Shield Damage

[Veknironth]

Well, I was looking at the shield bash damage, and it's way too high. It's 2d4. That's the same damage as a sabre or a cutlass. That's way too high, right? I always thought it was 1d4. Was it ever?

-Veknironth
"1d4 Might even be too high."

[Library Ogre]

Oh, wow, look at page 60 of the PFRPG

W.P. Shield: Combat skills with large and small shields used primarily for parrying and self defense. Bonuses: +1 to parry at levels 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15. A shield can be used in one hand and a weapon in the other. +1 to strike with a shield (1D4 damage) at levels 4, 8, and 12. No bonus to strike when thrown.

Shields! The average small wood & leather shield has 30 S.D.C. and costs 35 gold. A small wood & metal plated shield has 50 S.D.C. and costs 65 gold. Small shields can be thrown about 15 feet (4.6 m), inflicting 1D6 damage. Hitting or butting somebody with a small or large shield does 2D4 damage.

A large wood & leather shield has 60 S.D.C. and costs 75 gold. A large wood & metal plated shield has 100 S.D.C. and costs 110 gold. A large iron shield has 130 S.D.C., costs 180 gold, but requires a P.S. of 22 or higher to use (otherwise -4 to parry). No large shield can be thrown.

They are not even consistent within the same weapon proficiency as to how much damage they do!

As for it being too-high... you're hitting someone edge-on with 4-11 pounds of brass knuckles, or smashing them in the torso and chest with a door. It should be higher than a punch.

[Veknironth]

Well, I guess the splitting of the difference would be 1d6?

-Vek
"Can we have a big board eratta?"

[kiralon]

The damage that some things do is stupid eg jump kick@3d6*2 and roundhouse kick@3d6. Apparently you use weapons to give people a chance of survival.

[Veknironth]

Well, is it possible that the first mention of 1d4 damage is supposed to be added at higher levels? That makes it even worse.

-Vek
“That would be 5d4 damage with a shield attack at the highest levels.”

[Prysus]

Well, I was looking at the shield bash damage, and it's way too high. It's 2d4. That's the same damage as a sabre or a cutlass. That's way too high, right? I always thought it was 1d4. Was it ever?

-Veknironth
"1d4 Might even be too high."

Greetings and Salutations. As others have stated, the damages in Palladium are all over the place. To reconcile the two, I think I usually say the 1D4 is more of a quick jab (quick hit while trying to keep your defenses up) and receive the bonuses. A full shield bash is closer to the body/block tackle and deals 2D4 (as well as potentially stunning the opponent as a house rule), but not the full W.P. bonuses.

With that said, the shield is a potentially deadly weapon. Basically, it's a giant blunt object. While the show is a bit dated and their tests not consistent (which is to say they'd test different weapons using different techniques, which can make them difficult to compare accurately), Deadliest Warrior (2009) had an episode of the Spartan vs. Ninja. In there, they tested the shield and its kinetic damage made it potentially the Spartan's deadliest weapon. Don't just dismiss it as a defensive item. Farewell and safe journeys.

[Hotrod]

A roundhouse kick does 3D6 damage, so there's that. Hello, Chuck Norris!

This is something I tried to address with my house rules for melee combat, where light armor takes no damage from blunt strikes, but does from sharp weapons (heavy armor doesn't take damage from either). Thus, unless you bypass the AR, you do no damage to an armored opponent with a shield bash, punch, or kick.