Shields

Combat skills with large, medium and small shields are used primarily for parrying and self defense.

In untrained hands: A small shield provides a +1 to parry. The average small wood & leather shield has 30 S.D.C. and costs 35 silver. A small wood & metal plated shield has 50 S.D.C. and costs 65 silver. A small metal shield has 80 S.D.C. and costs 100 silver.

A Large shield provides a +2 to parry. Note: In trained hands the bonuses provided in WP: shield are added to this. Only a trained user (w.p. Shield) can use a shield as a weapon. A shield can be used in one hand and a weapon in the other.

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.

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. Large shield cannot be thrown.

Damage to shields: Subtract 10% of the damage that would normally be inflicted by a weapon when blocked/parried by a shield. When all S.D.C. is gone, the shield has too many holes, cracks and weaknesses to offer protection. The next strike will punch right through or shatter it and hit the user at full force and full damage.

Shield Construction and Prices:

• The average small wood & leather shield has 30 S.D.C. and costs 35 silver.
• A small wood & metal plated shield has 50 S.D.C. and costs 65 silver.
• 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).

Small and Medium Shields

• Buckler Shield

  The Buckler was a small (up to 45 cm or 18 in) round, wood, leather or metal shield gripped in the fist with a central handle behind the boss and could be hung from a belt. This type of shield is generally reserved as a companion weapon in hand-to-hand combat. While it offeres poor protection against missile weapons, it is useful in deflecting an opponent’s blows. The buckler is often combined with an arming sword, falchion, or rapier.

• Round Shield

  Round shields are usually made from linden wood, fir, alder, and poplar with steel or iron shield boss (materials that are light in hand, not too dense, and not inclined to split). Most are painted a single color, although some have a design painted onto them, such as crosses or sun wheels. Round shields are generally classified as Medium sized and designed for bashing and shield wall tactics.

• Heater Shield

  Heater shields evolved from kite shields, they were more manageable and are used either mounted or on foot. As plate armour began to cover more and more of the body, the shield grew correspondingly smaller. Relatively lightweight compared to other similar shields, the heather shield is easy to move around during both mounted and on-foot combat. Because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to make, they are used by almost every social class. Heater shields often feature a strap or guige for the shield to be slung over the back when not in use. Jousting shields contain a bouche or “mouth” for the lance to pass through.

Large Shields

• Kite Shield

  The Kite shields are usually made from linden wood, fir, alder, and poplar with steel or iron shield boss and leather or iron edge (materials that are light in hand, not too dense, and not inclined to split). They were developed for mounted cavalry (a narrow bottom protected the rider’s left leg, and the pronounced upper curve, the rider’s shoulder, and torso). But can and are often used in foot combat. A variant kite shield has the top flat rather than rounded, making it easier for a soldier to hold the shield upright without limiting his field of vision. Kite shields are generally classified as Large sized and designed for Cavalry and shield wall tactics.

• Oval Shield

  Like the scutum, The oval shape is a shield in wide use as an infantry shield, however, is also sees use as a cavalry shield. This oval wooden shield is covered front and back with leather and has a black steel boss and arm straps and leather covered handle on the back. Oval shields are classified as Large sized and designed for Infantry, Cavalry, and shield wall tactics. Oval shields are usually made from linden wood, fir, alder, and poplar with steel or iron shield boss and leather or iron edge (materials that are light in hand, not too dense, and not inclined to split).

• Scutum

  A rather heavy and big shield, the Scutum resembles sort of a portable door, offering side or total protection for the wielder. Used by infantry, it was crucial to formations such as the tortoise like formation or as a shield wall. It has an astounding effectiveness for defending and is almost unreachable standing firm against all odds in the hands of properly trained legions. They are employed by crossbowmen placed in front of the wielder, providing cover whilst he reloaded his crossbow. Rectangular shields are made of wood, coated with bronze or iron. They are rarely fully made out of metal since the sheer size of the shield alongside the weight would require a strongman to use it.

• Tower Shield

  The Tower Shield is a large, square, and convex shield used by archers, crossbowmen, and infantry soldiers. It is usually large enough to cover the entire body. While reloading their weapons, archers and crossbowmen will crouch behind them to shelter against incoming missile attacks. During a siege, the Tower is often carried by a specialist bearer, who holds it in place or deployed in the ground with a spike attached to the bottom. Tower shields were made of wood, coated with bronze or iron. They are rarely fully made out of metal since the sheer size of the shield alongside the weight would require a strongman to use it.

Armour is any protective body covering used in a combat situation. The armours S.D.C. takes into consideration how much of the body is covered and the strength of the protective material. A full suit covers as much of the entire body as possible and can be stuffy, heavy, and restrict movement. A half suit protects only key body areas such as head, chest, and joints.

Armour and Combat

All armour serves to protect the body from being damaged in combat. The two attributes of armour are the Armour Rating (A.R.) and the Structural Damage Capacity (S.D.C.).

Armour Rating

The Armour Rating indicates exactly how much protection is afforded by the armour and how easily it is penetrated. The higher the A.R. the better the protection. As you recall, any attack roll to strike above a four (5-20) hits, doing damage unless parried or dodged. Armour provides additional protection in case of an unsuccessful parry or a sneak attack. The attacker must roll higher than the defender's armour rating to penetrate the armour and inflict physical damage (hit points) to the defender. Die rolls under the A.R. strike the protective armour, damaging ONLY the armour (not the character). A.R. always wins ties. Die rolls over the A.R. damage both the Armour and the character, the armour taking the brunt of the damage (full) the character taking 3/4 of the damage (unless it is a critical hit which does double damage on both the Armour and the character).

Structural Damage Capacity (S.D.C.)

