalties associated with shield use, such as armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, and nonproficiency.

Strong transmutation; CL 12th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, animate objects; Price +2 bonus.

I'm not sure hot to implement this one. Maybe add an extra shield slot? I know I'd like to see it in the game. Mechanically, it would work as listed, allowing 2HFers to use a shield.

Arrow Catching
A shield with this ability attracts ranged weapons to it. It has a deflection bonus of +1 against ranged weapons because projectiles and thrown weapons veer toward it. Additionally, any projectile or thrown weapon aimed at a target within 5 feet of the shield’s wearer diverts from its original target and targets the shield’s bearer instead. (If the wielder has total cover relative to the attacker, the projectile or thrown weapon is not diverted.) Additionally, those attacking the wearer with ranged weapons ignore any miss chances that would normally apply. Projectiles and thrown weapons that have an enhancement bonus higher than the shield’s base AC bonus are not diverted to the wearer (but the shield’s increased AC bonus still applies against these weapons). The wielder can activate or deactivate this ability with a command word.

Moderate abjuration; CL 8th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, entropic shield; Price +1 bonus.

This one would be useful for tanks in certain situations. You could also include an upgraded version that attracted ray spells launched at the vicinity of the wielder.

Arrow Deflection
A shield with this ability protects the wielder from ranged attacks. Once per round when he would normally be struck by a ranged weapon, he can make a DC 20 Reflex save. If the ranged weapon has an enhancement bonus, the DC increases by that amount. If he succeeds, the shield deflects the weapon. He must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Attempting to deflect a ranged weapon doesn’t count as an action. Exceptional ranged weapons, such as boulders hurled by giants or acid arrows, can’t be deflected.

Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, shield; Price +2 bonus.

This would basically work by giving the wielder the Deflect Arrows feat while equipped. If used with the Vanguard ability, if would act as if the character had the next higher tier of the ability.

Etherealness
On command, this ability allows the wearer of the armor to become ethereal (as the ethereal jaunt spell) once per day. The character can remain ethereal for as long as desired, but once he returns to normal, he cannot become ethereal again that day.

Strong transmutation; CL 13th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, ethereal jaunt; Price +49,000 gp.

This would not require you to add the Ethereal Jaunt spell, but you should.

Ethereal Jaunt
Transmutation
Level: Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
You become ethereal, along with your equipment. For the duration of the spell, you are in a place called the Ethereal Plane, which overlaps the normal, physical, Material Plane. When the spell expires, you return to material existence.

An ethereal creature is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. As an insubstantial creature, you can move through solid objects, including living creatures. An ethereal creature can see and hear on the Material Plane, but everything looks gray and ephemeral. Sight and hearing onto the Material Plane are limited to 60 feet.

Force effects and abjurations affect an ethereal creature normally. Their effects extend onto the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, but not vice versa. An ethereal creature can’t attack material creatures, and spells you cast while ethereal affect only other ethereal things. Certain material creatures or objects have attacks or effects that work on the Ethereal Plane.

Treat other ethereal creatures and ethereal objects as if they were material.

If you end the spell and become material while inside a material object (such as a solid wall), you are shunted off to the nearest open space and take 1d6 points of damage per 5 feet that you so travel.

This would be coded a lot like Shadow Walk, I imagine, except for allowing movement through objects.

Undead Controlling
The wearer of a suit of armor or a shield with this property may control up to 26 HD of undead per day, as the control undead spell. At dawn each day, the wearer loses control of any undead still under his sway. Armor or a shield with this ability appears to be made of bone; this feature is entirely decorative and has no other effect on the armor.

Strong necromancy; CL 13th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, control undead; Price +49,000 gp.

Pretty much as described.

Demon Armor
This plate armor is fashioned to make the wearer appear to be a demon. The helmet is shaped to look like a horned demon head, and its wearer looks out of the open, tooth-filled mouth. This +4 full plate allows the wearer to make claw attacks that deal 1d10 points of damage, strike as +1 weapons, and afflict the target as if she had been struck by a contagion spell (Fortitude DC 14 negates). Use of contagion requires a normal melee attack with the claws. The "claws" are built into the armor’s vambraces and gauntlets.

