Weirdshield - Phaerimm

This spell creates a shimmering, translucent magical barrier that appears at a location of the phaerimm's choosing, floating in midair. It is shaped like a triangular shield, point down, fringed with many tentacles that end in human-like hands. This ghostly shield can be moved about by the phaerimm's will at MV 26.

The weirdshield irresistibly attracts any magically conjured bladed weapons (such as a Mordenkainen's sword or blade of doom) within 60 feet of it, and negates them on contact (which occurs one round after the shield is formed within range of such conjured blades, or they come within its range). It also irresistibly attracts any swords of dancing within the same range and at the same rate, causing them to fall lifeless to the ground, temporarily becoming +1 weapons under no being's control.

If the weirdshield is within 20 feet of its caster, it automatically intercepts any magical attack of 4th level or lower that is directed at the caster, and reflects it back at its source. If the distance between the weirdshield and caster is greater, or if the caster tries to move the shield to protect another being, object, or area (blocking a doorway, for example), then the caster must make a successful saving throw vs. spell for the shield to intercept a magical attack and hurl it back at its source. Otherwise, the attack gets through unaltered.

The shield can make an infinite number of such interceptions in a round-and is itself destroyed only by dispel magic, the death of the casting phaerimm, contact with a magical barrier of 5th level or less (the shield and the barrier will destroy each other harmlessly but usually with spectacular light and sound discharges), or if specifically put out of existence by a limited wish or wish spell.

A weirdshield can also be directed to intercept any one being, even non-corporeal or semi-real beings such as gaseous undead or shadow monsters. While doing so, it cannot intercept spell or magical item discharge attacks, which automatically pass it unless it blocks a doorway through which they must pass (whereupon a caster saving throw vs. spell determines the shield's success, as above).

When directed to intercept a being, the shield moves to block its path, and its many arms grapple with the being (even if non-corporeal). The being must make a saving throw vs. spell at a -3 penalty to get past the barrier. If it succeeds, that specific weirdshield can never again affect that specific being, or magical attacks launched by it; the being can pass through the shield as if it does not exist.

If the saving throw fails, the being is halted at the spot where the shield met with it, and cannot move away from that spot. The being can cast spells, ready items, and the like, but cannot launch spells or items at the caster, or move horizontally, until it successfully saves against the shield's magic. The being is allowed another saving throw vs. spell at -3 every round (whether it struggles against the shield or not), and as soon as it makes a successful throw, it is free of that particular weirdshield's effects forever.

A weirdshield can affect only one being in this way; unless it blocks a narrow passage or opening by trapping a being there, it cannot prevent other beings from freely passing it. Others cannot aid a trapped being against the weirdshield by purely physical means (pulling, for instance, or attacking the shield); attempts to do so only harm the trapped being.

A weirdshield cannot be struck by physical attacks or affected by magical attacks except as noted above. Magical barriers of 6th level or greater block its passage, but do not affect it; magical attacks of 5th level or greater pass it as if it does not exist, but do not affect it. Its tentacle-arms cannot grasp, wield, deflect, or pluck at weapons or other objects, only at beings.

If the phaerimm successfully uses a weirdshield to block and trap one being, and then moves it to block another being (for instance, stops one charging warrior, but another slips past and closes with the phaerimm, who frantically switches the shield to deal with this new threat), the trapped being is freed forever from the effects of that weirdshield, but the newly selected target being encounters and must overcome the shield in the usual fashion (saving throw vs. spell at -3). Note that the shield's movement is fast enough to overtake almost any known creature within the same round as it looses the first being, in most situations.

The material components of this spell are a drop of the caster's saliva or spittle, a miniature shield or scrap of armor plate, and an arm (either whittled of wood or formed of clay, or the actual arm of any creature, from mouse to man-size).