Each type of armour has a specific Structural Damage Capacity (S.D.C.) which indicates how much damage the armour can withstand. S.D.C. points are identical to Structural Damage Points or Hit Points, except they refer to inanimate objects (in this case armour and shields), not living creatures. When armour is struck, the damage is subtracted from its S.D.C. When the armour's S.D.C. is reduced to zero it no longer provides protection and is beyond repair. The person's physical body is then open to attack. Example: If a warrior is wearing chain mail (A.R. 14, S.D.C. 44) and is struck by a weapon on a roll of 12, the armour is not penetrated and the character takes no damage. His armour, however, would be damaged because the roll was above four. If the roll was over fourteen, the character and the armour would take damage because the armour was penetrated.

Armour Restrictions

Anyone can wear armour, but only the men of arms O.C.C.'s are specifically trained in the use of ALL armour, light and heavy. Consequently, they suffer few restrictions in movement or speed except when using heavy chain or metal type armour.

Men of Arms Restrictions:
Warriors are not plagued by any restrictions when using light or Medium Armour, but even those trained in the use of Heavy Armour find some insurmountable limitations.

• Weight: reduces the character's natural speed by two points.
• Noise/prowl minus: No matter how stealthily one tries to move, chain and metal armours clank, squeak, and jingleing making prowling virtually impossible.
• Encumberance Penalties: -15% to prowl and -20% to climb/scale walls or swim in full splint or plate armour. -10% to prowl, swim or climb in chain or scale mail, and -5% in studded leather.

Non-Men of Arms Restrictions:
Those characters not trained in the use of Armour will find the light armour types (cloth, padded, quilt, or leathers) fairly comfortable and unrestrictive, providing maximum mobility with minimal protection. There are no restrictions in the use of light armour. Medium and Heavy armour, including half suits, is another story. Individuals not trained and practiced in the use of Medium or Heavy Armour will find it to be very heavy, awkward, hot, and restrictive to movement. If these characters should wear heavy armour they suffer the following restrictions (this includes all men of magic, clergy, nobility, scholars, merchants, and peasants).

• Weight: reduces the character's speed by half.
• Noise/prowl minus: No matter how stealthily one tries to move, chain and metal armours clank, squeak, and jingleing making prowling virtually impossible.
• Encumberance Penalties: -15% to prowl and -20% to climb/scale walls or swim in full splint or plate armour. -10% to prowl, swim or climb in chain or scale mail, and -5% in studded leather.

Types of Armour Armour Type Armour Cost (in Silver) Armour Rating (A.R.) S.D.C Weight (lbs.) Light Armour Cloth (full) 020 05 06 02 lbs. Padded or Quilt (full) 050 08 15 08 lbs. Soft Leather (full) 075 10 20 11 lbs. Soft Leather (half) 045 06 10 09 lbs. Hard Leather (full) 150 11 30 15 lbs. Hard Leather (half) 075 08 12 11 lbs. Studded Leather (full) 200 13 38 20 lbs. Studded Leather (half) 100 09 20 15 lbs. Chain Shirt 110 08 13 25 lbs. Medium Armour Hide (full) 015 11 40 25 lbs. Hide (half) 008 08 23 16 lbs. Scale (full) 650 15 75 45 lbs. Scale (half) 300 11 35 20 lbs. Chain Mail (full) 280 14 44 40 lbs. Chain Mail (half) 170 09 20 30 lbs. Breastplate 200 13 50 30 lbs. Heavy Armour Double Mail (full) 340 15 55 50 lbs. Double Mail (half) 200 10 28 20 lbs. Ring Mail (full) 650 16 80 45 lbs. Ring Mail (half) 300 12 40 20 lbs. Splint (full) 700 16 82 50 lbs. Splint (half) 400 12 40 22 lbs. Banded Mail 250 14 50 26 lbs. Plate and Chain (full only) 800 15 100 52 lbs. Plate (full) 1000 17 100 58 lbs. Plate (half) 450 14 60 20 lbs.

Full Suit (full): Leggings (chausses) or leg plating; knee, shoulder, and elbow guards; helmet; coif (protects neck), hauberk (protects chest/thigh) or plating; arm bands or plating; gloves or gauntlets; surcoat.

Half Suit (half): Protects chest, neck, joints (kneees, elbows, and wrists), and head (helmet).

Damaged Armour

As a suit of armour is damaged, the degree of protection it provides is lessened. The most obvious result of damage is the reduction of S.D.C., but the armour's A.R. is also affected. When armour is reduced to half its original S.D.C. the A.R. is reduced by two points. When the armour is reduced to one third its original S.D.C. the A.R. is reduced by two more points.

Repairing Armour

Damaged armour can be repaired and S.D.C. restored. Patching armour is an expensive and time consuming process. The following tables indicate the cost and time involved.

Self Repair Armour Type S.D.C. Restored Cost in Silver Time in Hours Cloth or quilt 5 10 4 Soft leather 4 20 6 Hard/studded leather 4 26 12 Chain mail 8 30 12 Double mail 8 35 16 Scale 7 60 18 Splint 7 70 18 Plate 7 80 19 Restores 1 A.R. if brought back to half S.D.C. Restores 2 A.R. if brought back to full S.D.C. Professional Repairs Armour Type S.D.C. Restored Cost in Silver Time in Days Cloth or quilt 5 20 1 Soft leather 5 35 1 Hard/Studded Leather 5 45 1-2 Chain mail 10 50 2-3 Double mail 10 60 3-4 Scale 10 70 5 Splint 10 80 5-6 Plate 10 100 6-7 Restores 2 A.R. if brought back to half S.D.C. Restores full A.R. if brought back to full S.D.C. Rush jobs cost 200% to 600% more.