Psionic Armor and Shields

In general, psionic armor and shields follow the rules for the equivalent magic items, as far as enhancement bonuses, stacking, and other base abilities are concerned. An enhancement bonus is treated the same way regardless of whether magic or psionics created it. Psionic armor and shields differ from standard and magical equivalents in that psionic armor and shields incorporate one or more crystals into their construction. Particularly powerful armor and shields may be entirely composed of brightly hued or transparent crystals.

Special Qualities: Roll d%. An 01 result indicates the item is intelligent, an 02-31 result indicates that the command thought (if any) is psionically imprinted and whispers itself into the user’s mind on acquisition, and 32-100 indicates no special qualities. Intelligent items have extra abilities and sometimes also extraordinary powers and special purposes. Substitute manifesting for spellcasting as required.

Table: Armor Special Abilities

Minor	Medium	Major	Special Ability	Base Price Modifier
01-10	01-07	01-05	Fusing	+1 bonus1
11-20	08-10	06-07	Murmuring	+1 bonus1
21-30	11-13	08-09	Quickness	+1 bonus1
31-55	14-29	10-14	Landing	+4,000 gp
56-80	30-45	15-19	Floating	+4,000 gp
81-88	46-55	20-29	Linked	+6,000 gp
89-96	56-65	30-39	Seeing	+6,000 gp
97	66-75	40-47	Murmuring, Greater	+2 bonus1
98	76-77	31-40	Power resistance (13)	+2 bonus1
99	76-83	41-50	Ectoplasmic	+10,800 gp
–	84-89	51-60	Gleaming	+3 bonus1
–	90-94	61-70	Power resistance (15)	+3 bonus1
–	95-98	71-77	Vanishing	+3 bonus1
–	99	78-83	Mindarmor	+24,000 gp
–	–	84-89	Power resistance (17)	+4 bonus1
–	–	90-94	Radiant	+4 bonus1
–	–	95-96	Aporter	+40,320 gp
–	–	97-98	Power resistance (19)	+5 bonus1
–	–	99	Phasing	+65,520 gp
100	100	100	Roll twice again2	–

¹ Add to enhancement bonus to determine total market price.

² If you roll a special ability twice, only one counts. If you roll two versions of the same special ability, use the better.

Psionics Expanded Armor Special Abilties

Special Ability	Base Price Modifier
Fusing	+1 bonus1

¹ Add to enhancement bonus to determine total market price.

Table: Shield Special Abilities

Minor	Medium	Major	Special Ability	Base Price Modifier
01-33	01-08	01-03	Heartening	+720 gp
34-42	09-18	04-10	Fusing	+1 bonus1
43-51	19-24	11-12	Murmuring	+1 bonus1
52-60	25-28	13	Ranged	+1 bonus1
61-89	29-34	14-18	Linked	+6,000 gp
90-93	35-44	19-23	Murmuring, Greater	+2 bonus1
94-97	45-46	24-25	Power resistance (13)	+2 bonus1
98	47-68	26-40	Manifester	+10,800 gp
99	69-88	41-50	Averter	+12,960 gp
–	89-90	51-52	Power resistance (15)	+3 bonus1
–	91-94	53-62	Vanishing	+3 bonus1
–	95-97	63-72	Wall	+20,160 gp
–	98-99	73-82	Mindarmor	+24,000 gp
–	–	83-84	Power resistance (17)	+4 bonus10-
–	–	85-91	Determination	+30,000 gp
–	–	92-95	Aporter	+40,320 gp
–	–	96-97	Power resistance (19)	+5 bonus1
–	–	99-99	Time buttress	+5 bonus1
100	100	100	Roll twice again2	–

¹ Add to enhancement bonus to determine total market price.

² If you roll a special ability twice, only one counts. If you roll two versions of the same special ability, use the better.

Psionic Armor And Shield Special Ability Descriptions

Most psionic armor and shields have only enhancement bonuses. Such items can also have one or more of the special abilities detailed below. Armor or a shield with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Aporter

As a standard action, a suit of aporter armor or an aporter shield transports the wearer and her equipment to any spot within 800 feet that she can visualize or specify, as the fold space power. The armor or shield can transport the wearer in this fashion twice per day.

