Shield Rush in DFRPG

[martinl]

Originally Posted by Kromm

I have no idea . . . I've never seen an ice weasel. There might be semi-upright ones with clever little paws who do use shields.

... Darn you Kromm. Darn you to heck. You are baiting me, and it worked.


Ice Weasel Shield Maiden

Some Ice Weasels are just a little ... different. They seem a little more clever. They seem a little more organized. They seem a little beefier, have long platinum blond braids, trill Ice Weasel Opera ... and tote large spiked shields emblazoned with rampant weasels.

These are the infamous ice weasel shield maiden team, and if they catch you traversing an icy alpine slope they will shield rush your sorry posterior right off the side of the mountain.

Treat as ice weasels with the following differences:

• Lose Quadruped and Wild Animal (you may replace latter with Party Animal if you are so inclined)
• Increase ST to 7 and IQ to 10
• Reduce Move to 3 (medium enc)
• Add shield skill at 16, a spiked large shield, Weapon Master (Shield), and the Shield Wall Training Perk
• This gives them a block of 11, but reduces their dodge to 6. (These become 14 and 9 after DB.)
• Full speed shield rush is at skill 16, 1d-3 base, -2 for a slam, +2 for WM&Skill, +2 for speed, +3 for a large shield and +1 for a spike for a total of 1d+3 (and -3 to opponent's return damage). If they have you on precarious footing, they will all out attack for 1d+5.
• (edit) Codify the "Weasel Adrenaline Overdrive" advantage, that allows an ice weasel to add +2 damage and armor divisor 2 to a weapon attack or +4 and armor divisor 3 to a bite attack for 1 FP.
• Add the "Ice Cold Slaver" advantage, which allows an ice weasel to coat a weapon with ice weasel slaver using three ready maneuvers. This makes it an icy weapon for the next attack. (end edit)

Ilse, Ingeborg, Brunhilde and Olga (etc.) are able to reliably knock less beefy delvers flat, and even the tougher delvers are not safe. Once you are down their lesser, but still vicious Ice Weasel boy toys can swarm you when you are prone, riding you like a toboggan as you slide down the mountainside, viciously chomping on your most sensitive hit locations all the way down.

Don't worry, at your funeral we'll say you were slain by Ogres.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by martinl

... Darn you Kromm. Darn you to heck.

Or in this case, Hel.

Originally Posted by martinl

If they have you on precarious footing, they will all out attack for 1d+5.

I imagine that with Terrain Adaptation (Ice/Snow), this will happen a lot.

Also, it seems fitting that if regular ice weasels can make a high-damage chomp that does +4 damage – 1d(3) cutting vs. 1d-4 cutting – for 1 FP, then maybe these weasels can pay 1 FP for an ultra-high-damage shield rush. I leave it to the cruel GM to decides what the bonus for that is . . . +4 might be too big, but at least +2.

It would of course be beyond cruel to say that these weasels can use the glands in their mouth to coat their shields for an extra +2 cold damage, like Icy Weapon. What kind of GM would do that?

[ArchonShiva]

Originally Posted by Kromm

It would of course be beyond cruel to say that these weasels can use the glands in their mouth to coat their shields for an extra +2 cold damage, like Icy Weapon. What kind of GM would do that?

I don’t think that would count for knocking down opponents, though. A flaming shield certainly doesn’t count the fire damage, does it?

[martinl]

Originally Posted by Kromm

...Also, it seems fitting that if regular ice weasels can make a high-damage chomp that does +4 damage – 1d(3) cutting vs. 1d-4 cutting – for 1 FP, then maybe these weasels can pay 1 FP for an ultra-high-damage shield rush. I leave it to the cruel GM to decides what the bonus for that is . . . +4 might be too big, but at least +2.

It would of course be beyond cruel to say that these weasels can use the glands in their mouth to coat their shields for an extra +2 cold damage, like Icy Weapon. What kind of GM would do that?

Both good points.

Originally Posted by ArchonShiva

I don’t think that would count for knocking down opponents, though. A flaming shield certainly doesn’t count the fire damage, does it?

This is true, but it is adding insult to injury (also, 2 points of actual injury).

Would it wrong for me to stat out an entire ice weasel delving party optimized for plundering human settlements?

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by martinl

Would it wrong for me to stat out an entire ice weasel delving party optimized for plundering human settlements?

Oh, please do!

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by martinl

Would it wrong for me to stat out an entire ice weasel delving party optimized for plundering human settlements?

It's the kind of wrong that must be done!

[Kromm]

I imagine the racial template on p. 33 of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5: Allies could be converted to the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game for this purpose. That describes an above-average ice weasel with IQ 10. Note that there seems to be at least one error: Quadruped [-35] is missing . . .

[martinl]

Originally Posted by Kromm

I imagine the racial template on p. 33 of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5: Allies could be converted to the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game for this purpose. That describes an above-average ice weasel with IQ 10. Note that there seems to be at least one error: Quadruped [-35] is missing . . .

I see what you're getting at, but my ambition was more along the lines of a few more amped up weasel mods like the shieldmaidens above, plus some tactics, so the PCs can have a chance at being the other side as it were.

[Kromm]

I believe that playable ice weasels are a basic right for gamers.

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Note that there seems to be at least one error: Quadruped [-35] is missing . . .

All the better if it's to be played, surely. An exceptional Ice Weasel is presumably allowed to stand up on its hindpaws and hold things, as seen in many cartoon series.