I love shield guardians, but it's mainly because of a wicked idea I've had for an encounter to use. The idea that they will defend whoever (or whatever) is wearing their amulet is the key to their awesomeness as a plot point.
I intend for the party to discover an Otyugh which happens to have the amulet hooked over one of its teeth; It also has a shield guardian which defends it. Neither party understands the arrangement!
I had a one-shot where my players were sneaking into a treasury while a siege was going on, and I included some Shield Guardians among the defenses. I homebrewed that the Shield Guardian amulets required attunement, so if the players wanted to "tame" a shield guardian they would have to spend an hour attuning to it... so there was a risk/reward element of whether it was worth delaying their heist for the additional muscle or if they should just avoid them and rush in. Ultimately they decided it wasn't worth the risk, but it was cool to see the serious debate.
I had a one-shot where my players were sneaking into a treasury while a siege was going on, and I included some Shield Guardians among the defenses. I homebrewed that the Shield Guardian amulets required attunement, so if the players wanted to "tame" a shield guardian they would have to spend an hour attuning to it... so there was a risk/reward element of whether it was worth delaying their heist for the additional muscle or if they should just avoid them and rush in. Ultimately they decided it wasn't worth the risk, but it was cool to see the serious debate.
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