The armor bestows one negative level on any nonevil creature wearing it. This negative level persists as long as the armor is worn and disappears when the armor is removed. The negative level never results in actual level loss, but it cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells) while the armor is worn.

When worn, this would fill the character's weapon slots with the Clawed attacks (shove in a picture of some clawed gloves or something). Maybe make the neg level apply only to Good characters since we (annoyingly) don't have evil alignments for PCs.

Rhino Hide
This +2 hide armor is made from rhinoceros hide. In addition to granting a +2 enhancement bonus to AC, it has a -1 armor check penalty and deals an additional 2d6 points of damage on any successful charge attack made by the wearer, including a mounted charge.

Moderate transmutation; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bull’s strength; Price 5,165 gp; Cost 2,665 gp + 200 XP.

This would either provide the wearer with a clicky that allows them to duplicate the Vanguard Shield Charge abilities, or you could simply add Charging attacks, since we know you can code them now.

Absorbing Shield
This +1 heavy steel shield is flat black and seems to absorb light. Once every two days, on command, it can disintegrate an object that it touches, as the spell but requiring a melee touch attack.

Strong transmutation; CL 17th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, disintegrate; Price 50,170 gp; Cost 25,170 gp + 2,000 XP.

"Absorbing" seems to be a misnomer. Anyway, shield with a disintegrate clicky, 1 charge, recharges once per rest.

Lion’s Shield
This +2 heavy steel shield is fashioned to appear to be a roaring lion’s head. Three times per day as a free action, the lion’s head can be commanded to attack (independently of the shield wearer), biting with the wielder’s base attack bonus (including multiple attacks, if the wielder has them) and dealing 2d6 points of damage. This attack is in addition to any actions performed by the wielder.

Moderate conjuration; CL 10th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, summon nature’s ally IV; Price 9,170 gp; Cost 4,670 gp + 360 XP.

Basic clicky effect.

Spined Shield
This +1 heavy steel shield is covered in spines. It acts as a normal spiked shield. On command up to three times per day, the shield’s wearer can fire one of the shield’s spines. A fired spine has a +1 enhancement bonus, a range increment of 120 feet, and deals 1d10 points of damage (19-20/×2). Fired spines regenerate each day.

Moderate evocation; CL 6th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, magic missile; Price 5,580 gp; Cost 2,740 gp + 223 XP.

Another basic clicky effect.

[dkyle]

This would not require you to add the Ethereal Jaunt spell, but you should.
This would be coded a lot like Shadow Walk, I imagine, except for allowing movement through objects.

Already got this, essentially: http://ddowiki.com/page/Shadow_Phase


A lot of these would need some major work to fit their concept into DDO (game mechanics, not just UI mechanics). But I suppose some of them have an interesting kernel of concept to them.

[Sunnie]

An ethereal creature is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. As an insubstantial creature, you can move through solid objects

This has the potential to break more quests than I care to count. Additionally, it would utterly trivialise many others, allowing players to bypass most of the dungeon.

[TrinityTurtle]

I'm not sure hot to implement this one. Maybe add an extra shield slot? I know I'd like to see it in the game. Mechanically, it would work as listed, allowing 2HFers to use a shield.

No thank you, the whole point of the 2hf is the increased damage at the price of reduced armor. The balance in this game is already out of whack enough, we don't need this level of power creep. It would be hideously penalizing to people not doing 2hf with floating shields as the devs have to balance out mobs so that players doing that level of damage plus that level of protection will still be challenged.

This would not require you to add the Ethereal Jaunt spell, but you should. This would be coded a lot like Shadow Walk, I imagine, except for allowing movement through objects.

Would there still be a point to the game after this was added in? Maze obstacles, pointless. Don't want to fight anything but the end boss? Walk through walls. Choke points where the mobs have you at a disadvantage to add some challenge? Nope. Secret doors having meaning and requiring someone being able to find then to get inside? Nope. Fun factor of the game because there are no challenges? Low.

While some of this stuff is not as painfully overpowered as others, none of it is anything I would consider "needed" in the game.