Shields for Missile Weapon Wielders

[nanoboy]

So far as I can recall, in the rules as written, archers and crossbowmen wouldn't be able to use shields at all. However, as far as I can understand, historical missile soldiers often did use shields of various sorts. I have seen pictures of shields designed with a cut-out such that a bowman could keep the shield strapped to his arm but still shoot the bow being held in the hand of that same arm. Another design is the pavisse, a rather large shield often used by crossbowmen for cover while reloading. As I understand it, the pavisse may be strapped to the back so that the crossbowman can turn around to reload, or it may be leaned against a support on the ground. It may be used as a shield if the crossbowman is to enter into melee combat.

In GURPS, I am wondering how these situations could play out. Here are my proposals:

1. Shields can be specially designed to work for archers. Light, small, or medium shields designed in such a way cost 10% more (to cut out the special pattern) and have 20% fewer HP to represent a loss in strength. A 10% reduction in weight would be good, too. These are all rules of thumb that have been drawn from my ass, so criticism is more than welcome. Also, for obvious reasons, such shields may not be bucklers.

2. Pavisses are weird. They are large shields with 20% more weight when used in melee combat. If it is worn on the back, then it counts as DR8 armor for the back only covering skull, neck, torso, arms, hands, legs (and groin I guess, but it is the back.) It only covers the arms and hands when they are not spread eagle or something. The GM would need to use common sense when really applying these locations with DR. If used as stationary cover, it should be treated as normal cover of DR8, probably over the entire body, unless an enemy has an oblique vantage point.

Let me know what you think and if I am being an idiot. Thanks.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

If the wielder isn't actually using the shield, "pavisse" and is just wearing it on his back and turning around after firing, or sticking it on the ground and hiding behind it, I'd just treat it as passive cover.
So the shield would be treated the same as any other slab, like a door, which the shooter is hiding behind.

Same thing for a buckler which is strapped to an arm and not actively used as a shield, it'd just provide cover to the areas it covers while the shooter is shooting.

Hopefully that made some sense...

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

Same thing for a buckler which is strapped to an arm and not actively used as a shield, it'd just provide cover to the areas it covers while the shooter is shooting.

While firing, certainly, but, if he is not *using* the bow, would it be fair to allow him to block, possibly with a penalty?

More importantly, would it be *realistic*?

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by ravenfish

While firing, certainly, but, if he is not *using* the bow, would it be fair to allow him to block, possibly with a penalty?

More importantly, would it be *realistic*?

Well if he's blocking, then he's defending and he's using the shield normally, remember that any active defense ends an aim maneuver.

If he's not blocking, then he's not defending and it's just cover, as far as I'm concerned.

[Anaraxes]

if he is not *using* the bow, would it be fair to allow him to block

Sure. I presume the bow becomes unready when you stop "using" it.

RAW covers wearing a shield on your back; IIRC, you get the DB but aren't actively rolling a Block. Though maybe that's a 3e PD memory intruding.

As others have said, the pavisse is just portable cover.