Wall Augmentations

You can augment walls by adding these effects to them. Unlike the wall materials above, they don’t support weight by themselves. You can’t build a castle of “magically treated,” for example. It must be magically treated something.

Some augmentations only affect exterior or free-standing walls. In this case, even though you pay for an entire stronghold space to be augmented, the augmentation does not affect any interior walls.

Unless otherwise stated, any wall’s augmentation also applies to any doors, windows, or other accessways through that wall. You can leave such items out of its effects, though their area still counts toward the limit of the augmentation’s effect. In other words, you can’t increase the augmentation’s effective area by leaving out doors or windows.

Unless specified otherwise, you can apply more than one augmentation to your walls. For augmentations that only affect a single side of the wall, you can augment both sides by purchasing the augmentation twice.

As magic items, augmented walls gain a saving throw against any spells that could affect them, with the save bonus equaling 2 + half the caster level of the magic reinforcing the wall. In the case of a wall with multiple augmentations, use the highest caster level to determine the save bonus.

Table 2–7: Wall Augmentations

Augmentation	Effect	Cost*
Airtight	No gaseous form intrusion, sealed	7,500 gp
Bladed**	Whirling blades cover wall surface	33,000 gp
Chaotic guarding**	Protects chaotic creatures	50,000 gp
Elemental protection	Protects against one energy type	7,500 gp
Elemental protection, improved	Greater protection against one energy type	15,000 gp
Ethereal solid	Blocks ethereal intrusion	12,000 gp
Fiery**	Continually ablaze with magical flame	14,000 gp
Fog veil**	Provides concealment	3,000 gp
Fog veil, killing**	Provides concealment, poisons intruders	22,500 gp
Fog veil, solid**	Provides concealment, slows movement	14,000 gp
Fog veil, stinking**	Provides concealment, causes nausea	7,500 gp
Frostwall	Deals damage to those breaking through	7,000 gp
Holy guarding**	Protects good creatures	50,000 gp
Incendiary veil**	Provides concealment, burns intruders	60,000 gp
Lawful guarding**	Protects lawful creatures	50,000 gp
Magic warding**	Grants SR 21 to all behind wall	22,500 gp
Magic warding, improved**	Grants SR 32 to all behind wall	50,000 gp
Magically treated	+20 to break DC, doubles hardness and hp	12,000 gp
Prismatic screen**	Covered by prismatic wall	60,000 gp
Slick	+10 to DC of all Climb checks to scale	1,500 gp
Spiderwalk	Can scale as spider climb	1,500 gp
Tanglewood†	Entangles anyone adjacent to wall	2,500 gp
Thornwood†	Has damaging thorns	15,000 gp
Transparent	Makes wall clear	3,000 gp
Unholy guarding**	Protects evil creatures	50,000 gp
Webbed**	Covered with webs	3,000 gp
Windguard**	Winds prevent ranged projectile attacks	3,000 gp
Woodbane††	Prevents wood from approaching	33,000 gp

*Cost per space for stronghold walls or per 800 square feet for freestanding walls.

**May only be applied to exterior or freestanding walls.

†May only be applied to walls of wood or living wood.

††May not be applied to walls of wood or living wood.

Disabling Wall Augmentations

Remember that augmentations are essentially magic items, and magic exists through which their effects can be temporarily suppressed (such as dispel magic) or permanently disjoined (such as Mordenkainen’s disjunction). Treat each stronghold space of augmented wall (or each 800 square feet, for freestanding walls) as a separate magic item for this purpose.

As stationary magic items (see Wondrous Architecture, below), wall augmentations can be discovered by a rogue (or other character capable of finding traps) and deactivated with a Disable Device check. The DC for both Search and Disable Device checks is equal to 25 + the spell level of the highest-level spell used in the creation of the wall augmentation. If a wall has multiple augmentations, each one must be discovered and disabled separately. A successful Disable Device check against a wall augmentation suppresses the magic properties (just as if you had successfully cast dispel magic against the item)of a 5-foot-by-5-foot section of the wall for 1d4 rounds. If you beat the DC by 10 or more, you suppress the magic properties for 1d4 minutes instead.

Augmentation Descriptions

Airtight: Assuming it can hold air and be sealed, the stronghold space becomes airtight. This means that it is impervious to gasses that originated outside of the space. In addition, it prevents water from getting into the room except through an open window or door (although this renders the space no longer airtight). This does not protect against the pressure of submerging underwater (see the submersible mobility function, below).

