Now correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I can tell an item affected by a spell crafted ritual still counts as a magic item. Furthermore for the low low cost of 2 gold coins, any character may purchase one spellcrafted ritual without the need of scroll or components. Magic items as of the May 2.1 update are not affected by the break effect. Furthermore magic items are affected by the Shatter effect in a reduced fashion,
"Items with Ritual effects will treat a Shatter
or Explosive effect as a Break effect, but are
otherwise immune to Break. A Broken magic
item is unable to use any instant or timed
effects until it has been repaired or Mended."
-pg 25 May 2.1 beta package-
Now this specificly states that items with ritual effects treat shatter and explosive as a break effect, which under the break effect it states that non-magical production items are made unuseable. It goes on to list exactly what the shatter effect does do to a magic item.
So if I'm putting this all together correctly, any shield user can pay 2 gold to have a ritual spell crafted onto thier shield and for purposes of thier shield being useable as a shield (ignoring the ritual effect) will have in effect an indestructable shield. Furthermore any shield user who scrounges up enough components and/or gold to pay off a ritual caster to put the cheapest more bare minimum ritual onto thier shield will have in affect, for the purpose of thier shield being used as a shield, an indestructable shield for the time length of the ritual.
I cant see this being intentional considering as it would make shield users immunre to a school of effects (break and shatter) that seems to be a way to help keep them in check. I know I havent played a game of alliance yet, but I'm familar with how dominating shields were in Alliance's parent system, especially rendered shields, and that was with a shield size limitation and before ultralight corregated plastic shields became a thing.
"Items with Ritual effects will treat a Shatter
or Explosive effect as a Break effect, but are
otherwise immune to Break. A Broken magic
item is unable to use any instant or timed
effects until it has been repaired or Mended."
-pg 25 May 2.1 beta package-
Now this specificly states that items with ritual effects treat shatter and explosive as a break effect, which under the break effect it states that non-magical production items are made unuseable. It goes on to list exactly what the shatter effect does do to a magic item.
So if I'm putting this all together correctly, any shield user can pay 2 gold to have a ritual spell crafted onto thier shield and for purposes of thier shield being useable as a shield (ignoring the ritual effect) will have in effect an indestructable shield. Furthermore any shield user who scrounges up enough components and/or gold to pay off a ritual caster to put the cheapest more bare minimum ritual onto thier shield will have in affect, for the purpose of thier shield being used as a shield, an indestructable shield for the time length of the ritual.
I cant see this being intentional considering as it would make shield users immunre to a school of effects (break and shatter) that seems to be a way to help keep them in check. I know I havent played a game of alliance yet, but I'm familar with how dominating shields were in Alliance's parent system, especially rendered shields, and that was with a shield size limitation and before ultralight corregated plastic shields became a thing.