Cathedral's Vigil
The Cathedral of the Threefold Watch was overrun in a single night, its last defender dying with shield raised against a tide that never stopped. Something of that desperate, unyielding moment soaked into the iron. The shield does not rest. It watches, even now, through whatever door you stand beside.
Mechanics
A shield haunted by the last defender of a ruined cathedral that intercepts spells cast at its bearer and punishes attackers who strike true.
Confessor's Ward
When a creature you can see within 60 feet casts a spell that targets only you, roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, the spell is absorbed by the shield and fails, and the caster takes 2d8 radiant damage as ghostly light flares from the shield's face. This property recharges at dawn.
Warden's Rebuke
When a creature hits you with a melee attack, spectral chains lash outward from the shield. The attacker must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be restrained until the end of its next turn, as though held in place by the grasping hands of the cathedral's dead. This property triggers once per turn with no action required on your part.
DM Notes
Confessor's Ward is the stronger of the two abilities and its once-per-dawn frequency is intentional. It hard-counters single-target spells but only fires on a 4-6 roll, so it fails roughly half the time, preventing it from trivializing spellcasting encounters. DMs should note that it only triggers against spells targeting solely the bearer, so area-of-effect spells bypass it entirely. Warden's Rebuke can dramatically shift action economy by restraining a melee attacker, but the DC 14 Wisdom save means creatures with strong Wisdom saves will resist it often. The once-per-turn trigger prevents it from generating multiple restraints in a single round even against multiattacking enemies. For groups where spellcasting enemies are rare, the shield leans heavily on Rebuke and remains a strong but not dominant piece of gear.
Generated with: Level 5 · Haunted cathedral · Heroic · Rare