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Hi,

I just picked up the Palladium RPG last night from my LGS--I was looking for the new Vampire Kingdoms book, but they carry very little in the way of non-D&D material. So, I grabbed Palladium, since I was also looking for a different take on Sword and Sorcery gaming.

After a quick read through, I have some questions. First off, I couldn't find information on shields anywhere in the book. Did I miss them? If they are there, how would they work? Do they provide a bonus to Parrying attacks? Or, do they provide a flat bonus to AR?

talmor wrote:Hi,

I just picked up the Palladium RPG last night from my LGS--I was looking for the new Vampire Kingdoms book, but they carry very little in the way of non-D&D material. So, I grabbed Palladium, since I was also looking for a different take on Sword and Sorcery gaming.

After a quick read through, I have some questions. First off, I couldn't find information on shields anywhere in the book. Did I miss them? If they are there, how would they work? Do they provide a bonus to Parrying attacks? Or, do they provide a flat bonus to AR?

Shields are one of the most highly debated things on this forum with a coupler threads that should answer your questions quite thoroughly... but since you asked...

Shield info you'll find on pg 60 of the PFRPG main book, under the Weapon Proficiencies section of the Skill descriptions. It provide a bonus to Parry incoming attacks on a per level advancement basis, as well as a bonus to strike with the shield using a basic shield bashing attack. The WP skill for shields also lists some basic shield info such as types available, average cost, average SDC based on type and optional rules for shields taking damage in combat. It must be stressed, but is highly debated, that, according to canon, shields do NOT provide a bonus to one's Armor Rating. They are simply used as an extra means of parrying incoming attacks by giving your character something to hide behind. And before you ask, no, Weapon Proficiency Paired Weapons is not required to use a sword/axe/club and shield in combat. That's only neccessary for two weapon fighting such as 2 swords, 2 axes, 2 clubs, sword and axe, and all the other myriad combos your mind can concoct.

Welcome to the Fantasy board! And welcome to PFRPG! Good luck and great gaming!

Shields are one of those areas in the RPG that they didn't quite flesh out properly for my tastes. Info on shields can be found in the skills section under WP Shield. It lists the damage the shield can take as well as a few types of shields.

What it doesn't do is give you an accurate idea on how much protection it offers. They offer no bonus to AR and are basically are treated like a weapon in the game.
In short it means regardless of the type of shield being used a player has just as good odds of deflecting an attack. Same chance with a large or small shield to deflect any incoming blows.

So it's an area where a house rule would work out best.

Yeah, one of the things that really confuses me about shields is that they have SDC but no AR. So, the way they are written, they have an AR of 4. A large metal shield has an AR of 4, as does a really small buckler made from wood. Makes zero sense. But I've got house rules to take care of some of the stuff that bothers me about shields.

1. A shield has an AR equal to it's material equivalent. If a shield is wood, it has the same AR as a tree (oak, cherry, or some other hardwood). If it's metal, it has an AR equal to the metal it's made from. If it's wood and metal, it has an AR equal to the average of the ARs of the equivalent materials.

2. If you have WP Paired and you are using a shield and another weapon, you may strike with both the shield and the other weapon in the same attack. You may not, however, parry twice using the same shield (although I've got an idea for a character now who has WP Paired and uses only the shield as a weapon).

3. You may parry any hand-to-hand/melee weapon with a shield, including missile weapons provided you can see the attack.

4. For parrying - if you effectively parry and the original strike roll was above the AR of the shield, 1/2 damage from the original attack is done to the shield. If you effectively parry and the original strike roll is under the AR of the shield, no damage is done to the shield.

5. Once a shield is reduced to 5 or less SDC, any further damage done to the shield is also done to the SDC of the person wielding the shield due to severe damage.

6. If you strike someone with a shield (either thrown or a shield punch) 1/2 of the total damage is done to the shield whether or not the attack is parried (assuming it strikes). This is due to attempting to use the shield as a weapon, trying to intentionally inflict damage with the shield.

These rules seem to make shields next to useless as weapons. You have to remember that they are supposed to be used as defensive items and not as weapons, and by using them as a weapon you are using them in a way that goes against their initial design and purpose.