Fighting with Shields

[Icelander]

Since Dan Howard has obligingly divulged snippets of upcoming lore about Caberet Chicks on Ice in this thread, I can morally and legally reveal the following Perks and Styles I use in my games and which rely on the rules he has been kind enough to let us in on.

This is good, since I will need feedback on those.

First, the -2 penalty to your attacks when using a Large Shield has been superseded by a more generic -DB to your attack when using any kind of shield.

According to the RAW, the Shield Wall Training Perk eliminates this penalty totally for all types of shields, but I felt that was both overpowered and too generic. Also, I felt that it ought to matter whether one uses a thrusting weapon or a swinging one.

Therefore, Shield Wall Training is slightly modified and supplemented by other Perks below. Also, using a thrusting weapon with a shield reduces the DB penalty to attacks by 1*.

Most of the following Perks are canon Perks that have already appeared elsewhere, but which have particular applications with shields. New Perks are marked with [New] and Perks which have had the rules changed are marked with [Altered]. Both indicates my house rules. Published Perks with a GM's adjudication option will be noted as [GM], indicating that this use of the Perk is neither forbidden nor explicitly allowed in the book.

Buckler-Swashing [New]
You have trained to fight up close and personal while wielding a small buckler. You may ignore the buckler‘s DB penalty to attacks (CCoI p. 00) as well as the DB penalty in close combat (p. BA392) when using a small shield with the Shield (Buckler) skill.

Leading Shield† [New]
You have mastered leading with the shield, using it for defence and offence equally. You may halve (round down) the DB penalty to attacks (CCoI p. 00) and when you have a grapple on your opponent, you may also halve (round down) the DB penalty in close combat (p. BA392).
You must specialise by Shield skill.

Quick-Swap (Buckler)
You’ve perfected the art of juggling a buckler between hands. Shifting a buckler to an empty receiving hand normally demands a Ready maneuver, but becomes a free action with this perk. Swapping a buckler and a weapon between full hands normally takes two Ready maneuvers, but requires just one with Quick-Swap. You can use this perk once per turn, on your turn.
If two different weapons are involved, you need this perk for both skills.

Melee Shieldfighting† [New]
You are trained in a versatile form of fighting with a medium shield. You may ignore DB penalty to attacks (CCoI p. 00) when using a medium shield.
You must specialise by Shield skill.

Mobile Block† [New]
Your lighting footwork complements your defensive work with a shield or cloak. When unencumbered, you may add +1 to the Retreat bonus to Blocks.
You must specialise by skill.
If you have the Perk Armour Familiarity for the chosen skill, you may benefit from this Perk at Light Encumbrance.

Rapid Ready† [New]
You can get a shield or cloak ready for combat in less time than normal. You may reduce the number of Ready manueuvers required to prepare a slung shield or cloak for combat by one, down to a minumum of one.
You must specialize by skill.

Rapid Shield Drop† [New]
You divest yourself of a shield or cloak with little fuss. Instead of a Ready manueuver to drop it on the ground, you may do so as the part of a Change Posture, Concentrate or Move maneuver.
You must specialize by skill.

Shield-Wall Training Altered
You’ve drilled extensively at fighting from behind a shield wall. You can sacrifice your block defense to block an attack on an ally standing beside you. Furthermore, you halve (round down) the DB penalty to attack when holding a large or medium shield (CCoI p. 00).

Shield Wrestling†* [New]
You‘ve practised wrestling with a shield until it becomes second nature. You may ignore the DB penalty for shields in close combat (p. BA392).
You must specialise by Shield skill.

Shoves and Tackles†
You’ve trained at using a shield to press and overbear the enemy. Whenever you make an armed shove or slam –whether a shield rush (p. B372) or shove with the shield– add a damage bonus similar that which Sumo Wrestling gives unarmed shoves and slams: +1 per die at skill DX+1, or +2 per die at DX+2 or better. You must specialize by Shield skill.

