Ring of Force Shielding [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ring of Force Shielding [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
rikimaru75
04-22-07, 11:27 AM I have a question regarding ring of force shielding. I understand that it give +2 shield bonus to AC, but since it is made out of a wall of force, does it also nullify spells like magic missile, force missile, etc?
SokenzanMarauder
04-22-07, 12:33 PM Nope. It's just a shield made out of force, nothing more, nothing less. Think of it as having a permanent (though weaker) Shield spell in place.

-Gene
Marcus Majarra
04-22-07, 04:37 PM Except that the shield spell actually does block magic missiles. A better analogy would be that the ring is like a shield that you don't have to lug around all the time. If you need your hand free, you can just command the shield to reintegrate the ring. It's actually a very practical item. I has no arcane spell failure, no encumbrance at all, and it can be readied/unreadied as a free action.
tos_shai_hulud
04-22-07, 04:47 PM Or a better analogy would be like "a shield-sized (and shield-shaped) wall of force". Oh, wait, that is what it is :P.
Marcus Majarra
04-22-07, 04:55 PM I would have to disagree, as a wall of force stops line of effect for most magic effects.
tos_shai_hulud
04-22-07, 05:12 PM I would have to disagree, as a wall of force stops line of effect for most magic effects.

Well, you are disagreeing with the SRD. I pulled that quote directly from it.

An iron band, this simple ring generates a shield-sized (and shield-shaped) wall of force that stays with the ring and can be wielded by the wearer as if it were a heavy shield (+2 AC). This special creation has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance since it is weightless and encumbrance-free. It can be activated and deactivated at will as a free action.
*Emphasis on the quote I made above
Marcus Majarra
04-22-07, 07:12 PM I was disagreeing with your analogy, not the SRD. Mechanically, the shield doesn't act like a wall of force; it acts like a heavy shield. That's why the analogy is poor.
Nephlite
04-22-07, 07:15 PM I was disagreeing with your analogy, not the SRD. Mechanically, the shield doesn't act like a wall of force; it acts like a heavy shield. That's why the analogy is poor.

Actually, according to RAW: the shield does stop line of effect. W00t, the ring just got better.
MareltEkiran
04-22-07, 07:15 PM Well, you could make the argument that the Shield does block things like incorpereal touch attacks, because those are blocked by force effects.
Marcus Majarra
04-22-07, 07:19 PM Actually, according to RAW: the shield does stop line of effect. W00t, the ring just got better.

That would only be true if you could somehow hide entirely behind the shield. I'd rather stick to the RAW that states that the shield-shaped and shield-sized wall of force can be used as a heavy shield (minus the drawbacks thereof).
rikimaru75
04-22-07, 07:21 PM So Ring of Force Shield, when activated uses a shield slot when turned on, blocks line of effect (stops everything a wall of force can)?

That's a pretty cheap and useful item if all that's true.
tos_shai_hulud
04-22-07, 07:33 PM I was disagreeing with your analogy, not the SRD. Mechanically, the shield doesn't act like a wall of force; it acts like a heavy shield. That's why the analogy is poor.

I agree that what I stated would be a poor analogy, but only because I did not make an analogy. I proposed a tautology. I directly quoted what the item is without giving an analogy for what the item is like. The statement I made is known as a tautology. To say that mechanically the shield doesn't work as it is described is to disagree with the SRD. It IS a wall of force, shaped as a shield. There was no analogy there. That is simply what it is, as shown in the SRD.
Nom
04-22-07, 11:09 PM Except that wall of force satisfies two conditions that allow it to block LoE: (1) it is impervious to normal magic and (2) the 5 ft. segment occupied by the wall has no hole greater than 1 sq. foot.

A ring of force shielding satisfies #1, but it completely fails to satisfy #2. It's only as big as a normal heavy shield, and thus is nothing like the ~ 25 square feet needed to block LoE.

Admittedly, the tower shield can block LoE under some poorly defined circumstances, but a ring of force shielding isn't similar to a tower shield anyway.
rikimaru75
04-23-07, 12:28 AM Except that wall of force satisfies two conditions that allow it to block LoE: (1) it is impervious to normal magic and (2) the 5 ft. segment occupied by the wall has no hole greater than 1 sq. foot.

A ring of force shielding satisfies #1, but it completely fails to satisfy #2. It's only as big as a normal heavy shield, and thus is nothing like the ~ 25 square feet needed to block LoE.

Admittedly, the tower shield can block LoE under some poorly defined circumstances, but a ring of force shielding isn't similar to a tower shield anyway.

