Gong ho for shields

[Garryl]

Battle Gong
Price: 43470g
Body Slot: Held (shield)
Caster Level: 8th
Aura: Moderate Evocation
Activation: Use-activated
Weight: 15 lb.

From the front, this shield appears to be a circular steel plate. In the back, a metal lattice allows it to be wielded like a shield. Leather straps attach the lattice to the plate, allowing it to swing slightly. The plate vibrates slightly with its wielder's movements. Gravity does not seem to pull the plate down relative to the lattice, allowing it to shake even when held parallel to the ground.

A Battle Gong functions as a +1 Bashing heavy steel shield (causing it to deal a base damage of 1d8 for a Medium character). It also grants its wielder 20 points of sonic resistance. Whenever the Battle Gong is used for a shield bash that hits, the Battle Gong reverberates, dealing additional sonic damage equal to 1d6 plus the attacked subject's armor bonus to its Armor Class. The subject must make a Fort save (DC 10 + the Battle Gong's enhancement bonus as a shield + the Battle Gong's enhancement bonus as a weapon + its wielder's Charisma modifier) or be deafened for 1 minute. All other creatures within a 30' radius burst of the attacked subject (including the wielder's allies, but not the wielder himself) take a like amount of sonic damage, although a successful Fort save negates the damage. These other creatures are not at risk of deafness.

Battle Gongs are slightly more unwieldy than normal shields and have a tendency to make more noise than usual when moved. The armor check penalty for a Battle Gong is -1 worse than normal (negating the 1 point reduction of a masterwork item, leaving the armor check penalty at -2). In addition, the Battle Gong imposes an additional -5 penalty on all Move Silently checks made by anyone holding it, even if it is not wielded. Properly securing and stowing a Battle Gong negates its penalty to Move Silently checks.

Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Bull's Strength, Resist Energy, Sound Burst
Cost to create: 21970g, 860 xp, 22 days (470g mundane, 21500g magic)
Further improvement: A Battle Gong can be improved as though it was a +1 Bashing heavy steel shield with the Improved Sonic Resistance quality. Additionally, it can be improved as though it had a masterwork steel shield spike attached to it, enchanted with a +1 enhancement bonus and the miscellaneous enchantments that cause the Battle Gong's other effects (equivalent to an additional +2 enhancement bonus for pricing). A Battle Gong can never have actual shield spikes attached to it, although any changes to the material of the shield must be applied to the virtual shield spikes as well.

Construction breakdown:
[spoiler]
Equivalent enhancement bonus:
Shield: +1 (AC) +1 (Bashing)
Weapon: +1 (attack) +2 (Gong)

Price: 43470g = 20 gp (hvy stl shld) + 150 (mwk) + 300 (virtual mwk for virtual shield spikes) + 21000 (sonic resist 20) + 4000 (+2 shield enhancement bonus) + 18000 (+3 weapon enhancement bonus)

The Sonic Resist 20 is as lvl 1/CL 7 Resist energy spell from Ranger, cost * 1.5 for being on armor. I'll be damned if I'm paying full price for this. It already costs as much as the rest of the stuff.
[/spoiler]

Edit: The gong only triggers once per round now. Forcing that many saves is annoying.

[SneeR]

I really like this idea, but the extra damage equal to the targets AC is a little wonky. What about natural armor? Shield bonuses? If this hits a monk loaded with deflection and dodge bonuses to AC, why does he take extra damage? I'd just get rid of that line.

If you want to keep it, think of this:
The line implies that the sound reverbrates through the armor and hurts, right? But even if you say that armor bonuses to AC contribute to this damage, making only armor bonuses hurt, what about force armor like Mage Armor?
That punishes tanks a lot more seemingly without reason. I'd kill it.

[Garryl]

Whenever the Battle Gong is used for a shield bash that hits, the Battle Gong reverberates, dealing an additional +1d6 sonic damage plus additional damage equal to the subject's armor bonus to its Armor Class.

It's only the armor bonus to AC. Shield, natural, dodge, deflection, insight, and other AC bonuses aren't counted. Only actual armor bonuses (which, yes, includes Mage Armor) cause extra damage. Just because it's magic doesn't mean it can't shake a bit.

[ThisGuy01]

It's only the armor bonus to AC. Shield, natural, dodge, deflection, insight, and other AC bonuses aren't counted. Only actual armor bonuses (which, yes, includes Mage Armor) cause extra damage. Just because it's magic doesn't mean it can't shake a bit.

That's what I assumed when I read it.  Hitting someone with a giant gong and making their armor vibrate enough to hurt them...I dig it.  Granted, I don't know exactly how mage armor would vibrate, but I really don't care, that'll teach those casters *nodnod*

(including the wielder's allies, but the wielder himself)

Just to make sure, that's supposed to be 'but not the wielder himself' correct?

[Garryl]

Thanks for catching that. Indeed, the wielder himself is unaffected. An earlier version also hit the wielder for sonic damage (which would be absorbed through the shield's sonic resistance), and I obviously missed a bit of the transition.

[ThisGuy01]

I just happened to have this idea...what if they character using the gong could hit it with a piece of metal (probably their weapon) they could create a cone of sonic damage, a 30ft cone maybe that did 3d6 sonic +the armor bonus damage.  You could also give them a save based of the strength of the person hitting it (10+strength score maybe?) or be deafened.  Now that I think about it, you might even give someone wearing a metal helmet a penalty to their save because of all the sound bouncing around in their helmet.

[SneeR]

Or you could have helmets give a bonus, since it muffles the sound--they aren't freaking bells! I think keeping track of who wears a helmet is too much work, so no penalties or bonuses.

The cone idea is really cool, though, ThisGuy. 3d6 might be a little strong for it to also potentially deafen at such a low price, but the concept maybe toned down is nifty.

[ThisGuy01]

That's a fair point on the helmet part, no bonus/penalty is probably the easiest way to go.  3d6 might be too much with the armor bonus to damage, 1d10 might work or 1d8 even.