The Shield of Prator, what's up with the history?

[inuyasha]

A hero of old, the paladin Prator bore this relic in many a valiant battle. The Shield of Prator is said to have disappeared when Prator fell in the Battle of the Three Hells, although it has reportedly surfaced briefly from time to time since then. This +5 large shield, emblazoned with the symbol of the sun, allows the wielder to cast spells as if she were a 20th-level paladin with a Wisdom score of 20. The spells gained are cumulative with any existing spells per day that the character might have, even if she's already a paladin. The Shield of Prator also grants spell resistance 15 to irs wielder. Furthermore, it absorbs the first 10 points of damage each round from fire, cold, acid, electricity, and sonic attacks. (Each element has its own limit of 10 points of damage per round.) In return for all this, once per year the shield's owner must undertake a quest (no saving throw so avoid this) at the behest of a lawful good deity.

Okay playground, I have a very important question, what is with the history of this item?? Does anybody happen to know what the Battle of the Three Hells is? There are a few other questions I have, but this is the big one worth answering. Are there any other things in any edition of the game 3.X and before that reveal more about Prator or this mysterious Battle of the Three Hells? Because as far as I know, there are Nine Hells, what happened to the other six?

Anybody able to help with this would be greatly appreciated.

[Starbuck_II]

Okay playground, I have a very important question, what is with the history of this item?? Does anybody happen to know what the Battle of the Three Hells is? There are a few other questions I have, but this is the big one worth answering. Are there any other things in any edition of the game 3.X and before that reveal more about Prator or this mysterious Battle of the Three Hells? Because as far as I know, there are Nine Hells, what happened to the other six?

Anybody able to help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Don't know how canon this is:
https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Death_Blade_(3.5e_Equipment)

[inuyasha]

Don't know how canon this is:
https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Death_Blade_(3.5e_Equipment)

I'm going to assume that it isn't because it's on DanDwiki and the only things canon there are tagged with [srd], and also I just checked out some lore on Nerull and found no references to such an item.

[Pex]

Also, Rotarp is just Prator spelled backward. The language used to describe what happens if you do something good while an unturnable vampire does not mesh well in the verbiage WOTC would use.

[Fizban]

I would assume that it's the same as Mordenkainen and the rest: people from the designers own games. Even if he's not from Greyhawk I'm sure it's based on someone's old character.

[nedz]

Where is your verbiage from ?

Because this item looks exactly like The Shield of the Sun (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/artifacts.htm#theShieldoftheSun) with some additional fluff.

This is a standard artefact, if there is such a thing, which has had some additional fluff added.

I would assume that the additional fluff is setting specific, i.e. this is a setting specific rendering of a standard item.

[Fizban]

The Shield of Prator is what's called in the printed DMG, Shield of the Sun is the filed-numbers name on the SRD. Which probably proves my point.

[Âmesang]

It's from the DUNGEON MASTER'S Guide, p.282.

Being an artifact perhaps it's so old it comes from a time when there was only Three Hells instead of Nine? I even found a picture of a young Asmodeus!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3e/Hot_Stuff_the_Little_Devil.png
EDIT: Aww, I was partially ninja'd. =(

[twas_Brillig]

Being an artifact perhaps it's so old it comes from a time when there was only Three Hells instead of Nine? I even found a picture of a young Asmodeus!

Alternatively, "Battle of the Three Hells" would fit a battle where only three Hells participated, or were battled across. Unfortunately, that doesn't really help with finding a source...

[DrMotives]

This is just a guess, but it could possibly involve Hell & the other 2 planes that are both Lawful & Evil, that is Archeron & Gehenna. Archeron is more Lawful than Evil, and Gehenna the opposite, but still, all 3 are LE planes.

[Pex]

Could be a misprint. It was the Battle of the Three Hels - Helen, Helga, and Helaine. Prator dated all of them at the same time, unknown to the others. It was the origin of the "Hell hath no fury . . ." proverb.

[Pluto!]

Nobody's mentioned it, but Battle of Three Hells is an anagram for "Softball Heel Tether."

Coincidence? I think not.

[nedz]

Nobody's mentioned it, but Battle of Three Hells is an anagram for "Softball Heel Tether."

Coincidence? I think not.

Table for Hells Teeth - they don't name the restaurant though.

[inuyasha]

Alright guys, thanks for helping :smallbiggrin:

I guess it's just a weird thing with no true explanation... perhaps someone else on the boards would know? Actually, does anybody know anything about this shield from earlier editions of the game?

[nedz]

Actually, does anybody know anything about this shield from earlier editions of the game?

It's not one I recall, but the 2E DMG doesn't really list artefacts other than a few examples - and I'm not sure where my 1E DMG is.

[DrMotives]

There was a 2e splatbook with tons of extra artifacts, but I don't have my 2e books anymore. Perhaps asking on the 2e forum would track it down.