The Dawnguard Rune Shield is one of three unique relics of the Dawnguard (Dawnguard), alongside the Dawnguard Rune Hammer and the Dawnguard Rune Axe. It is a light shield with an armor rating of 27 and a weight of 6. According to UESP, keep blocking and it surrounds you with a small sun aura that harms nearby undead, and its shield bash hits vampires harder.
How to get it
The shield is a reward from the radiant quest Lost Relic, given by Florentius Baenius at Fort Dawnguard.
- Join the Dawnguard and complete a number of side jobs for Gunmar or Isran.
- Florentius then sends you to fetch a relic from the boss chest of a random dungeon.
- Bring it back. The quest runs three times, once for each relic, so the shield may be your first, second or third reward.
If Dragonborn is installed, the dungeon may be on Solstheim, according to UESP, and no quest marker shows until you travel there.
Is it worth wearing?
For vampire hunters, yes. The aura works a bit like Stendarr’s Aura while you hold block, and it drains your Stamina as it burns. That makes it a fun defensive tool in crypts full of undead. Against regular enemies it is simply a decent light shield.
UESP notes it can be tempered with a 
Steel Ingot without the Arcane Blacksmith perk, but it cannot be enchanted further.
Good to know
- While it is equipped, NPCs may comment as if you had a cloak spell active, even outside combat (UESP).
- Players report the aura can stop working; dropping and picking up the shield is said to fix it.
Stats
| Item | Slot | Type | Armor | Weight | Value | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawnguard Rune Shield | Shield | Light | 27 | 6 | 450 | 02011BAF |
Improve it at a workbench with Steel Ingot.
Stats from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm and the official add-ons): base values before Smithing and perks. Where several versions exist (leveled copies), all are listed.
