Difference between revisions of "Tower shield of Ignorance"

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{{flavour|A shield unearthed from the remains of a ruined city. It bears an inscription written in an ancient language. Scholars and wise men laboured for countless hours to decipher it, and in time, a translation was finally settled on:
 
{{flavour|A shield unearthed from the remains of a ruined city. It bears an inscription written in an ancient language. Scholars and wise men laboured for countless hours to decipher it, and in time, a translation was finally settled on:
  
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+10 [[tower shield]]
 
+10 [[tower shield]]
  
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-4 [[INT]]<br>
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-4 [[Intelligence]]<br>
 
rN+
 
rN+
  
 
==Desirability==
 
==Desirability==
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For many characters, the '''tower shield of Ignorance''' is ruled out simply by virtue of it being a [[tower shield]]; [[size|smaller]] characters can't wield it, and medium-sized characters need to invest a tremendous amount of [[experience]] into their [[Shields skill]] to mitigate the severe penalties large shields apply. ([[Gnoll]]s in particular have difficulty with tower shields due to their inability to specialize their skills). Large characters and [[formicid]]s have a significantly easier time of it, but the arguments against the shield continue. -4 [[intelligence]] is a huge penalty for any spellcaster, and since any non-[[Trog]] character can benefit from learning at least a little magic, this is significant in almost all cases. Finally, while the shield ''does'' offer an impressive amount of shielding plus a rank of occasionally-helpful [[negative energy]] resistance, it's often more tempting to take advantage of the [[fire]], [[cold]], or [[poison]] resistances you can find on more mundane [[buckler]]s and [[kite shield]]s.
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The '''tower shield of Ignorance'''<ref>{{source ref|0.30.0|art-data.txt|791}}</ref> is certainly a large shield. [[Kobold]]s and [[Spriggan]]s are unable to wield it, while other species will need high Shields skill and/or strength to mitigate the shield encumbrance. The intelligence penalty only makes it harder to cast spells. However, it offers better protection than regular tower shields, and comes with a nice resistance.
  
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However, this shield provides a terrific boost to the survivability of any character willing to make use of it. A tower shield's penalties to melee or ranged combat are generally less severe than its penalties to spellcasting, and the inherent +10 enchantment allows you to put all your enchant armor scrolls on your remaining armour slots. If you combine it with an [[amulet of reflection]], not only will you block a ''lot'' of attacks, but you'll reflect any projectile-based attacks back at your attackers.
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Overall, while casters and [[Gnoll]]s may want a different option, most characters who'd use a tower shield will appreciate this one. A +8 tower shield of [[resistance]] might be preferable, but you first need to find a tower shield of resistance, then use [[scrolls of enchant armour]] on it.
  
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In summary: not a great find for a mage or a gnoll, but definitely worth considering for any bruiser that doesn't plan to use magic.
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Note that, on low Int characters, the intelligence penalty can put you in real risk of [[stat zero]]. If your character has low intelligence, wear with caution.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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*Prior to [[0.25]], this was known as the large shield of Ignorance.
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*Prior to [[0.25]], this was known as the '''large shield of Ignorance'''.
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*Prior to [[0.20]], this shield gave +4 [[AC]], reduced intelligence by 6, and only had a +6 enchantment. Also, it had the *[[Curse]] property (33% chance to recurse itself on equip).
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*Prior to [[0.20]], this shield gave +4 [[AC]], reduced intelligence by 6, and only had a +6 enchantment. Also, it had *[[Curse]] property (33% chance to recurse itself on equip).
 
*Prior to [[0.19]], this shield had +2 [[EV]] and only a +2 [[AC]] bonus.  
 
*Prior to [[0.19]], this shield had +2 [[EV]] and only a +2 [[AC]] bonus.  
 
*Prior to [[0.15]], this shield had a +8 enchantment level.
 
*Prior to [[0.15]], this shield had a +8 enchantment level.
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==References==
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<references />
  
 
[[Category:Unrands]]
 
[[Category:Unrands]]
 
[[Category:Shields]]
 
[[Category:Shields]]

Latest revision as of 21:37, 17 October 2023

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
A shield unearthed from the remains of a ruined city. It bears an inscription written in an ancient language. Scholars and wise men laboured for countless hours to decipher it, and in time, a translation was finally settled on:

"With a shield like this, who needs to think?"

Shield of ignorance.png the +10 tower shield of Ignorance

+10 tower shield

-4 Intelligence
rN+

Desirability

The tower shield of Ignorance[1] is certainly a large shield. Kobolds and Spriggans are unable to wield it, while other species will need high Shields skill and/or strength to mitigate the shield encumbrance. The intelligence penalty only makes it harder to cast spells. However, it offers better protection than regular tower shields, and comes with a nice resistance.

Overall, while casters and Gnolls may want a different option, most characters who'd use a tower shield will appreciate this one. A +8 tower shield of resistance might be preferable, but you first need to find a tower shield of resistance, then use scrolls of enchant armour on it.

Note that, on low Int characters, the intelligence penalty can put you in real risk of stat zero. If your character has low intelligence, wear with caution.

History

  • Prior to 0.25, this was known as the large shield of Ignorance.
  • Prior to 0.20, this shield gave +4 AC, reduced intelligence by 6, and only had a +6 enchantment. Also, it had *Curse property (33% chance to recurse itself on equip).
  • Prior to 0.19, this shield had +2 EV and only a +2 AC bonus.
  • Prior to 0.15, this shield had a +8 enchantment level.

References

  1. ↑ art-data.txt:791 (0.30.0)
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