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== Shield Statistics Breakdown ==
How a shield works, what it stops, how strong it is and how quickly it comes back is governed by the following basic attributes.== {{Anchor|Shield Statistics}} Breakdown ==
*'''Type:''' Normal (as written above), or any of the special types written below (Kinetic, Psionic, Spell, Fire, etc.).*'''Strength:''' Determines the amount of [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] the shield has. A shield with strength 5 has 5 hit points for every [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] the creature or object projecting it has. *'''Hardness:''' How much damage a shield absorbs before works, what it stops, how strong it starts taking damage. A shield with hardness 5 that takes 13 points of damage from an incoming attack loses 8 of its hit points. A regular (non-hard) shield simply has the default hardness value of 0.*'''Range:''' How far the shield is projected from its source. A shield with range 30 protects anything within 30 feet of the object or creature projecting and how quickly it. A regular (non-perimeter) shield simply has the default range of 0. A shield with a range above 0 projects a [[Ward (3.5e Creature Ability)|ward]] of 10 + the number of [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] of comes back depends on the creature or object projecting it, that intercepts attacks aimed for creatures within its range.*'''Recharge Rate:''' How quickly lost generating the shield hit points come back. The general rates are 1 [[SRD:Hit Points|hp]]/[[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] per hour (Very Slow), per 10 minutes (Slow), per minute (Default), or per [[SRD:Round|round]] (Fast)Shields have the following characteristics.
This shield is a hard perimeter shield projected in a 20-foot sphere with 10 hit points per HD and a hardness of 5, regaining hit points every round.
''Example 2:'' Shield—Normal, strength 5.
This shield has 5 hit points per HD, and is default otherwise; hardness and range 0, with a normal (HD/minute) recharge rate.
==== {{Anchor|Kinetic Shield}} {{Ex}} ====
==== {{Anchor|Spell Shield}} {{Su}} ====
==== {{Anchor|Psi-Shield}} {{Su}} ====
==== Other Shield Types ====
=== Special ===
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If the damage caused to the perimeter shield by an area effect breaks through it, the area effect may continue beyond the perimeter shield if the area permits; otherwise its expansion is stopped at the edge of perimeter shield. In the case of an area effect caused by an explosive effect, like a ''[[SRD:Fireball|fireball]]'' or an acid flask, the explosive projectile detonates upon impact with the shield. Regardless, the center of an explosive effect lies outside the perimeter shield.
Attacks originating from outside the perimeter shield cannot directly target a creature inside it until the shield is down. Such attacks are resolved with the shield itself as the target. A perimeter shield has is effectively a base [[SRD:Armor ClassWard (3.5e Creature Ability)|ACward]] of 10 plus its [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection bonus]], which is equal to + the number of [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] of the creature that projects or object projecting it, intercepting attacks aimed for any creature or object within its range.
Perimeter shields are projected as a spherical field around their source. A perimeter shield does not extend into floors or walls. The radius of the shield is listed in the object or creature's description. When two perimeter shields protect the same area, their effects overlap.
A few special creatures and objects have very powerful shields that can absorb a certain amount of damage from an attack without weakening, making even shields with a low amount of [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] hard to break through. These shields have a set [[SRD:Breaking and Entering#Hardness|hardness]], subtracting that number from any damage the shield takes, to a minimum of 0. This particular property can be added to any type of shield.
*''Example 1'[[SRD:Hit Points|Hit Points]]:''' Shields generally have a set amount of hit points per [[SRD:Hit Dice|Hit Die]] of the creature generating the shield. Standard shields have 5 hit points per Hit Die, but weaker or stronger shields may have less or more hit points respectively. Objects that generate a shield usually have an amount of hit points depending on their effective [[SRD:Caster Level|caster level]]. *'''[[SRD:Deflection Bonus|Deflection Bonus]]:'' Shield—Normal' Personal shields turn away attacks, strength 10making it harder for someone to hit a protected creature. Many shields confer a certain amount of [[SRD:Deflection Bonus|deflection]] to [[SRD:Armor Class|Armor Class]], hardness usually no bigger than one third of the creature's [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] (rounded up) or +5, whichever is lower. *'''Hardness:''' Some shields ignore a set amount of damage that they absorb before taking damage to their [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] (see [[#Hard Shields|hard shields]] above). Non-hard shields simply have a hardness of 0. *'''Range:''' How far the shield is projected from its source. A regular personal shield has a range of 0 and is effectively skintight. Shields with a range 20-ftabove 0 are [[#Perimeter Shields|perimeter shields]].*'''Recharge Rate:''' How quickly lost shield hit points come back, usually in the amount of the projecting creature or object's effective [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] per [[SRD:Round|round]] (Fast recharge), minute (Moderate), 10 minutes (Slow), or hour (Very Slow).
== Special Shield Types ==
Some forms of shielding have special properties. Specialized types of shields only block specific effects or specific forms of damage. A shield can have only a single specialized type.
Kinetic shields are shields that only stop high-speed physical projectiles. The stopping power of a kinetic shield is dependent on the speed of the object hitting it, providing a degree of deflection correspondent to the momentum of the object. The result is a shield that stops fast moving objects like weaponsfire but has no effects on slow moving objects, allowing the creature to interact with its environment without deflecting it.
Kinetic shields are a usual staple of science-fiction and are always [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Extraordinary|extraordinary]] in nature.
Spell shields do not stop damage in the way normal shields do. Instead, they absorb incoming spells. Whenever a creature or object protected by a spell shield is targeted by a harmful spell, the spell is reduced to its base components upon touching the shield, converting it to raw energy that deals 5 damage to the shield per converted spell level. Spells that create area effects are only absorbed for the creature or within the area that a spell shield protects. If a creature with a personal shield has [[SRD:Spell Resistance and Spell Immunity#Spell Resistance|spell resistance]], the spell shield takes effect against a spell only if the creature fails to resist it. Spells that do not allow spell resistance are not absorbed by a spell shield.
Spell shields are always [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Supernatural|supernatural]] in nature.
Psi-shields function the same way as [[#Spell Shield|spell shields]] do, except in that they absorb incoming psionic [[SRD:Powers|powers]] instead of spells. Powers that do not allow [[SRD:Power Resistance|power resistance]] are not absorbed by a psi-shield.
Specialized shields exist for many purposes. Creatures that only need protection against a single type of effect do not need universal shields, that are usually prohibitively expensive, difficult to maintain and especially powerful. Possible types of shields specialized to a single group of effect types are listed below, complete with a summary of what they protect against and any further benefits they grant. All examples can be either [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Extraordinary|extraordinary]] or [[SRD:Special Abilities Overview#Supernatural|supernatural]], unless noted otherwise.
*'''Psychic Shield {{Su}}:''' Absorbs [[SRD:Mind-Affecting Effect|mind-affecting]] effects in the same way a [[#Spell Shield|spell shield]] does. Supernatural abilities that create mind-affecting effects count as spells with an effective level equal to half the attacking creature's [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]] for the purpose of interacting with a psychic shield, rounded down.
A creature with any type of inherent shield ability may benefit from the [[Augment Shielding (3.5e Feat)|Augment Shielding]] feat, granting it 2 extra [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] per [[SRD:Hit Dice|HD]].
