Creating a Shield

[tomasina]

According to Fantasy Hero, a shield is created by creating a MultiPower with the following framework:

 

Slot 1 (Shield) - Bonus to DCV with OAF (-1), Real Armor (-1/4), Mass (Normal, -1), and STR Min Limitation.

 

Slot 2 (Shield Bash) - Hand-to-Hand Attack with OAF (-1), Hand-to-Hand Attack (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Min Limitation, and Side Effects (-1/2).

 

I attempted to thus create a Shield in Hero Designer v3, and came up with a couple of questions:

1. What Power should I use to create the first slot (bonus to DCV)?
   
2. Is there any logical correlation (that can be used when creating a shield) between the DCV bonus of the shield and the HA damage of a shield?

Thanks for the continued help,

 

Tom

[Shadowsoul]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

Remember that 'powers' can include skills and talents. So the DCV bonus can be built with CSL's.

 

It costs 4 points for 1 skill level of DCV with HTH or Ranged Combat and 5 points for 1 skill level with DCV for everything. You should find the options for both in Hero Designer.

 

As for your second question I will defer to people with more military expertise but my instinct says not necessarily. I would base the damage on the materials and construction that went into the shield. A large wicker shield might make you harder to hit than a small shield but I would expect a steel buckler to pack more of a punch, (literally).

 

However, Fantasy Hero does not agree with me and generally lists a shield as inflicting 1d6 Normal damage per +1 DCV it provides. You may want to stick with this as a rule of thumb for simplicity's sake.

[tomasina]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

So I added it as a DCV Combat Skill Level as per below:

 

+3 with DCV (15 Active Points)

 

When I went to add it to the MultiPower, I go the following error:

 

Warning! Combat Skill Levels should not be placed in an Multipower (or any other Power Framework).

 

I just wanted to make sure I did this right, and can just ignore the error.

 

Tom

[Shadowsoul]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

I can see why you wouldn't be allowed to do this as part of Multipower but since you shouldn't be paying points for equipment it doesn't look like a problem to me.

 

Perhaps wiser heads will have something to add?

[Killer Shrike]

* DCV Levels are DCV Levels. Ignore the HD warning. That's all it is -- a warning based on general guidelines but overridable at need.

 

* The # of d6 for the HA is usually equal to the number of DCV levels, so a +1 DCV shield is a +1d6 HA, a +3 DCV shield a +3d6 HA, etc

 

Here's a couple of basic examples: Masterwork Large Metal Shield Durocaled Shield; there are other magical shields on the page too like Heavy Steel Shield +5.

 

Shields also typically can be used to block, granting an OCV bonus equal to their DCV bonus for this purpose. This typically is a freebie, not a separate line item.

 

You can also add slots to shields if you like. You may or may not want to require 1pt Familiarities to use these extra slots. For instance, you could add 1 Recoverable Charge (or Lockout) EB to model a "thrown" shield effect if you wanted to; you could also add an Armor based slot for pure defense vs. deflection. You could add a missile deflection slot. You could add a force wall based effect slot. Etc.

[Bismark]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

To add to what has been said above:

 

KS's comment about a Missile Deflection slot is particularly appropriate for metal-faced shields like the archetypal Classical Greek hoplon or the mediaeval knight's 'heater'.

 

Some shields are optimised for stopping missiles and will not appreciate being hit by heavier stuff with serious momentum behind it (the large Achaemenid-period Persian wicker shields come to mind, as do the traditional cane-and-silk kalkan shields beloved of Turco-Mongol types).

 

If you want to take quality of construction into account as well as just materials used, I found out recently that plywood-construction shields are much more durable than those constructed from planks of equivalent thickness (source: "Roman Infantry Equipment: The Later Empire" by I.P. Stephenson, Tempus Publishing Ltd, 2001).

 

It has long been a gripe of mine that most RPGs undervalue shields (or treat them too simplistically) [they also undervalue plate armour as well, but that's a different point entirely]

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

To add to what has been said above:

 

KS's comment about a Missile Deflection slot is particularly appropriate for metal-faced shields like the archetypal Classical Greek hoplon or the mediaeval knight's 'heater'.

 

Some shields are optimised for stopping missiles and will not appreciate being hit by heavier stuff with serious momentum behind it (the large Achaemenid-period Persian wicker shields come to mind, as do the traditional cane-and-silk kalkan shields beloved of Turco-Mongol types).

 

If you want to take quality of construction into account as well as just materials used, I found out recently that plywood-construction shields are much more durable than those constructed from planks of equivalent thickness (source: "Roman Infantry Equipment: The Later Empire" by I.P. Stephenson, Tempus Publishing Ltd, 2001).

 

It has long been a gripe of mine that most RPGs undervalue shields (or treat them too simplistically) [they also undervalue plate armour as well, but that's a different point entirely]

 

I read an interesting bit of research about the "proper" construction of a Jacobite style Highland Targe. 2 layers of ship lapped bog oak planks glue laminated at crossgrains, with a bull or ox rawhide facing shrunk fit and a final layer of oiled leather as the replaceable "skin" and waterproofing. Supposedly the elaborate patterns of metal studs were additional reinforcements to anchor the layers together. A targe built to these specs was able to fairly reliably stop a .70 musket ball at 30 paces. Makes the Scots Charge tactic seem a bit more viable if you know that your shield is bulletproof (-ish, at least).

 

I'd be inclined to treat an edge strike as a Reduced Pen, Extra StunX KA slot, especially for a metal banded edge. Done well, an edge strike is at least as focussed as a mace.

[Outsider]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

Dont forget to take a 120 or 180 degree directional lim on your shield also. it doesnt protect from the rear when held in the front, for example.

[Markdoc]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

However' date=' Fantasy Hero does not agree with me and generally lists a shield as inflicting 1d6 Normal damage per +1 DCV it provides. You may want to stick with this as a rule of thumb for simplicity's sake.[/quote']

 

I house rule the opposite: a small steel buckler is very good for whopping someone with. A Tower shield, not so much.

 

Hence shields grant HA = 4-DCV d6. Thus a buckler does 3d6 HA (same as a light club, basically), medium shields +2d6 and large ones +1d6. You can certainly hit someone with a large shield and it'll likely hurt more than your hand, but the larger they are, the clumsier they are - and the harder to hit someone with the edge or the boss. Hitting them with the flat is not going to do much harm...

 

cheers, Mark

[GreyGuardian]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

Aren't skills that are used as powers listed under the powers tab in hero designer? That might solve the problem with the skill / power warning. Also 5 point combat skill levels are the smallest levels that can have limitations.

[Ocelot]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

Aren't skills that are used as powers listed under the powers tab in hero designer? That might solve the problem with the skill / power warning. Also 5 point combat skill levels are the smallest levels that can have limitations.

 

Beat me to it. You can't make a Shield w/ a 4 point DCV CSL because to make it an OAF requires a minimum of 5 points CSLs.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

+1 DCV CSL is always a 5 point level. What 4 point DCV levels do you speak of?

[Vondy]

Re: Creating a Shield

 

I house rule the opposite: a small steel buckler is very good for whopping someone with. A Tower shield, not so much.

 

Flip it sideways, grab the straps with both hands, and CHAAAAAAARGE!!!!