Spell recommendations for a shield guardian?

[PhoenixPhyre]

So I have an paranoid necromancer/demon worshipper/archmage. Assume she's got access to people to put any spell into a Shield Guardian. Note: 4th level or lower. What should she pick and what should the trigger be?

Suggestions?

I had thought of either

Dispel Magic (if she gets hit with something nasty)
or
Resilient Sphere (if she gets significantly hurt) to let her get back into the fight using healing items.

Other suggestions? How have y'all used this ability in the past?

[CursedRhubarb]

Fire Shield can be a very nasty one for it to have.

I had one with it and paired it with a Helmed Horror. Was a very interesting fight. I got many middle finger salutes for doing it but the players enjoyed it.

[MrStabby]

Heat metal, counterspell, dimension door?

Banishment is a pretty great spell.

Even fireball can really shake up an encounter - timed for the second round to disrupt concentration and to hopefully pass reactions that might be used for counterspell.

Spirit guardians for a melee golem could be fun. Likewise stinking cloud is fun on a creature that doesn't need to breathe.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Heat metal, counterspell, dimension door?

Banishment is a pretty great spell.

Even fireball can really shake up an encounter - timed for the second round to disrupt concentration and to hopefully pass reactions that might be used for counterspell.

Spirit guardians for a melee golem could be fun. Likewise stinking cloud is fun on a creature that doesn't need to breathe.

I thought of banishment, but I know my players STRONGLY dislike hard cc. They don't use it, so I'm loath to use it on them.

I like the idea of spirit guardians.

[Saeviomage]

So I have an paranoid necromancer/demon worshipper/archmage.
You might be able to say that this individual has designated his home plane is one of the hells, and therefore banishment sends him there, instead of being a hard CC.

[Decstarr]

If she's really paranoid, I think it should be either Dispel Magic or Counter-Spell. People attacking her would likely not expect the shield guardians to be anti-magic counter units but rather expect some blasts/attacks from them, so that could be a nice twist.

I've successfully used an instance with several shield guardians who each applied different effects that made the terrain hard and the encounter a real pain in the ass for the party. (Prolly only works on high level parties, though, since adding too many of those guys makes for an extremely difficult encounter especially if their boss is also around). My group managed to save three of the guys and acquired the amulet and now use them as bouncers (all loaded with Suggestion) for their guild hall/brewery.

[PhoenixPhyre]

You might be able to say that this individual has designated his home plane is one of the hells, and therefore banishment sends him there, instead of being a hard CC.

That's the thing. She's kinda on the outs with her former patron due to her failures vs the party and her immanent betrayal. That's the last place she wants to end up, at least without completing her plan.


If she's really paranoid, I think it should be either Dispel Magic or Counter-Spell. People attacking her would likely not expect the shield guardians to be anti-magic counter units but rather expect some blasts/attacks from them, so that could be a nice twist.


That's probably what I'll go with. As to difficulty, this will be a deadly fight (BBEG caster, shield guardian, cleric support) by level, but the party has some super items (artifact level). It will be the 3rd deadly or beyond fight of the day.

This is the villain they've been messing with since the beginning, but haven't known it was her until recently. They're level 10 now, first encounter with her plots at about level 4.