Glasshields

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Glasshields

Transmutation

	Level		Sor / Wiz 9
	Components		V, S, M
	Casting Time		1 standard action
	Range		Touch
	Target		One magical field or spell
	Duration		Permanent
	Saving Throw		None
	Spell Resistance		No

With a touch, a wizard can transform the most powerful of magical fields into common glass. Any constant field of magic, be it a [wall of fire], [shield], or [globe of invulnerability], becomes nonmagical glass. The effect looks like ice crystallizing at the touch of the caster, and swiftly spreading and encompassing the entire field until it becomes regular glass.

Only abjuration or evocation spells are susceptible to this spell, though one type must be chosen at the time of casting. Of those schools, only spells with a set, independent field effect are affected, since the field must be touched to work the transformation. The caster must cast the spell and physically touch the barrier or spell effect to change it; the caster suffers all effects of contact with the magical field for one round and then the glasshields transforms the field (even if the caster is killed by contact with the field). This spell only affects an external magical effect; it cannot affect active, preset spells such as contingency or invisibility, though it can touch a Bigby’s [hand] spell and change the magical hand to glass. Once the magic changes to glass, any magic used to maintain their mobility fail. Bigby’s hands fall and shatter, while globes of invulnerability merely become glass domes surrounding their casters.

While this spell usually only affects a single magical field effect, it also has been designed to affect spells with multiple field effects, such as [prismatic wall] and [prismatic sphere]. Glasshields can affect all seven layers of these particular spells (and any similar workings that link one field within another) with one spell, and the transformed glass spheres effectively create a prison around that whom they once protected.

Even the magical field generated by magical items such as[bracers of armour] can be turned to glass; if this occurs, the person wearing the item is surrounded by a very thin layer of glass (though it thickens depending on the AC bonus or rating). The magic is temporarily disrupted for 1d3 rounds, during which the glass field provides the wearer with an armour bonus of +2. No Dexterity bonuses can be gained by the glass-encased character, since the stiff glass prevents any major movements. When this field is shattered (either by the target’s movements or attacks), the wearer incurs 1d3 points of damage from glass shards (unless they have a natural armour bonus of +4 or more). Once the glass shatters or the spell wears off, the item’s normal magic immediately shore up and restore the character’s normal AC.

Curiously, while this spell affects nearly any other magical field effect, the glasshields spell does not function on these spells and effects: Alustriel’s mantle, Alustriel’s improved mantle, Alustriel’s queenmantle, eye of Mystra, moonlight, the Simbul’s spell sequencer, and the Simbul’s spell trigger. It also has no effect on mythals or wards that cover more than a 40ft radius, and even those are transformed are merely negated for 1d3 rounds.

Created by the aged wizard Mythanthor (who also created the very mythal that rises over Myth Drannor), glasshields became a well-hidden secret among the ranks of the Court Mages and senior armathors. Its usefulness as a final surprise captured many rebellious spellcasters who thought themselves safe behind magical defences as they laughed at their pursuers.

Truthfully, this is a scaled-down and surviving version of the spell; Mythanthor.s original version of glasshields was a 10th level spell, though it was recorded thus only in his personal Folio. That spell, should it be uncovered, allowed the caster to transform all standing field-effect spells of both the evocation and abjuration schools within a 20ft radius of the caster to glass.