Dungeon Fantasy Companion 3

[Michael Thayne]

Unfortunately, I suspect the questionable goblin art has to do with art being either borrowed from a previous SJGames product (as often happens), or licensed from a stock art vendor.

[corwyn]

Originally Posted by Baldo

I use Amazon for PODs, hoping to see the book there...

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/155...750_em_1p_0_lm

[tbone]

Originally Posted by MrCrowley

So I can play a dungeon delving Captain America.

Yep. Looking at the write-up, shield-bearers would make a fun defensive ring line protecting a boss villain. Or a famed order of bodyguards for hire (ideally boosted with more IQ, Per, Tactics, etc.). And, of course, "dwarven defenders" (a D&D thing, I think).

I want me a 50-point lens to quickly turn warrior types into shield-bearers, but this is a tough one. Enhanced Block 1 [5] (cutting costs already!), Shield Mastery [15], Weapon Master (Shields) [25], and the noted five 1-point advantages alone equal 50 points, before any points in skills. Gonna have to skimp somewhere!

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by tbone

Yep. Looking at the write-up, shield-bearers would make a fun defensive ring line protecting a boss villain. Or a famed order of bodyguards for hire (ideally boosted with more IQ, Per, Tactics, etc.). And, of course, "dwarven defenders" (a D&D thing, I think).

I want me a 50-point lens to quickly turn warrior types into shield-bearers, but this is a tough one. Enhanced Block 1 [5] (cutting costs already!), Shield Mastery [15], Weapon Master (Shields) [25], and the noted five 1-point advantages alone equal 50 points, before any points in skills. Gonna have to skimp somewhere!

Look up Juggernaut in Delvers to Grow. It’s a great start.

[Dalin]

The package obviously comes with Odious Personal Habit (Overly Defensive).

[tbone]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

Look up Juggernaut in Delvers to Grow. It’s a great start.

Juggernaut is a fine start, offering 10 points in shield-related stuff. Stalwart adds another 14 points of shield-related things. Together they make for a capable defender.

For the fun of it, though, below is a quick attempt at 25-pt lenses for defenders with big dreams of a shield-bearer future. They're not the makings of well-rounded defenders, and don't try to build a shield-bearer or cover everything on its template. They're hyper-focused on just pure shield stuff, for slapping some shield-bearer feel onto characters who already have warrior basics from their profession/lenses/packages.

They're all pretty mix-and-match, too, except for a couple with components that have prerequisites. Of course, this mixing and matching assumes that the GM is allowing the character access to crazy levels of Shield Mastery and Enhanced Block.

The first three lenses focus on core mundane (?) advantages and Shield skill to build up a high Block score and DB.


Shield Warrior [25]
Advantages: Enhanced Block [5]; Shield Mastery [15]; Shield Wall Training [1]
Skills: Four points in Shield (Buckler)

Shield Guardian [25]
Advantages: Enhanced Block [5]; Sacrificial Block [1]; Shield Mastery [15]
Skills: Four points in Shield (Buckler)

Shield Warden [25]
Prerequisites: Shield Warrior and Shield Guardian
Advantages: Enhanced Block [5]; Hold the Line [1]; Shield Mastery [15]
Skills: Four points in Shield (Buckler)


The next two lenses go more cinematic. The first adds Weapon Master (Shields). The second adds cool abilities enabled by Weapon Master (Shields), plus Armor Mastery.


Shield-Fu Master [25]
Advantages: Weapon Master (Shields) [25]

Shield-Fu Grand Master [25]
Prerequisites: Shield-Fu Master, Shield Warrior
Advantages: Armor Mastery [5]; Enhanced Block [5]; Shield Familiarity 3 [3]
Skills: Four points each in Immovable Stance, Push, and Thrown Weapon (Shield)
Option: Allow Armor Mastery and Enhanced Block points to be spent instead on other advantages and skills from the Shield-Bearer template.


