A plain and ancient-looking wooden shield with leather straps, held together with wooden pegs instead of nails. The shield radiates necromantic and abjurative magic to passive scans so long as no one is currently carrying it. If the shield is carried, it consumes the energy of any spell that might detect or identify it, as described below.

This two-foot diameter round shield functions as a normal shield (granting a +2 bonus to AC). If the bearer of the shield would fail a saving throw against a spell, however, the shield grows momentarily deathly cold. Any spell effect targeted at the bearer of the shield is negated, causing no effect. Instead, the bearer takes 1d4 points of damage to the ability score against which the failed saving throw was rolled (i.e. if the bearer fails a Dexterity save, he takes 1d4 points of Dexterity damage) as the shield consumes both the spell’s energy and the wielder’s life force. If any ability score is reduced to 0 in this manner, the bearer is slain.

If the bearer successfully avoids a spell, but making his save, the shield does not have the opportunity to consume it, causing no additional effects on the bearer. Likewise, spells that do not allow a saving throw affect the bearer of the shield normally.