Shields
 

Small shield - blocks 3 damage if the roll contains a 3. Thus 6.4.1 misses the shield. 2,1,3 blocks 3 pts. Otherwise ignore shield.

Medium shield - blocks 3 damage for every 3 in the roll. So 6,3,1 blocks 3 pts, 1,3,3 blocks 6, 3,3,3 blocks 9. Otherwise ignore shield.

Large shield - always blocks 3 as it's essentially used for hiding behind not blocking/parrying.

Statistically, on average the effect is almost the same as the rules as written, but it gives more flavour.

Re: Shields - Varient rules.
 

Hi Aebrain,
What a neat idea. I doubt that SJ will go for this, but I intend to use this as a magic item in my campaign.

Warm regards, Rick.

Re: Shields
 

Definitely an interesting use of dice results!

It seems like weapons that roll fewer dice for the same ST would tend to do more damage to shield users (like hammer vs cutlass). It seems like hammer/ax/mace weapons tend to do damage that is lower dice with a positive modifier instead of higher dice with a negative modifier, like 1d+1 instead of 2d-2 for ST 10 and 2d+2 instead of 3d-1 for ST 14, although mace is an exception to this.

Re: Shields
 

It is a clever sort of mechanic.

As Zot's response points out, it's not clear what roll is meant. Zot seems to think it's the damage roll, while I assumed (due to the examples showing 3 dice and claiming to statistically work out about the same as RAW) that it was the to-hit roll.

If it is the to-hit roll, then it'd also be a bit more likely to stop more hits when someone were defending or dodging (since 4 dice). Except Tower Shields, which always stop 3 but never more than 3. There's also the peculiarity that a medium shield can stop 9, but only (on 3-dice) on a to-hit roll of exactly 9.

Re: Shields
 

Good point -- it must be the DX roll. And the fact that it blocks more from someone who has a harder time hitting you is neat.

Re: Shields
 

I like the mechanic, I like the pattern of 3's (easy to remember) and might adopt it. Treating shields as additional armor always seemed overly simplistic.

Re: Shields
 

Exactly, it is the to-hit Dex roll, and the greater protection from an attack with a harder time hitting is deliberate.

Re: Shields - Varient rules.
 

It was extensively playtested too back in the early 80s.

Many thanks for the kind words.

Re: Shields
 

Not to hijack the thread, but this idea fits here:

Although I haven't playtested it, I've thought about giving shield-bearers the option to defend with the shield (forcing their opponent to roll 4 dice to hit), while their own attack will be at -4 DX (it's now effectively a "second attack" after defending).

Would lead to longer combats, as many fewer blows would land, but that seems realistic? I might rule that this option costs fatigue, per a suggestion from another thread, to keep stalemates from going on too long.

Re: Shields
 

Is 'Medium shield' - one you added in yourselves? - In the ITL / AM books it goes straight from Small shield / Spike shield / Large shield / Tower shield.
What are the details on medium please?