Special Shield Rules?

[ElvenScribe]

Does anyone remember some really cool special/house rules for shields. As I recall, these rules allowed shields to be used outside of just being added hits to armor.  They provided shielding against missile weapons and even could provide some hits in armor when worn on the PC's back.

[khaboom]

Ken often allowed back protection if you strapped your shield there.

I like the idea of adding something to combat - that you fight better attackingly with a shield.

I always equipped my characters with a poniard rather than a buckler at L1 - the buckler got a warrior a guaranteed 6 protection but the poniard could shift combat by as much as 12, obviously with a risk of doing worse than the buckler's 6.

A warrior with a shield was a more compelling image though!

[gaptooth]

You can use some house rules to codify aspects of it, but the shield can offer benefits through its sheer fictional presence alone.

What's the difference between a MR 88 Troll and a MR 88 Jelly? Mechanically, they may seem identical, but in the fiction, their moves, intelligence, tactics, desires, weaknesses, and almost everything else is entirely different.

Likewise, having a shield, equipping a shield, narrating the use of the shield—all offer opportunities for drastic differentiation in your moves, tactics, weaknesses, and other aspects. Like having a ladder or a rope or a shovel, having a shield makes certain actions possible that would be impossible or nearly impossible without it.

You want to catch a hail of arrows? With a shield ready, you can confidently ask the GM for a Saving Roll, but without it you're a pincushion. Want to overlap shields with your buddies to form an impassable wall? That will change the terms of engagement. Are you on the top of a tower vaporized by the breath of Trollzilla, and you want to surf the rubble down to the ground? Flip your shield over and get on!

[gaptooth]

Not to mention, if you have a shield up, the enemies on that side might have to send allies to your other flank to hit you at all.

[ElvenScribe]

Thank you for those great comments, guys! I should have said that I would like to have more reason/incentive for PC's to use a shield as a choice that is attractive as dual wielding weapons. I have thought for some time that the appeal for characters to dual wield weapons far exceeds the appeal of a shield. Not that I'm a min-maxer, but as the rules are strictly applied dual wielding weapons far exceed the benefits of a shield. But, if extra benefits to shield use (like allowing shields to do offensive damage {bashing!}, blocking missile weapon fire, and other improvised uses) can make them more equal in appeal.

[ProfGremlin]

I've always wanted to create a character that dual wields shields. If you look in the dT&T rules on page 48 there is a listing for a single-bladed and double-bladed shield. The former doing 3d6 and the later doing 4d6. I'd be willing to rule that a standard 2'-3' diameter shield, used in an offensive manner, could deliver 2d6(+?) in combat. If a cast iron skillet can be considered a makeshift melee weapon then it's reasonable to accept that a shield could be used offensively. Heck, have one specially made with a reinforced rim and an oblong shape with the longitudinal axis following the forearm and you could rule it more effective offensively while still adding some defensive capability. I even recall one type of gladiator shield which had a sharpened edge on the back edge of the shield near the elbow. Just think what you could do with a reinforced and sharpened edge on the front and back.

"They call me Gong."

[mahrundl]

And if you're playing a somewhat cinematic game, you could allow Captain America style shield stunts. Bounce it off of a wall to hit someone around a corner, stun a group of foes by sneak attacking with flung shield, or use it to parachute down on that Ogre* from above...

* Mark V Ogre, that is.

[order99]

Also. 4th Edition explicitly allowed Warriors to "burn" Armor and/or shield for a one time increase in (original AR x LVL).The downside being that you no longer have your pretty toy when you are done...

[alloydog]

I allow 1d of damage from any shield when it is used to punch someone with.

I do this from personal experience:
Many, many moons ago, even before the internet (yes, there was such a time...)
I used to do Dark Age historical re-enacting. During one bout, I was in a one-to-one with someone, when a second guy came running towards me, sword raised. As he got close, I instinctiviely raised my shield and stretched my arm out to block the anticipated blow. Trouble was, the field was damp and a bit slipperly and he was wearing leather boots with a basic leather sole**. He tried to stop, but slid straight towards me, his face making a cruchy thuddy noise as it contacted with the boss of my shield. The nose guard of his helmet was bent down onto his nose and squisshed it proper. Blood was everywhere. Fortunately, his nose wasn't broken and the pain was dulled during the drinking session afterwards.

**Footnote
At the time, the most common foot wear was a leather boot with car tyre tread for the sole. This lead to many quips such as:
"Aha, I see the southern Vikings have passed through here."
"How can you tell?"
"They prefer the Michellin Hi-grip radial..."

P.S. Although I have got rid of most of my re-enacting gear, I still have that very shield and my first axe, plus a later medieval shield and sword. Ah, good times

[zanshin]

I go to Knight school occasionally

battleheritage.co.uk/

The shield is absolutely a weapon. So much of fighting in armour is about getting your opponent on the floor so then you can devastate them (in practice a fight is declared over if you get them on the ground - in reality if you are in heavy armour on the ground with someone smashing you it is probably game over).

Deploying the shield to knock people over or down, especially if you can blind side them, is a major tactic.

[bigjackbrass]

May 24, 2018 23:38:58 GMT -5 alloydog said:

I allow 1d of damage from any shield when it is used to punch someone with.

That seems low. Surely a weighty piece of wood and metal will cause more damage than a fist?

[alloydog]

May 25, 2018 8:38:29 GMT -5 bigjackbrass said:

May 24, 2018 23:38:58 GMT -5 alloydog said:

I allow 1d of damage from any shield when it is used to punch someone with.

That seems low. Surely a weighty piece of wood and metal will cause more damage than a fist?

True, but it is pretty cumbersome. Unless you had lost your weapon and was using it with determined presicion, it isn't easy to apply the full weight tp one area. If you're using a round shield with a metal boss, if you punch, then only the boss will contact, plus the size and weight of the shield hinders its use. Though, if you had, say, a kite shield, with a pointyish bit at the bottom, you could thrust it at the opponent and wind them. Maybe if you were lucky, then you might hit them in an exposed area, such as the throat, then you could probably cause serious damage.

I feel 1d is enough

[ProfGremlin]

I'm reminded of the character Tika Waylan in the Dragonlance Saga. She reportedly raised shield-bashing to an art form.

[stefanj]

Fun Fact: In really early editions of T&T, warriors fighting in berserk mode got an extra 5 adds for having a shield, because they could chew on it to work themselves up!

[alloydog]

May 31, 2018 20:58:51 GMT -5 stefanj said:

Fun Fact: In really early editions of T&T, warriors fighting in berserk mode got an extra 5 adds for having a shield, because they could chew on it to work themselves up!

I remember reading something like that.

A while back, at a prevoius job, a few of us played at lunch times: One lady asked "Can I use my shield like a frisbee?" Since her character had very good strength and dex, I let her do it. As I remember it, I gave it the same damage as a smashing weapon of the samw weight. I gave her an easy saving throw, because what the hell, idea like that should be rewarded!