I was thinking for some time about shields. Natural choice would be equipping shield every time when using one-handed weapon. But recently I talked to some guys from Germany that came to Poland for enactment of Varangian warriors and they said some of them prefer to go shieldless with an axe or sword in one hand and keep the other hand free. They claimed the shield is ok when advancing towards enemy to protect from projectiles but when they go in close combat some of them often drop shield to gain mobility and save stamina. And when withdrawing from battle, first thing to leave behind is your shield.

I talked to them about it because it bugged me for some time how to reflect carrying the bulky piece of metal/wood. Shouldn't it penalize Movement? I'm thinking about -5/-10 depending on the size. Not something to make shielded player punished for using shield, but making him aware and feel he's carrying around bulky object.

I also think about improving bonus AC vs missile by 1 to reflect the primary usage of shield. Of course there are things like shielding other characters from missiles etc. but they are ruled quite easily according to situation.

Any thoughts? Am I being too meticulous about it? Don't want to spoil the fun by inserting too much realism.

Last edited by kane (5/09/2019 3:38 am)