Reflection
Reflection is a curious ego that can be found on all types of shields, and as a type of amulet.
This ego will reflect all successfully blocked projectiles, both physical and magical, back in the direction they originated. An amulet of reflection grants +5 SH, though shields of reflection don't give any more defense than their mundane counterparts.
Keep in mind that you must block the attack in order it to be reflected. Some spells can't be blocked - while you can reflect a devastating crystal spear or orb of destruction, you can't deflect an Airstrike, Bolt of Fire, or javelin. For a list of what can and can't be blocked, see Shields. And since you must success your SH roll to actually block, reflection is best at high levels of SH.
The unique fighter Donald often carries a kite shield of reflection. The Warlock's Mirror, an unrandart buckler of reflection, is capable of reflecting any form of attack (even those that are normally non-reflectable).
Tips & Tricks
- The reflected attack can miss and may strike unintended targets.
- This ego is nowhere near as powerful as it is in some other games, most notably NetHack. Your chance of blocking an attack is not increased by wearing a shield of reflection, and there are still many types of attacks that cannot be blocked at all. In general, a shield with any resistance you may be lacking is preferable to a reflection-branded shield, though one might prefer it over a protection-branded shield, especially if you know you'll be facing opponents with powerful, blockable ranged abilities soon (Roxanne, Dispater, etc.).
- If you've found a shield with a good ego (like resistance, for example), an amulet of reflection is perfect for giving yourself even more defense.
History
- Prior to 0.25, the brooch of Shielding carried the reflection ego.
- Until version ?? the game treated the reflected attack as an attack initiated by the player himself. If you followed a god who prohibited certain attacks, you would invoke penance for these unintentional reflected attacks.
- The amulet of reflection was added in 0.18.
