Bound. The shield guardian is magically bound to an amulet. As long as the guardian and its amulet are on the same plane of existence, the amulet's wearer can telepathically call the guardian to travel to it, and the guardian knows the distance and direction to the amulet. If the guardian is within 60 feet of the amulet's wearer, half of any damage the wearer takes (rounded up) is transferred to the guardian.
Regeneration. The shield guardian regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.
Spell Storing. A spellcaster who wears the shield guardian's amulet can cause the guardian to store one spell of 4th level or lower. To do so, the wearer must cast the spell on the guardian. The spell has no effect but is stored within the guardian. When commanded to do so by the wearer or when a situation arises that was predefined by the spellcaster, the guardian casts the stored spell with any parameters set by the original caster, requiring no components. When the spell is cast or a new spell is stored, any previously stored spell is lost.
Multiattack. The guardian makes two fist attacks.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Shield. When a creature makes an attack against the wearer of the guardian's amulet, the guardian grants a +2 bonus to the wearer's AC if the guardian is within 5 feet of the wearer.
Increase the number/strength of creatures your party fights then.
How would a PC create/summon one? Is it like a Golem where you need a magic item to make one?
12 int, 11 wis, 10 cha
Can it take actions on its own without commands? My DM doesn't think so, but then why does it roll initiative if that is the case? It does have a 7 INT, not the brightest, but it can think.
A Thought:
2 shield guardians, each wearing the other's amulet.
better idea an iron golem wearing a shield guardian amulet with a shield guardian wearing a shield guardian amulet
My wizard has a Shield Guardian, called Machina. He spent much of his time punching things, but during a year of downtime, he helped my ex-vampire wizard form Undead Inc., a building company that after the world's destruction, monopolised the industry. Made a killing out of it, which I used with Guards and Wards, Glyph of Warding and Teleportation Circle to make volcano base.
Many thanks to Shield Guardians for the corporate success of a character in a game that was not Acquisitions Incorporated.
monster hit dice dont really work like PC hit dice. they are completely arbitrary and have no effect on proficiency bonus. as another commenter said, monster proficiency is based on CR.
So, what would be some nasty surprise spells to use with spell storing? I'm considering throwing bunch of these as main type of enemies in one dungeon. Having the base enemy be same allows for players to learn how fight them efficiently and different spells give some surprising variety to encounters while giving some info on what to expected with the boss, a wizard with few of these as body guards. So mostly the spells stored should not increase the challenge rating, so likely not burst damage or crowd control without level appropriate counters. What would the triggers be? Uninvited person within spells range, being surrounded, taking damage? Should the PCs be able to make checks to learn what spell is being stored before it is cast or what the trigger is. I think knowing one, but not the other might be the best balance of unknown thread that you can still prepare against in some way.
Who else wants a sentient shield guardian as an NPC?😍
Is it possible to create a Shield Guardian? Or can they only be found?
I got this at 3rd/4th in my frostmaiden campaign as my Goliath Wizard, I don't want to abuse it, but i want to have some fun with it lol
dimension door for some good flanks, summon construct, animate dead, etc. if you don't want to mass damage the party use interesting spells that shape how the fight is fought
I know it's been about a month so this probably won't help but if it does then that's nice
(replying to Xywel)
Summon and movement spells sound great, and have lots of room to adjust for the encounter difficulty. And the dungeon I'm planning to fill with these is just within next sessions scope (if the party doesn't do every side quest and random encounter the long way), so the timing could not have been much better.
In the dnd game we are playing my dm put this as a guard in a prison.We are level 2. We got the amulet.
it says on the masters amulet description that it takes 1000pg to make the amulet and the construct
A great spell for it to have "installed" is counterspell.
so what happens when the amulet user is knocked out. does the guardian go dormant or will it still act? my party is about to find the one in Rime of the Frostmaiden and is considering letting the druid control it and cast revivify into it so it can bring her back if and when she goes down.
When in doubt revert to older editions..
AMULET
If a shield guardian’s amulet is destroyed, the guardian ceases to
function until a new one is created. If the wearer dies but the
amulet is intact, the shield guardian carries out the last command
it was given.
3e, mm1, p.223-224
also from 3e.
CONSTRUCTION
A shield guardian is built from wood, bronze, stone, and steel. The materials cost 5,000 gp. not the labor cost just the materials. (DM's, adjust the price however you want its your world).
A shield guardian is some 9 feet tall and weighs more than 1,200 pounds.
this is not the word of law in 5e. The above is just a reference for everyone pulled from 3E.
all 5e gives us is ... Crafting an amulet requires 1 week and costs 1,000 gp in components.
slow, haste, web, Absorb elements, shield, Banishment, Barkskin for allies, smite, calm emotions, call lightning, charm person, compelled dual, summoning spells, Daylight, Darkness, Dimension Door, Dissonant whispers, Disguise self, Enlarge/reduce, Expeditious retreat on 50% hp perhaps, Feather fall, fly, Greater invisibility, hellish rebuke, hunters mark, hypnotic pattern, inflict wounds, lesser restoration, longstrider, mirror image, pass without trace, ray of enfeeblement, thorn whip. many of these aren't available for wizards, but these seem the most powerful, most of these would activate either on taking damage, on the start of iniative, on whilst sneaking