In our last session, we had a lot of delays when it came to shields.
Most of it is the lingo. Some of it is the question of rules interaction.
A shield - small-s, physical shield - protects your front arc and your shield side flank hex is legal to block in.
A Shield - large-s, magical Shield spell - protects your front arc only.
If your physical shield is the margin of your successful defense, your shield gets hit by the attack. See Damage to Shields, p. B484.
If your magical Shield spell is the margin of your successful defense, it deflects the attack but doesn't suffer damage.
If you have both, both still apply based on my ruling. This means if you have a 15 to defend, a DB 2 medium shield, and 4 DB Shield, a 14-15 hits your physical shield.
Nothing really tricky here. But people getting attacked on the flank get their Shield DB never, their shield DB sometimes. Some guys got a little confused between "Your shield doesn't help but your shield does." Because you can't hear Bold Font in speech.
I'm wondering if the spell needs a better name . . . or we need another term to discuss physical shield DB?
New word time! I' like to say "Mage Shield" when I need to explicitly separate them, however if you want a single word, I find 'targe' works, or if you want something that isn't also a type of shield in it's own right, 'aegis' could do the trick.
ReplyDeleteshields- deflect
ReplyDeleteShield - absorbs
???
I kind of like the term "Mage Shield" for the Shield spell. I'd also like something with the term "ward" but there's already a spell called Ward (and Great Ward), so that's out.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to avoid all of the "Clerical Mage Shield" digressions that would spawn, though.
DeleteMagic Shield? Or Magical Shield? (I am not native English speaker, what is the difference between Magic and Magical?)
DeleteAegis also sounds good, though.
Name overlap is an issue. A magical shield is a physical shield with enchantments on it . . . so it just shifts the problem. I'll see what the group says in person and see if they like Aegis. And if everyone can pronounce it identically.
DeleteASSERT YOUR PRONUNCIATIONAL DOMINANCE!
DeleteWhatever way you pronounce will likely take, unless one of your Players has encountered aegis before and has their own take on the "hard g/soft g" debate.
INT. FELLTOWER - DAY
ReplyDeleteThere is a furious battle going on between delvers and Felltower dwellers, or "baddies." ULF is kneeling over an injured WYATT, grasps him by the head, and looks up to the sky.
ULF
(yelling)
Good God, let him have it!
ULF then looks over to see ALDWYN desperately fending off attacks from numerous baddies. ULF raises his arm and gestures in ALDWYN'S direction.
ULF
(rolls 3d6 to cast Shield +6)
Good God, give this man your HOLY EEEGIS OF PROTECTION!"
Why not word it minorly differently to remove ambiguity. Never call it Shield. Always call it shield spell: "Your shield doesn't help but your shield spell does." Or shield effect. Either way shield alone is physical and shield as a modifier to another word is magical.
ReplyDelete