Quote Originally Posted by Yitzi View Post
There's no rule that every homebrew class has to match with every variant.
Yeah, but I agree with this particular variant. If you're using a shield, it either blocks the attack, or it doesn't. It can't soften the blow for you like armor can.

1. A wizard who's lost his spellbook still has his spells that he memorized this morning. A fighter-type who's lost his shield has no shield.

2. A spellbook doesn't have to be placed in a sunderable/disarmable position in order to be effective. A shield does.

3. Spells are offensively as well as defensively powerful, so the existence of a way to remove them isn't such a good balancer (plus, they can help protect the spellbook.) What I suggested is only giving the shield master high defensive bonuses, and nothing that will make it impossible to deprive him of his shield.
That is all true. But...

That's why I said it would be necessary to fix the sunder rules, so it can be disabled without being destroyed. (Stolen is not a concern, as disarming generally happens in combat, and if you win the combat you get the item back.)
Right there. See, I make my classes based on experience, and my experience is "The DM is not a jerk". Sundering is not something that ever happens at my table, even when it became very, very necessary. (A player was using his Item Familiar longbow to optimize his Spellcraft for Persistent Incantatrix cheese and the DM still wouldn't take his bow away)

If a player is playing at a table where his gear is getting Sundered, he needs to stock extra gear. There is no reason for this class to grant bonuses against Sundering (The Aegis does not possess a specific shield, he only channels his energy through the shield that the shield master is currently holding, and only to empower the shield master himself)