Shield of Balduran Question

Dharius

I'm currently on Level 5 of Watcher's Keep and doing the Pillars/Orbs challenge where you meet a Hive Mother, Elder Orb and Death Tyrant.

Anomen is using the Shield of Balduran but the thing is...it's not reflecting any rays! He's getting creamed by Cause Serious Wounds and Anti Magic Rays right now, even with the Shield equipped and the cool visual effect it gives. Should it only reflect rays against "Beholders", or any Beholder-kin like these? Or have I found a bug?

jmerry

The Shield of Balduran does not protect against antimagic rays, and never has.

Cause Wounds rays, on the other hand, should be reflected. Both the gauth/beholder/elder orb version and the death tyrant/hive mother version. All beholderkin rays, except for antimagic, should be reflected.

On the other hand, both elder orbs and hive mothers do get some non-ray spells.
Hive Mothers are smart enough to stop using their attack rays against someone protected by the shield of Balduran, and switch over to their equally unlimited rapid-fire spells. Remove Magic, Magic Missile, Lightning Bolt, Maze, Prismatic Spray, Chain Lightning.
Elder Orbs won't stop using their rays, but will also use their normal spells. Those are cast like any mage, including that they take up spell slots. Only one instance of Imprisonment.

The only effect that blocks beholder antimagic rays (that I'm aware of) is the 5th level arcane spell "Spell Shield".

Dharius

Ah that explains it then…shame as I thought I’d be invincible with that Shield, it did cost a bit. As for the CSW rays, it’s possible they were reflected after all and he was affected by other spells like Magic Missile, the beholders do things so quickly it’s hard to tell…

Back to Improved Haste, Shield of the Archon and buffing to the max then, hey ho…

jmerry

The Cloak of Mirroring also works very well - some of the debuff rays get through, but it blocks all of the damage and instant death rays, plus the damaging spells.

It's possible to put together enough spell-based buffs to protect against all beholder rays too, but only on an arcane caster. Lots of specific buffs like Death Ward and Protection from Magical Energy, plus Spell Shield to block antimagic and protect the other buffs. Unlike its normal role, blocking an antimagic ray does not expend a Spell Shield; the shield sticks around to block them all for up to 60 rounds.