Skill Adaptation† [GM]
The tasks and techniques listed for a skill represent its basic“sub-skills.” You know some less-orthodox methods. You can learn techniques that don’t default to a skill as if they did, with the usual default penalties (if a technique’s penalties vary by controlling skill, use the easiest). Alternatively, you can add specific skill applications – like getting a parry based on the skill – which techniques don’t cover. Either must be borrowed from another, related skill.
The GM sets the scope of each specialty. It might be as sweeping as Skill Adaptation (Brawling techniques default to Karate) or as narrow as Skill Adaptation (Bind Weapon defaults to Shield).

Special Setup† [GM]
Certain techniques require a specific “setup” before execution.
You’ve learned an alternative setup. Your specialty must name one technique and spell out the change. For instance, if you can use Arm Lock after a Shield (Buckler) block instead of after a Judo parry, you have Special Setup (Buckler Block > Arm Lock).

Targeteer [New]
You are adept at using a small forearm mounted shield. When using a small shield with the Shield skill, you may ignore the DB penalty to attack and if you carry something ready in the shield hand, you may halve the penalty to weapon and shield skills for doing so (CCoI, p. 00).

Unusual Training† [GM]
With sufficient training, certain cinematic skills and techniques might work in reality. You’ve studied one of these.
Unusual Training lets you buy a cinematic capability in a realistic campaign, or without a prerequisite advantage such as Gunslinger, Trained by a Master, or Weapon Master. Since what’s “cinematic” is often not the feat but the ability to perform it unrestricted, the perk might specify a set of “believable”circumstances that must be true to use the skill or technique.
Example:
Unusual Training (Fast-Draw (Buckler)): Lets you use the Fast-Draw skill for drawing bucklers, which is normally forbidden. Buckler is a new speciality of the skill.

*To clarify, this is a house rule, not anything I am revealing that will become official.

[Icelander]

Some of these Perks should obviously belong to Martial Arts Styles from MA.

Armatura: Replace Shield skill with Shield (Buckler). Add Shoves and Tackles (Buckler) and Leading Shield (Buckler). Add Melee Shieldfighting (Buckler) to Optional Traits.

Armatura Equestris: Add Melee Shieldfighting (Shield) and Rapid Ready (Shield).

Fencing- Italian School: Add Buckler Swashing and Mobile Block (Buckler). Add Quick Swap (Buckler) and Unusual Training (Fast-Draw: Buckler) to Optional Traits.

Hoplomachia: Add Leading Shield (Shield), Melee Shieldfighting (Shield) and Shoves and Tackles (Shield).

Knightly Mounted Combat- Early Medieval: Add Melee Shieldfighting (Shield) and Rapid Ready (Shield). Add Leading Shield (Shield) to Optional Traits.

Knightly Mounted Combat- High Medieval:Add Leading Shield; Melee Shieldfighting (Shield) and Rapid Ready (Shield).

Masters of Defence Weapon Training: Add Buckler Swashing, Melee Shieldfighting, Shoves and Tackles and Targeteer to Optional Traits.

Spear Fighting- Heroic Spear Fighting: Add Melee Shieldfighting (Shield) and Rapid Ready (Shield).

Spear Fighting- Iklawa Fighting: Replace Shield with Shield (Buckler). Add Leading Shield (Buckler), Shoves and Tackles (Buckler) and Skill Adaptation (Bind Weapon defaults to Buckler).

Spear Fighting- Viking Spear Fighting: Add Leading Shield (Shield), Melee Shieldfighting (Shield), Rapid Ready (Shield) and Shoves and Tackles (Shield).

Sword-And-Buckler Play: Add Buckler Swashing, Mobile Block (Buckler), Mobile Parry (Broadsword) and Special Set-Up (Buckler Block < Arm Lock). Add Quick-Swap (Buckler), Shoves and Tackles (Buckler) and Unusual Training (Fast-Draw: Buckler) to Optional Traits.

