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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==Desirability== | ==Desirability== | ||
| − | + | For most characters, the '''tower shield of Ignorance'''<ref>{{source ref|0.27.0|art-data.txt|776}}</ref> is ruled out simply by virtue of it being a [[tower shield]]; [[size|small]] or smaller characters can't wield it, and medium-sized characters need to invest a tremendous amount of [[experience]] into their [[Shields skill]] to mitigate a tower shield's severe penalties. Large, hybrid, and [[formicid]] characters 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 relevant in almost all cases. Finally, while the shield of Ignorance offers an impressive amount of [[sh]]ielding 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 non-artefact [[buckler]]s and [[kite shield]]s. | |
| − | + | However, for heavily armoured fighters that don't particularly care about spellcasting, this shield offers a tremendous boost to survivability, and a tower shield's penalties to physical combat are manageable even with a relatively moderate investment of 15 Shields. Also, the shield's high enchantment allows wearers to invest the [[scrolls of enchant armour]] they would have used on a more mundane shield into the rest of their equipment. Just be wary of sources of intelligence damage -- characters who would choose to make use of a tower shield are unlikely to prioritize intelligence, and some wearers might find the shield leaving them dangerously close to [[stat zero]]. | |
| − | + | In short, not a great find for a mage or a gnoll, but definitely worth considering for any bruiser. | |
| − | The shield of Ignorance combos particularly well with an [[amulet of reflection]]; reflect all the projectiles you'll be blocking back at your attackers! | + | The tower shield of Ignorance combos particularly well with an [[amulet of reflection]]; reflect all the projectiles you'll be blocking back at your attackers! |
==History== | ==History== | ||
| − | *Prior to [[0.25]], this was known as the large shield of Ignorance. | + | *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 [[0.20]], 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. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==References== | ||
| + | <references /> | ||
[[Category:Unrands]] | [[Category:Unrands]] | ||
[[Category:Shields]] | [[Category:Shields]] | ||
Revision as of 06:35, 5 August 2021
| 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?" |
the +10 tower shield of Ignorance
+10 tower shield
-4 INT
rN+
Desirability
For most characters, the tower shield of Ignorance[1] is ruled out simply by virtue of it being a tower shield; small or smaller characters can't wield it, and medium-sized characters need to invest a tremendous amount of experience into their Shields skill to mitigate a tower shield's severe penalties. Large, hybrid, and formicid characters 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 relevant in almost all cases. Finally, while the shield of Ignorance offers 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 non-artefact bucklers and kite shields.
However, for heavily armoured fighters that don't particularly care about spellcasting, this shield offers a tremendous boost to survivability, and a tower shield's penalties to physical combat are manageable even with a relatively moderate investment of 15 Shields. Also, the shield's high enchantment allows wearers to invest the scrolls of enchant armour they would have used on a more mundane shield into the rest of their equipment. Just be wary of sources of intelligence damage -- characters who would choose to make use of a tower shield are unlikely to prioritize intelligence, and some wearers might find the shield leaving them dangerously close to stat zero.
In short, not a great find for a mage or a gnoll, but definitely worth considering for any bruiser.
The tower shield of Ignorance combos particularly well with an amulet of reflection; reflect all the projectiles you'll be blocking back at your attackers!
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
- ↑ art-data.txt:776 (0.27.0)