Aura moderate psychoportation; ML 10th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fold space; Price +40,320 gp.

Averter

On command, up to three times per day, any creature to whom the wearer presents an averter shield must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or be overcome by a powerful aversion to the wielder (actually the shield), and will not approach within 30 feet. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect, as the aversion power.

Aura faint telepathy; ML 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, aversion; Price +12,960 gp.

Determination

A shield or armor with this property provides the ability to fight on against seemingly impossible odds. Once per day, when the owner reaches 0 or fewer hit points, the item automatically provides a breath of life spell.

Aura moderate conjuration; ML 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Spells breath of life; Price +30,000 gp.

Ectoplasmic

As a standard action, ectoplasmic armor converts itself, its wearer, and all the wearer’s equipment into ectoplasmic form for up to 5 minutes once per day, as the power of the same name. In this semisolid state, the wearer gains damage reduction 10/psionics.

Aura faint psychometabolism; ML 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, ectoplasmic form; Price +10,800 gp.

Floating

This kind of armor is psionically buoyant in water or a similar liquid, negating the normal penalty for wearing armor when making Swim checks. Additionally, it grants a +4 circumstance bonus on Swim checks.

Aura faint psychoportation; ML 4th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, float; Price +4,000 gp.

Fusing

A suit of armor or a shield granted this ability melds with its wearer when the appropriate command word is given, seamlessly fusing with the wearer’s form. The Armor Check Penalty of the armor is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0), the Maximum Dexterity Bonus is increased by 1, any arcane spell failure is reduced by 10%, and the armor is treated as if one category lighter for movement restrictions. This decrease does not apply to proficiency in wearing the armor. For example, a character wearing mithral full plate must be proficient in wearing heavy armor to avoid adding the armor’s check penalty to all his attack rolls and skill checks that involve moving. These modifications are in addition to any changes from special materials, but do not stack with effects such as that from graft armor.

Aura strong psychometabolism; ML 4th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, float; Price +1 bonus.

Gleaming

This kind of armor is usually made of crystal, though it doesn’t have to be. Gleams and flashes from the armor give the wearer and his armor a “fuzzy” appearance, granting the wearer concealment.

Aura faint metacreativity; ML 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, concealing amorpha; Price +3 bonus.

Heartening

This kind of shield grants the wearer up to 5 temporary hit points per day on command. These temporary hit points fade after 4 minutes. The wearer can activate this power as an immediate action.

Aura faint psychometabolism; ML 4th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, vigor; Price +720 gp.

Landing

A suit of armor with this capability allows the wearer to ignore any damage dealt by the first 60 feet of a fall. Regardless of the height of a fall, the wearer always lands on her feet.

Aura faint psychoportation; ML 4th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, catfall; Price +4,000 gp.

Linked

This kind of armor or shield allows the wearer to form a telepathic bond with other wearers of linked armor or shields within 10 miles. This ability is otherwise similar to the mindlink power.

Aura moderate telepathy; ML 6th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, mindlink; Price +6,000 gp.

Manifester

This kind of shield generates 3 power points once per day that the wearer can use when manifesting a power he knows. These power points must all be used on the same power. As usual, a psionic character cannot pay a power’s cost with power points from more than one source, so the power points in the shield must be used for discrete manifestations.

Aura moderate clairsentience; ML 6th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, knowledge of any 2nd-level power; Price +10,800 gp.

Mindarmor

This kind of armor or shield grants the wearer a +3 insight bonus on Will saving throws to resist all mind-affecting and/or compulsion powers.

Aura faint psychokinesis; ML 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, empty mind; Price +24,000 gp.

Murmuring

This armor or shield emits mental static which is easily ignored by the wielder and which can be turned on or off by the wearer as a standard action. However, any concentration check made by other creatures within 30 feet of the armor or shield takes a -5 penalty to the check. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Aura faint telepathy; ML 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, distract; Price +1 bonus.

Murmuring, Greater

As murmuring, but if a creature affected by the armor fails a concentration check, it begins to bleed 1d6 points of damage as the mental static explodes in their mind, causing it to bleed profusely from the nose, ears and eyes. Stopping this bleeding requires magical healing or a DC 15 Heal check.