Sword-And-Shield Fighting: Melee Shieldfighting (Shield), Mobile Block (Shield) and Shoves and Tackles (Shield). Add Leading Shield (Shield), Rapid Ready (Shield), Skill Adaptation (Bind Weapon defaults to Shield) and Targeteer to Optional Traits.

[Edges]

Why did you decide to go with perks rather than techniques?

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Edges

Why did you decide to go with perks rather than techniques?

Primarily because the Shield Wall Training Perk as written before CCoI eliminated a -2 penalty in one specific instance and gave another benefit aside from that.

Aiming to make the Perks just slightly weaker than that seemed to be a pretty balanced use of them.

Also, Techniques are by default per skill, not per weapon or shield type. This allows a fleet-footed rodelo to be distinct from a member of a Saxon fyrd.

[Edges]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Primarily because the Shield Wall Training Perk as written before CCoI eliminated a -2 penalty in one specific instance and gave another benefit aside from that.

Aiming to make the Perks just slightly weaker than that seemed to be a pretty balanced use of them.

Also, Techniques are by default per skill, not per weapon or shield type. This allows a fleet-footed rodelo to be distinct from a member of a Saxon fyrd.

Ah yes. I see. : )

[Icelander]

Of course, the existence of the Mobile Block Perk above suggests the existence of another new Perk, despite it not being specifically related to shields:

Mobile Parry† [New]
Your lighting footwork complements your defensive work. When unencumbered and wielding a balanced melee weapon other than a Fencing weapon, you may add +1 to the Retreat bonus to Parry.
You must specialise by melee weapon skill.
If you have the Perk Armour Familiarity for the chosen weapon skill, you may benefit from this Perk at Light Encumbrance.

This Perk probably ought to be added to Dagger Fighting; Victorian Singlestick; Kalaripayit; Kenjutsu; Kobujutsu; Longsword Fighting; Kumango Silat; Tapak Sutji Pentjak Silat; Quarterstaff (Sport and Bojutsu); Jojutsu; Shortsword Fighting; Sojutsu and Sword-And-Buckler Play.

[Icelander]

Highland Broadsword

6 points

This martial art represents one of the most popular fighting schools of a fractious people of clansmen living in the Thunder Peaks and Storm Horn Mountains in the Forgotten Realms setting. Not unreasonably, it might be said to be similar to the fighting arts of certain real world people, but no claim is made about historical accuracy with this style.

This is a fast and agressive style that utilises Slips and Sideslips as well as Retreat for defence. The stylist faces the enemy squarely with both broadsword and targe and will use both weapons equally in offence and defence. Feinting with the sword and then bashing with the shield is a very popular maneuver.

Attacks with the sword are usually swift probing cuts (Defensive Attack) unless an opening for a Counterattack presents itself or the opponent‘s targe has been successfully pushed out of line with a Beat or Bind. Rapid Strikes and Combinations are not uncommon, especially ones that combine shield bashes and cuts. The basket-hilt is often used to pummel an enemy who gets too close.

The targe hand is often used to hold a dirk in a reverse grip and some stylists seek out close combat where they can better bring their dirks to bear.

Skills: Brawling; Broadsword; Knife; Shield; Wrestling.
Techniques: Beat*; Bind Weapon (Shield); Counterattack (Broadsword); Disarm (Shield); Feint; Hammer Fist; Retain Weapon (Broadsword); Targeted Attack (Brawling Punch/Face); Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing/Arm); Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing/Face); Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing/Leg); Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing/Neck); Targeted Attack (Shield Bash/Face); Trip.
Cinematic Skills: Kiai; Power Blow.
Cinematic Techniques: Dual-Weapon Attack; Dual-Weapon Defence; Roll With Blow; Timed Defence.
Perks: Melee Shieldfighting (Shield); Mobile Block (Shield); Mobile Parry (Broadsword); Skill Adaptation (Bind Weapon defaults to Shield); Targeteer; Teamwork (Highland Broadsword); Technique Mastery (Beat).

