09-28-2018, 06:36 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
The wording on ITL 117 does specify a ready weapon, but, since you can attack with a shield (shield rush), it would be reasonable to treat one as a weapon for the purpose of defending (especially since that is what you actually do with a shield). It could easily be made unambiguous one way or the other with a tiny edit.
I've always allowed someone with a shield to defend. |
09-28-2018, 07:08 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: behind you
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
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09-28-2018, 07:28 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
Can you defend with a shield if you don't have the shield skill and your AdjDX is zero?
How about with the staff on the same turn you use its uber special no-action attack? In that case must you defend against the same figure you did the staff special attack against? Finally, can one Staff of Power auto-defend against the auto-attack of another?
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-HJC |
09-28-2018, 10:48 PM | #5 |
Join Date: May 2015
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
I think you can defend with anything big and solid enough in your hands. After all, you can defend with a short bow in your hand. So yes I think you can defend with a shield in your hand but no weapon. Realistically, I tend to think a shield would be more effective at stopping both ranged and melee attacks than parrying with a weapon.
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09-28-2018, 11:06 PM | #6 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: behind you
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
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09-28-2018, 11:26 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: behind you
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
OK. After getting some feedback in my thread about the Two-Weapon skill, here's why I think things are worded/handled with shields the way they are...
You can defend without a shield! With just your weapon! So most of the time, it doesn't matter if you can 'parry' with a shield, correct? Where it might matter is if you had a shield and a weapon but the weapon got broke or dropped or something and you suddenly find yourself without a weapon...but you've still got a shield! Yes, I would let someone 'parry' with their shield in that situation. |
09-28-2018, 11:26 PM | #8 |
Join Date: May 2015
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
If you want to be confused again, you can see the new listing for the Shield talent, which says you must have the talent to use a shield, without saying what the result of trying to use a shield without the talent is, exactly.
You can still wear a shield on your back and have it stop one less hit than normal, from the rear only. Seems to me like an untrained person could probably do that well with a shield on their arm, and be allowed to Defend since they've got something solid. |
09-28-2018, 11:37 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: behind you
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
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But to answer your question: What happens if you use a shield without the talent? I'd say "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. When you get hit, that shield does absolutely nothing! Doesn't matter where it is. It stops 0 hits." LOL Last edited by platimus; 09-28-2018 at 11:42 PM. |
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09-28-2018, 11:48 PM | #10 |
Join Date: May 2015
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Re: A dagger can defend, but a shield cannot
Another idea is trying to fight with a shield without the shield talent gives you an adjDX penalty, possibly -4DX like other lack-of-talent weapon use. I'd still let it protect at a reduced rate, since it's there, assuming you didn't crit-fail your IQ roll and are wearing it on your head or holding it someplace truly useless.
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