experimental melee weapon (martial, hammer)
Hammer can produce translucent rectangular barrier that is 15ft wide, 8ft high and 5ft wide from its head. Barrier can only be deployed in 45 degree increments on the combat grid.
When shield is deployed, nobody on the “other side” of the shield cannot target creatures on “your side” of the shield. Instead they can only target the shield itself, which has AC of 11. Player holding the hammer cannot do anything that requires use of his hands, except for lowering the shield. Player’s movement speed is also halved and he cannot dash.
When deployed, barrier also acts like impassable physical barrier from both side. On your side, barrier feels like very smooth cold glass to the touch. On other side barrier feels like very hot glass (so hot that your reflexes immediately make you let go when you touch it).
If shield gets lowered to 0 HP, it breaks. Damage counter resets to zero and shield cannot be used until owner completes either short or long rest.
Shield starts with maximum of 16 HP. Every time owner of the shield gains a level, shield gains (2d8 + CON modifier of the owner) HP.
HP of the shield restores to the maximum whenever its owner completetes long rest.
Similar to players, shield also has its own hit die, which is 2d8. Shield has number of hit dies equal to the level of his owner (for example shield with level 5 owner has 5x 2d8 hit dies).
Owner can expend one hit die (2d8) as an action to heal up shield for the amount rolled. Healing is considered as somatic action (that can only be performed if user’s hands are free).
All shield’s hit dies are restored whenever shield’s owner completes short or long rest.
Whenever shield receives the damage, take note of the total received damage (damage counter). This number represents energy pool of the hammer that can be used for the actions listed below.
Damage counter is reset to zero whenever any action that uses it is used or after 1 hour of shield not being deployed.
Deploy Shield. Raise the shield in front of you.
Fire Strike. 10ft long wall of flame bursts out along whole width of the shield (on the “other” side). Every creature in area must make DC 14 dexterity saving throw. A creature takes (floor(damage counter / 4))d4 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful save. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried.
Shatter. Take the charged hammer and smash the ground in front of you. Every creature in 15ft cone in front of hammer must make a DEX saving throw. DC is 9 + (floor(damage counter / 10)). On failed save, creature falls prone and becomes restrained until the end of its next turn. Objects in ability’s path are also damaged (on GM’s discretion). This ability can only be used when shield is NOT deployed and when shield’s damage counter is at least 1.
Lower shield. Shield shuts down.