Optional Traits
Attributes: Improved HT.
Advantages: Combat Reflexes; Enhanced Block; Fit.
Disadvantages: Alcoholism; Code of Honour (Highlander); Compulsive Carousing; Overconfidence; Sense of Duty (Clan).
Skills: Acrobatics; Carousing; Fast-Draw (Knife); Intimidate; Judo; Main-Gauche; Shortsword; Two-Handed Sword.
Techniques: Arm Lock (Shield); Armed Grapple (Shield); Close-Combat; Head Butt; Kicking; Reverse Grip (Knife); Stamp Kick; Targeted Attack (Brawling Hammer Fist/Face); Targeted Attack (Brawling Head Butt/Face); Targeted Attack (Brawling Uppercut/Jaw); Targeted Attack (Brawling Uppercut/Nose); Targeted Attack (Knife Thrust/Vitals); Targeted Attack (Shield Bash/Nose); Uppercut.
Perks: Alcohol Tolerance; Armour Familiarity; Drunken Fighting; No Hangover; Off-Hand Weapon Training; Shoves and Tackles (Shield); Sure-Footed (Uneven).

*This style is constructed with my house rules in effect and the Feint Technique is thus seperated into the Beat, Feint and Ruse Techniques.

[Icelander]

Clan Corrie Broadsword

4 points

Clan Corrie is a small clan in the Thunder Peaks with a fierce reputation. In addition to training in the Highland Broadsword style, clan members have another, secret school that only those related by blood may learn. This school teaches the use of the broadsword in the left hand.

It is taught both with a centre-gripped targe and with the right hand live, but in either case, it is lightning fast. The goal is to keep the sword in constant motion and either overwhelm the foe with a barrage of Rapid Strikes or follow a successful Feint or Ruse with a Committed Attack. A fight is meant to be finished quickly, either with speed or cunning.

Many clan-members are enthusiastic boxers and fast footwork and boxing stances are not uncommon in the style. If the right hand is live, it is used to strike or placed on the sword in a Defensive Grip. It is never used to grapple (though stylists may be accomplished grapplers from other styles they have studied). The same applies to the targe, it is used to strike only.

The most trusted students learn a secret strike, which is fiendishly complex to execute correctly, but which may yield a swift victory against an unsuspecting foe.

Skills: Brawling; Broadsword; Shield (Buckler).
Techniques: Beat; Counterattack (Broadsword); Corrie Fist Strike (Broadsword); Feint; Hammer Fist; Ruse; Targeted Attack (Brawling Punch/Face); Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing/Arm); Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing/Face); Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing/Leg); Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing/Neck); Targeted Attack (Buckler Bash/Face).
Cinematic Skills: Kiai; Power Blow.
Cinematic Techniques: Dual-Weapon Attack; Dual-Weapon Defence; Roll With Blow; Timed Defence.
Perks: Buckler-Swashing; Off-Hand Weapon Training (Brawling); Off-Hand Weapon Training (Broadsword); Quick-Swap (Broadsword and Buckler); Mobile Block (Buckler); Mobile Parry (Broadsword); Teamwork (Clan Corrie Fist Broadsword); Technique Mastery (Corrie Fist Strike); Technique Mastery (Feint); Technique Mastery (Ruse).

Optional Traits
Attributes: Improved DX.
Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed.
Advantages: Ambidexterity; Combat Reflexes; Enhanced Block; Enhanced Dodge; Enhanced Parry.
Disadvantages: Alcoholism; Code of Honour (Highlander); Compulsive Carousing; Overconfidence; Sense of Duty (Clan Corrie).
Skills: Acrobatics; Boxing; Carousing; Judo; Knife; Main-Gauche; Shortsword; Two-Handed Sword; Wrestling.
Techniques: Close-Combat; Head Butt; Targeted Attack (Brawling Hammer Fist/Face); Targeted Attack (Brawling Uppercut/Jaw); Targeted Attack (Brawling Uppercut/Nose); Targeted Attack (Buckler Bash/Nose); Uppercut.
Perks: Alcohol Tolerance; Drunken Fighting; No Hangover; Style Adaptation (Bare-Knuckle Boxing); Style Adaptation (Highland Broadsword); Style Familiarity (Bare-Knuckle Boxing); Style Familiarity (Highland Broadsword); Sure-Footed (Uneven).

