Screaming Aegis

by Frazer 👁 251 views

AC 3

Charges: 7 (regains at dawn)

A circular shield forged of darkened steel, its face inset with a pale blue sapphire that seems to pulse with a cold, listening light. The outer rim is etched with warding runes, and faint, indistinct faces appear to press against the shield's surface, as if listening to a chorus of muffled, furious whispers when magic swirls nearby.

Spell Absorption When you are targeted by a spell, you may use a reaction to absorb and negate the spell. The spell's energy is stored in the shield, up to seven charges total. Each absorbed spell consumes 1 charge. The shield emits a muffled scream when it absorbs a spell, audible up to 300 feet.

Screaming Burst As an action, you may expend 1 charge to unleash a 15‑foot cone of screeching thunder from the shield. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your spellcasting ability modifier saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 thunder damage and is frightened for 1 round; on a successful save, it takes half damage and is not frightened. The energy used is expended from the shield's charges.

Lore

Forged in the storm-washed forges of Karthos, the Screaming Aegis was hammered by a mage-smith who bound the last scream of a trapped banshee into its core. The shield drinks spell energy the moment it’s offered, transforming arcane echoes into a protective roar meant to terrify and unnerve any who would threaten its bearer.

History

The shield has changed hands in tumultuous times: a paladin who swore to shield innocents at all costs, a battle-mage who learned to siphon and weaponize raw magical energy, and a warlord who used the shield’s scream to scatter troops and break sieges. Each owner swore the echoes grew louder with every absorbed spell, as if the shield were feeding on the very fabric of magic around it.

Created by Frazer 👁 251 views