This augmentation is usually necessary for strongholds that sail beneath the surface of water or beyond the limits of the atmosphere. In that case, you need only apply this augmentation to any stronghold spaces that make up the stronghold’s exterior (though it may be wise to apply it to all spaces in case of a breach).

Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, water walk; Market Price: 7,500 gp.

Bladed: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. Whirling blades cover the chosen side of the wall. Any creature touching the bladed wall suffers 11d6 points of damage per round (Reflex save DC 19 halves).

Caster Level: 11th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, blade barrier; Market Price: 33,000 gp.

Chaotic Guarding: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. Any chaotic character on the chosen side of the wall (or standing atop the wall) gains a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saves. They also gain spell resistance 25 against lawful spells and spells cast by lawful creatures. Furthermore, they are protected from possession and mental influence as per protection from law.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, cloak of chaos; Market Price: 50,000 gp.

Elemental Protection: This magic augmentation causes the wall to absorb the first 60 points of damage from a specific energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) per day. If all 60 points of protection are expended, they return 24 hours later, if the wall is still there.

The improved version of this augmentation absorbs the first 120 points of damage from a specific energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) per day.

Caster Level: 5th (elemental protection), 10th (improved elemental protection Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, protection from elements; Market Price: 7,500 gp (elemental protection), 15,000 gp (improved elemental protection).

Ethereal Solid: The Ethereal Plane is mostly an insubstantial mirror of the Material Plane, but some solids exist there that have no reality on the Material Plane. If a sufficiently large ethereal solid coexists with the part of the plane where your stronghold stands, ethereal intruders can’t sneak inside (any more than they could pass through a huge rock on the Material Plane).

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, ethereal jaunt; Market Price: 12,000 gp.

Fiery: A blazing curtain of magic fire covers one side of the wall, emanating heat in that direction. This augmentation deals damage to those nearby or touching it as a wall of fire.

Any 5-foot-by-5-foot section of wall that takes 20 or more points of cold damage in 1 round is extinguished for 24 hours (do not divide cold damage by 4, as normal for objects).

Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, wall of fire; Market Price: 14,000 gp

Fog Veil: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. A 10-foot-thick cloud of mist extends out from this side of the wall. The fog obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature within 5 feet gets one-half concealment (20% miss chance for attacks). Creatures farther away have full concealment (50% miss chance, and sight can’t be used to locate the target).

Fog Veil, Killing: This augmentation works like fog veil, except that the fog is sickly green and poisonous. Any living creature in the killing fog veil with 3 or less HD dies instantly (no save). Creatures of 4–6 HD must make Fortitude saves (DC 17) or die. Those that survive (including all creatures above 6 HD) take 1d10 points of poison damage each round, whether they breathe or not.

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, cloudkill; Market Price: 22,500 gp.

Fog Veil, Solid: This augmentation works like fog veil, but the thick fog reduces movement through it to 10% of normal. Also, all melee attack and melee damage rolls suffer a –2 penalty. Except for magic rays and the like, ranged attacks are not permitted through the solid fog veil.

A creature falling or leaping into the solid fog veil takes 1d6 less falling damage for each 10 feet of the fog he passes through before hitting the ground. Only a severe wind (31+ mph) can disperse this fog, and it does so in 1 round. Once the winds die down, however, the fog returns within 1d4 rounds.

Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, solid fog; Market Price: 14,000 gp.

Fog Veil, Stinking: This augmentation works like fog veil, except that any living creature in the stinking fog veil must make a Fortitude save (DC 14) every round or be overcome by nausea, unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, and so on. A nauseated creature may only make a single move each turn. This effect lasts 1d4+1 rounds after the subject leaves the affected area.

Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, stinking cloud; Market Price: 7,500 gp.

Frostwall: A wall with this augmentation appears normal, though it is cold to the touch. If the wall is shattered or broken, anyone passing through the plane where the wall existed suffers damage as if it were a wall of ice (1d6+7 points of cold damage).

Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, wall of ice; Market Price: 7,000 gp.

Holy Guarding: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. Any good character on the chosen side of the wall (or standing atop the wall) gains a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saves. They also gain spell resistance 25 against evil spells and spells cast by evil creatures. Furthermore, they are protected from possession and mental influence as per protection from evil.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, holy aura; Market Price: 50,000 gp.

Incendiary Veil: This augmentation works like fog veil, except that a 10-foot-thick cloud of burning smoke extends out from the chosen side. Any creature in the smoke takes 4d6 points of fire damage every round. (Reflex save DC 22 halves.)