New Technique:

Corrie Fist Strike

Hard

Default: Broadsword-4.
Prerequisite: Quick-Swap (Broadsword); Broadsword; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This secret technique is only taught to trusted members of Clan Corrie who have already mastered Highland Broadsword. It is a tricky move where the stylist enters combat carrying his broadsword in his right and switches it suddenly to his left as he moves around his opponent‘s right and with a swift turn executes an attack at his side.

This is a Committed Attack with an extra step that ends facing the opponent‘s right side, but the character can choose the benefits for either Deliberate or Strong. That means the attack is either at +1 to damage or +2 to hit. Since the attacker moves around to the side of his target, it counts as a side attack for a -2 to defences and a right handed foe cannot defend with his shield. If fighting a foe unused to facing left-handed foes (GM‘s decision), a further penalty of -1 might be imposed until the enemy gets a chance to familiarise himself with the style.

In addition, this is a risky secret technique, so the GM makes an immediate Quick Contest between the attacker‘s IQ-based level of the technique and the highest of the defender‘s Per, Body Language or his best IQ-based melee weapon skill. If the attacker wins, his foe‘s active defence is reduced as for a successful Ruse (MA p. 101), but if he loses or ties, the defender automatically defends and the technique-user is at -3 to defend from his opponent‘s next attack. This is addition to the -2 he suffers for a Committed Attack.

This technique has further risks than other secret techniques. If the attack roll fails, the broadsword is rendered Unready. Whether the attack succeeds or not, the character must roll vs. DX or fall down after he turns around.

This technique can also be used while wielding a centre-grip targe as well as the broadsword. This requires Quick-Swap (Buckler) in addition to the other prerequisites. This is more risky than performing the strike with an empty hand, as even with Quick-Swap, such a switch normally requires a Ready maneuver to complete. With this technique, though, if the character succeeds at his attack, he manages the necessary switch between hands as a free action in order to carry out the technique, but if he fails, he drops both weapons. Even if he drops the weapons, he must still make a DX roll or fall over and he automatically suffers the negative effects of failing the Quick Contest against the defender.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Quick-Swap (Buckler)
You’ve perfected the art of juggling a buckler between hands. Shifting a buckler to an empty receiving hand normally demands a Ready maneuver, but becomes a free action with this perk. Swapping a buckler and a weapon between full hands normally takes two Ready maneuvers, but requires just one with Quick-Swap. You can use this perk once per turn, on your turn.
If two different weapons are involved, you need this perk for both skills.

This one feels off to me. This sort of thing seems akin to Fast Draw. Something normally takes a Ready maneuver. With a skill roll, you can do it in zero time. This one point Perk is many, many times more powerful than that. Of course, switching hands for a shield in combat might be many times less useful than Readying a weapon in zero time.

I might let ANYONE switch hands for free with a DX roll (failure means you have to Ready; Crit you drop it); the perk either outright eliminates the roll, or it's a leveled perk, one level means failure is a Ready instead of a drop; two levels eliminates the roll entirely.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

This one feels off to me. This sort of thing seems akin to Fast Draw. Something normally takes a Ready maneuver. With a skill roll, you can do it in zero time. This one point Perk is many, many times more powerful than that. Of course, switching hands for a shield in combat might be many times less useful than Readying a weapon in zero time.

I might let ANYONE switch hands for free with a DX roll (failure means you have to Ready; Crit you drop it); the perk either outright eliminates the roll, or it's a leveled perk, one level means failure is a Ready instead of a drop; two levels eliminates the roll entirely.

Quick-Swap is a Perk from Martial Arts. I repeated it just because the description there does not explicitly note that it can be used with Bucklers as well as any one handed weapon.

I don't see any reason to forbid it with bucklers if it is allowed with any weapon.