From the arguments that I have received thus far, it seems as I can conclude the following about the Ring of Force Shielding:

1) +2 Shield Bonus to AC
2) This should bonus should also apply to incorporeal touch attacks similarly to how mage armor works.
3) It blocks magic missile, force missile, Orb of Force, etc? [Debatable]
tos_shai_hulud
04-23-07, 02:06 AM Actually, everyone is saying that it does not do #3. Only, Marcus is claiming that the SRD description is a poor one :P (just messing with you Marcus, I know that is not what you are actually saying).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rikimaru75 04-22-07, 11:27 AM	I have a question regarding ring of force shielding. I understand that it give +2 shield bonus to AC, but since it is made out of a wall of force, does it also nullify spells like magic missile, force missile, etc?
SokenzanMarauder 04-22-07, 12:33 PM	Nope. It's just a shield made out of force, nothing more, nothing less. Think of it as having a permanent (though weaker) Shield spell in place. -Gene
Marcus Majarra 04-22-07, 04:37 PM	Except that the shield spell actually does block magic missiles. A better analogy would be that the ring is like a shield that you don't have to lug around all the time. If you need your hand free, you can just command the shield to reintegrate the ring. It's actually a very practical item. I has no arcane spell failure, no encumbrance at all, and it can be readied/unreadied as a free action.
tos_shai_hulud 04-22-07, 04:47 PM	Or a better analogy would be like "a shield-sized (and shield-shaped) wall of force". Oh, wait, that is what it is :P.
Marcus Majarra 04-22-07, 04:55 PM	I would have to disagree, as a wall of force stops line of effect for most magic effects.
tos_shai_hulud 04-22-07, 05:12 PM	I would have to disagree, as a wall of force stops line of effect for most magic effects. Well, you are disagreeing with the SRD. I pulled that quote directly from it. An iron band, this simple ring generates a shield-sized (and shield-shaped) wall of force that stays with the ring and can be wielded by the wearer as if it were a heavy shield (+2 AC). This special creation has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance since it is weightless and encumbrance-free. It can be activated and deactivated at will as a free action. *Emphasis on the quote I made above
Marcus Majarra 04-22-07, 07:12 PM	I was disagreeing with your analogy, not the SRD. Mechanically, the shield doesn't act like a wall of force; it acts like a heavy shield. That's why the analogy is poor.
Nephlite 04-22-07, 07:15 PM	I was disagreeing with your analogy, not the SRD. Mechanically, the shield doesn't act like a wall of force; it acts like a heavy shield. That's why the analogy is poor. Actually, according to RAW: the shield does stop line of effect. W00t, the ring just got better.
MareltEkiran 04-22-07, 07:15 PM	Well, you could make the argument that the Shield does block things like incorpereal touch attacks, because those are blocked by force effects.
Marcus Majarra 04-22-07, 07:19 PM	Actually, according to RAW: the shield does stop line of effect. W00t, the ring just got better. That would only be true if you could somehow hide entirely behind the shield. I'd rather stick to the RAW that states that the shield-shaped and shield-sized wall of force can be used as a heavy shield (minus the drawbacks thereof).
rikimaru75 04-22-07, 07:21 PM	So Ring of Force Shield, when activated uses a shield slot when turned on, blocks line of effect (stops everything a wall of force can)? That's a pretty cheap and useful item if all that's true.
tos_shai_hulud 04-22-07, 07:33 PM	I was disagreeing with your analogy, not the SRD. Mechanically, the shield doesn't act like a wall of force; it acts like a heavy shield. That's why the analogy is poor. I agree that what I stated would be a poor analogy, but only because I did not make an analogy. I proposed a tautology. I directly quoted what the item is without giving an analogy for what the item is like. The statement I made is known as a tautology. To say that mechanically the shield doesn't work as it is described is to disagree with the SRD. It IS a wall of force, shaped as a shield. There was no analogy there. That is simply what it is, as shown in the SRD.
Nom 04-22-07, 11:09 PM	Except that wall of force satisfies two conditions that allow it to block LoE: (1) it is impervious to normal magic and (2) the 5 ft. segment occupied by the wall has no hole greater than 1 sq. foot. A ring of force shielding satisfies #1, but it completely fails to satisfy #2. It's only as big as a normal heavy shield, and thus is nothing like the ~ 25 square feet needed to block LoE. Admittedly, the tower shield can block LoE under some poorly defined circumstances, but a ring of force shielding isn't similar to a tower shield anyway.
rikimaru75 04-23-07, 12:28 AM	Except that wall of force satisfies two conditions that allow it to block LoE: (1) it is impervious to normal magic and (2) the 5 ft. segment occupied by the wall has no hole greater than 1 sq. foot. A ring of force shielding satisfies #1, but it completely fails to satisfy #2. It's only as big as a normal heavy shield, and thus is nothing like the ~ 25 square feet needed to block LoE. Admittedly, the tower shield can block LoE under some poorly defined circumstances, but a ring of force shielding isn't similar to a tower shield anyway. From the arguments that I have received thus far, it seems as I can conclude the following about the Ring of Force Shielding: 1) +2 Shield Bonus to AC 2) This should bonus should also apply to incorporeal touch attacks similarly to how mage armor works. 3) It blocks magic missile, force missile, Orb of Force, etc? [Debatable]
tos_shai_hulud 04-23-07, 02:06 AM	Actually, everyone is saying that it does not do #3. Only, Marcus is claiming that the SRD description is a poor one :P (just messing with you Marcus, I know that is not what you are actually saying).