Hm. Not the way to build shield-defender lenses, but a way. Goofy names and all. (Anyone see problems in the write-ups?) I'll try slapping them onto some dwarven defenders, hobgoblin bodyguards, etc. who already have warrior basics down pat.

[thrash]

Originally Posted by MrCrowley

So I can play a dungeon delving Captain America.

Seems to be a fairly common variant for the tank archetype in Japanese rpgs, anyway:
The Rising of the Shield Hero
BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense
... plus a host of minor characters supporting more conventional heroes.

[Infornific]

Originally Posted by tbone

Yep. Looking at the write-up, shield-bearers would make a fun defensive ring line protecting a boss villain. Or a famed order of bodyguards for hire (ideally boosted with more IQ, Per, Tactics, etc.). And, of course, "dwarven defenders" (a D&D thing, I think).

I want me a 50-point lens to quickly turn warrior types into shield-bearers, but this is a tough one. Enhanced Block 1 [5] (cutting costs already!), Shield Mastery [15], Weapon Master (Shields) [25], and the noted five 1-point advantages alone equal 50 points, before any points in skills. Gonna have to skimp somewhere!

If you're doing it Delvers to Go style, it would make sense to have a 25 point basic module and 50 point advanced module. That's 75 points to cover the essentials.

[tbone]

Originally Posted by Infornific

If you're doing it Delvers to Go style, it would make sense to have a 25 point basic module and 50 point advanced module. That's 75 points to cover the essentials.

You mean Delvers to Grow, I assume? Yeah, with any new* and fun profession like the shield-bearer, there's room to build all kinds of interesting things from it. Create bespoke basic, advanced, and upgrade modules for Delvers to Grow** or customize a 50-point Five Easy Pieces module; or, heading to the GURPS side, build a DF: 3-style 50-point lens***, or tweak Henchmen's standard and custom templates to re-create the profession...

(And then there are the undead-hunter and mage-hunter to play with...)

For now, though, I just wanted some quick shield-master lenses to drop onto existing warriors, to create immovable defenders and brick wall-like bodyguards. Done. (Though for leaders and bodyguards, I think I need one more lens combining some IQ, Combat Reflexes, Tactics, Observation, Leadership, etc. Good defense has to be smart.)

* Well, new as DFRPG book content; the Pyramid appearance goes back some years.

** Maybe just pointers to, or slight modifications of, existing modules; there are lots to choose from!

*** Tough to do, as I noted above. Might need to spend all 50 points on advantages, and direct the player to buy actual Shield skill from the base profession's points.

[Infornific]

Originally Posted by tbone

You mean Delvers to Grow, I assume? Yeah, with any new* and fun profession like the shield-bearer, there's room to build all kinds of interesting things from it. Create bespoke basic, advanced, and upgrade modules for Delvers to Grow** or customize a 50-point Five Easy Pieces module; or, heading to the GURPS side, build a DF: 3-style 50-point lens***, or tweak Henchmen's standard and custom templates to re-create the profession...

(And then there are the undead-hunter and mage-hunter to play with...)

For now, though, I just wanted some quick shield-master lenses to drop onto existing warriors, to create immovable defenders and brick wall-like bodyguards. Done. (Though for leaders and bodyguards, I think I need one more lens combining some IQ, Combat Reflexes, Tactics, Observation, Leadership, etc. Good defense has to be smart.)

* Well, new as DFRPG book content; the Pyramid appearance goes back some years.

** Maybe just pointers to, or slight modifications of, existing modules; there are lots to choose from!

*** Tough to do, as I noted above. Might need to spend all 50 points on advantages, and direct the player to buy actual Shield skill from the base profession's points.

Yes, Delvers to Grow. I keep forgetting there's something very different with a very similar name. Complicated by the inclusion of other delvers to go in Delvers to Grow. Since the Shield Bearer was created as a distinct template, I was thinking it would make sense to start it as a new base. But creating lenses for general use could also work. Does it have any rules for throwing shields?