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, incendiary cloud; Market Price: 60,000 gp.

Lawful Guarding: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. Any lawful character on the chosen side of the wall (or standing atop the wall) gains a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saves. They also gain spell resistance 25 against chaotic spells and spells cast by chaotic creatures. Furthermore, they are protected from possession and mental influence as per protection from chaos.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, shield of law; Market Price: 50,000 gp.

Augmentation Descriptions continued

Magic Warding: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. Anyone within 5 feet of the chosen side of the wall (including those standing atop the wall) gains spell resistance 21 (or spell resistance 32 for improved magic warding) or against any spells cast from the other side of the wall.

If the caster’s line of sight to a target does not pass through the plane of the wall, the spell is unaffected.

Caster Level: 9th (magic warding), 20th (improved magic warding Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, spell resistance; Market Price: 22,500 gp (magic warding), 50,000 gp (improved magic warding).

Magically Treated: This augmentation adds +20 to the Break DC of the wall’s material and doubles its hardness and hit points (or increases the hit points to 50, whichever is greater). This augmentation is identical to the “magically treated wall” described in Chapter 4 of the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide.

Caster Level: 8th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, augment object; Market Price: 12,000 gp.

Prismatic Screen: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. A prismatic wall covers the chosen side. It can be destroyed by the same laborious process as a prismatic wall; however, note that any layer destroyed automatically reforms 24 hours later.

The creator of the prismatic screen is immune to its effects. When creating this augmentation, the creator can add up to 1 additional person per caster level to the list of those who are immune to its effects.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, prismatic wall; Market Price: 60,000 gp.

Slick: Add +10 to the DC of any Climb check made to scale the chosen side of the wall. When creating this augmentation, you may choose for it to affect only one side of a wall.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, grease; Market Price: 1,500 gp.

Spiderwalk: Anyone scaling this wall can climb as if under the effect of a spider climb spell (though you need not have bare hands and feet to use it). When creating this augmentation, you may choose for it to affect only one side of a wall. For instance, you might place it on the inner side of a freestanding wall to obviate the need for stairwells or ladders to reach the top of a defensive placement. Some builders place many arrow slits backed with small platforms all along the inside of such a wall to maximize its utility.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, spider climb; Market Price: 1,500 gp.

Tanglewood: This augmentation can only be added to walls of wood or living wood. The wall animates and entangles (as the entangle spell) anyone approaching within 5 feet of the outside of a tanglewood wall.

Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, entangle; Market Price: 2,500 gp.

Thornwood: This augmentation can only be added to walls of wood or living wood. Creatures who attempt to climb or are forced into thornwood suffer damage as if it were a wall of thorns. This augmentation does not allow creatures to force their way through the wall (unlike wall of thorns). Magical fire burns away the thornwood augmentation, though it naturally grows back in 24 hours.

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, wall of thorns; Market Price: 15,000 gp.

Transparent: This augmentation makes the wall transparent (though not actually invisible). Viewers on either side of the wall can see through it as if it were a window. This does not affect any other properties of the wall, nor does it affect anything hanging from the wall or painted, drawn, or scribed onto it.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, invisibility; Market Price: 3,000 gp.

Unholy Guarding: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. Any evil character on the chosen side of the wall (or standing atop the wall) gains a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saves. They also gain spell resistance 25 against good spells and spells cast by good creatures. Furthermore, they are protected from possession and mental influence as per protection from good.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, unholy aura; Market Price: 50,000 gp.

Webbed: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. A 10-foot-thick web (as the spell) extends out from the chosen side.

Any damaged or burned section of webs automatically reforms 24 hours later.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, web; Market Price: 3,000 gp.

Windguard: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. A wind wall protects that side of the wall.

When creating the augmentation, you can choose to include the first 10 feet above a wall of stronghold space in the augmentation (for instance, to protect your wall-mounted guards from arrows). Remember that the windguard works against objects going in either direction.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, wind wall; Market Price: 3,000 gp.

Woodbane: When creating this augmentation, choose one face of the wall. No wooden objects can come within 10 feet of the chosen side of the wall. Fixed wooden objects with a circumference greater than 3 inches—such as most trees—are unaffected.

When creating the augmentation, you can choose to include the first 10 feet above a wall of stronghold space in the augmentation (for instance, to protect your wall-mounted guards from arrows).

You cannot apply this augmentation to walls of wood or living wood.

Caster Level: 11th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, repulsion; Market Price: 33,000 gp.