Aura faint telepathy; ML 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, distract; Price +1 bonus.

Phasing

The wearer of this kind of armor can move through wooden, plaster, or stone walls, but not other materials. The wearer can call on this special ability as a standard action. When the phasing ability is active, the wearer can pass through a wall or some other kind of appropriate object for a total distance of 60 feet per day (see below), breaking this distance up into several smaller passages or one long one, as desired. A wearer who exceeds this daily distance limit while inside solid material is ejected from the material at the point of entry, ending up prone in front of the now impassable barrier.

Phasing through a wall that separates two adjacent squares on the grid counts as 5 feet of distance. Phasing through a wall or barrier of any greater thickness counts as a distance equal to the barrier’s thickness plus 5 feet.

Aura strong psychoportation; ML 13th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, psionic phase door; Price +65,520 gp.

Power Resistance

This kind of armor or shield grants the wearer power resistance while it is worn.

The power resistance can be 13, 15, 17, or 19, depending on the amount that was built into the armor or shield.

Aura moderate clairsentience; ML 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, power resistance; Price +2 bonus (PR 13); +3 bonus (PR 15); +4 bonus (PR 17); or +5 bonus (PR 19).

Quickness

This kind of armor increases the wearer’s speed by 5 feet. Thus, a character whose normal speed in armor is 20 feet moves 25 feet in armor of quickness.

Aura faint psychoportation; ML 4th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, burst; Price +1 bonus.

Radiant

The wearer of this kind of armor gains resistance 10 against energy attacks (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). The armor absorbs the first 10 points of damage dealt by any such attack, and this absorption causes it to radiate light for a number of rounds equal to the points of damage absorbed. This light is sufficient to illuminate a 60-foot-radius area. If the armor absorbs more damage while it is radiating light, the newer radiant effect overlaps (does not stack with) the effect that was already in place.

Aura moderate psychokinesis; ML 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor; energy adaptation; Price +4 bonus.

Ranged

The wielder of a ranged shield can throw it in combat, with a range increment of 30 feet. While in the air, the shield is treated in all ways as a ranged weapon and cannot be blocked or grabbed except by those with appropriate feats. No matter the size of the wielder, a buckler or light shield deals 1d6 points of damage and a heavy one 1d8 points. (A tower shield cannot be created with this special ability.) The wielder’s Strength modifier and the shield’s enhancement bonus add to the base damage.

A ranged shield flies through the air back to the creature that threw it. It returns to the wielder just before the creature’s next turn (and is therefore ready to use again in that turn).

Catching a ranged shield when it comes back is a free action. If the wielder can’t catch it, or if the wielder has moved since throwing it, the shield drops to the ground in the square from which it was thrown.

Aura faint psychokinesis; ML 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, far hand; Price +1 bonus.

Seeing

This kind of armor grants a wider than normal field of vision, so that opponents flanking the wearer gain only a +1 bonus on their attack rolls instead of +2 (rogues still get their full sneak attack damage because the wearer is still flanked). The wearer gains a +1 enhancement bonus on Perception checks but takes a -2 penalty on saves against gaze attacks.

Aura faint clairsentience; ML 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, ubiquitous vision; Price +6,000 gp.

Time Buttress

This kind of shield gives the wielder a chance to avoid telling blows by using time itself as a shield. Once per day, the wielder can use timeless body as though manifesting the power.

Aura strong psychoportation; ML 17th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, timeless body; Price +5 bonus.

Vanishing

On command, this suit of armor or shield renders its wearer and all the wearer’s equipment invisible to the minds of others, as if he had manifested the power cloud mind. The wearer can use this ability twice per day.

Aura faint psychokinesis; ML 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, cloud mind; Price +3 bonus.

Wall

As a standard action once per day, the wielder can drop this kind of shield at his feet and command a wall of ectoplasm (as the power) to come into being, with the shield as the point of origin for the effect. This effect forms a wall whose area is up to twelve 10-foot squares or a sphere or hemisphere with a radius of up to 12 feet. The wall dissipates after 7 minutes, or sooner if the wielder of the shield reclaims it (thus dismissing the effect).

Aura strong metacreativity; ML 12th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, wall of ectoplasm; Price +20,160 gp.