Shield rules

[Scott Adams]

At 10:32 PM 12/15/02 +0100, you wrote:
>On Sat, Dec 14, 2002 at 11:38:27PM -0500, Scott Adams wrote:
>> At 02:34 AM 12/13/02 +0000, you wrote:
>> >Hiya.
>> >
>> >  I'm a bit more "unorthodox" with shields. For me, I figure you should
get
>> >experties in it if you use it in combat. If you never get a shield hit, so
>> >what? Who's to say that you didn't use your shield to push him a bit, or
>> >distract him with it? Maybe your opponent is so damn good he always gets
>> >past your shield...that doesn't mean that you didn't use it, or that you
>> >didn't learn anything. Well, in my book that's what it means. :)
>> >
>> >  So, I generally give out XPT on a case by case basis; if you used your
>> >shield in combat, and it never got hit, and niether did you, I'll give
>> >something like 1 to 4. If you got hit, and so did your shield, I give the
2x
>> >CDF. If you get hit, and your shield never does, I give something like 1x
>> >CDF. Pretty loose, but fair.
>> 
>> 
>> Yeah.  Even this seems a bit more fair than in the book method.  I guess
>> its how it is face value.  I tend to take it case by case.  Just cause
>> a rock is thrown at someone and you just reflex bring up your arm which
>> happens to have a shield on it and the rock hits the shield doens't mean
>> you learn next time to use the shield.  Just means you have good
>> reflexes :)
>
>Yes, but what other ways are there to use a shield, except putting it
>where something might hit you? To put it another way: The EL tells you
>how good your reflexes are.

Well when you put it that way so true.  Just there has to be some
common sense in games and at times shields don't fit the bill 100%
of the time.  I'm not saying one should never get expt but there
are times where luck just doesn't mean anything and its just extra
points for really doing nothing.  

I mean like i say a fighter that boxes is going to get acrobat skill
for dancing good in avoiding a guy's punches?  Nah.  That
tied into H2H obviously but its just gets wacky at times to
think about to extremes.  

One game system i use has very detailed parry rules and a bit
on shields and it seems to cover it a bit better but to adapt it
to this system would take time to think about.  
>
>And another note: The EL is added to the opponent's attack roll, so
>basically you use the shield _every time_ someone tries to hit you. In
>our group, the same amount of EXP is given to the shield skill as to
>your weapon skill after a fight (I hope Wout agrees this is what we do.
>His explanation seemed different.).

Every time eh?  What if your fighting 6 folks on 1.  You use it
6 times?  That's alot of movement for a phase :)  I think
when I first started the system years and years..well 20
odd years ago...I did it where it was one shield use per
time even if there were 3 folks.  Now I sometimes take
it case by case basis.

Course I just wanted to see some list traffic so i got
the question up :)

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