Shield as Cover

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by LBurger

Well, it is permited in a Cone Attack: a dodge for cover may screen you out of it.

Dodge and Drop is a valid defense against area attacks in general. Block isn't.

[Lia Valenth]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Dodge and Drop is a valid defense against area attacks in general. Block isn't.

Except in High Fantasy (or comedies), in example Fighter in 8-Bit Theater blocked the earth.

Out of curiosity are there any books on fantasy hero attack and defense maneuvers, like the OP blocking dragon fire? I do not believe Fantasy has it, and I have not seen it in DF...

[Jonas]

Originally Posted by LBurger

Sorry if this has been posted, but i did not find it. :)

If I have a shield large enough to cover (actually, to hide, hehe) behind it, shouldn't it count as cover against area/cone attacks?

I mean, if im facing a dragon, and he uses his fire breath: is there a way to cover myself with my large shield crounching behind it, or do you think this is too unrealistic?

Thx in advance.



Burger

There are really no RAW that lets you use shields as movable pieces of cover, which is what they are in real life, and you won't really get any official help with it either as apparently such is felt to be a pointless waste of effort. However a number of gurps users disagree with that view and have come up with a few different house rules on how to get more plausible results out of shield use.

As for your question there is zero logical reason you should not be able to use a shield large enough to hide behind as cover with no more defense roll than is needed to dive behind a low wall when someone opens up with rapid fire. Just make sure to track how much punishment their shield can take. ;)

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Lia Valenth

Except in High Fantasy (or comedies), in example Fighter in 8-Bit Theater blocked the earth.

Out of curiosity are there any books on fantasy hero attack and defense maneuvers, like the OP blocking dragon fire? I do not believe Fantasy has it, and I have not seen it in DF...

You could use the Technique Design System to make such a thing.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Lia Valenth

Except in High Fantasy (or comedies), in example Fighter in 8-Bit Theater blocked the earth.

I am speaking of and in GURPS rules.

Blocking area attacks is a thing in plenty of fictional and possibly even real contexts.

[Landwalker]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

I am speaking of and in GURPS rules.

Blocking area attacks is a thing in plenty of fictional and possibly even real contexts.

Indeed. The Roman testudo (and probably many shield wall formations from both earlier and later centuries) was practically predicated on such a "mechanic."

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Landwalker

Indeed. The Roman testudo (and probably many shield wall formations from both earlier and later centuries) was practically predicated on such a "mechanic."

Arrow barrages aren't area attacks in GURPS. There really aren't any good rules for them in GURPS, although suppressive fire comes closest. You couldn't use a Testudo to block explosive shells or a cloud of poison gas.

[Landwalker]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Arrow barrages aren't area attacks in GURPS. There really aren't any good rules for them in GURPS, although suppressive fire comes closest. You couldn't use a Testudo to block explosive shells or a cloud of poison gas.

No more (or less) than a single fighter could with a single shield, of course. (And depending on the strength and nature of the explosion, it might be able to protect against fragmentation if you were permitted to use it as cover—those scuta don't mess around in the Cover DR department).

Tangentially, it's always struck me as odd that arrow barrages aren't area attacks by RAW. But then again, I'm not sure that they're clearly anything by RAW (although I agree that suppressive fire is as close as GURPS gets).

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Landwalker

No more (or less) than a single fighter could with a single shield, of course. (And depending on the strength and nature of the explosion, it might be able to protect against fragmentation if you were permitted to use it as cover—those scuta don't mess around in the Cover DR department).

Tangentially, it's always struck me as odd that arrow barrages aren't area attacks by RAW. But then again, I'm not sure that they're clearly anything by RAW (although I agree that suppressive fire is as close as GURPS gets).

If anything, they're Area Attack with Barrage and Blockable.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

You could use the Technique Design System to make such a thing.

Why make it (from scratch)? We have this to work with, perhaps with some modification:

Originally Posted by F220

Testudo
Hard
Default: Soldier-4.
Prerequisite: Shield skill.
The testudo, one of the Roman
legions’ showier maneuvers, requires
a substantial number of men. Several
ranks of men close up to each other
and raise their shields over their
heads, locking them together. Roll
against their average ability score for
this technique. On a success, treat this
as being under full cover (see p. B407)
for attacks from above. It does not
protect against attacks from other
directions, and the soldiers must not
dodge, parry, or attack while holding
the testudo.
If a group has performed the testu-
do, other soldiers can attempt to jump
onto the upper surface of the shields,
with a Jumping or Acrobatics roll, and
run on them. This may get an assault
force over a low wall. Roll against the
average Testudo skill of the men per-
forming the testudo (based on ST
instead of IQ) to see if they maintain it
against the extra weight; if they fail,
the men on top must roll vs. DX or fall
– flat on the shields on an ordinary fail-
ure, to the ground on a critical failure.