Ian_W

Well, just about every culture upgraded from cuirboilli once it could - and I do like the way a well-armored RW2/RQG fighter can pretty much ignore single handed weapons wielded by not-enhanced fighters. Note this is part of what makes Westerners so scary in Glornatha, as their sorcery-imbued metal armor makes them effectively immune to most weapons wielded by most people.

2-4, depending on if you're using a layer of zebra or a double layer of rhino, or two layers of linden laid crosswise or half an inch of oak, is probably what it can stop used passively front-on. But if you made your Block, the answer should be 'All of it'.

Rules as written allow one Augment to be used once. "Where appropriate, one ability—whether skill, Passion, or Rune—may be combined to augment another ability of the same or a different type. " p143 "The abilities being combined should be clearly relevant to the task at hand. It is the gamemaster’s sole discretion whether a combination of abilities is allowed. Only one augment may be attempted per ability, and an ability can only be used once per session to augment a task being attempted. " "At the gamemaster’s discretion, an adventurer can use one ability to augment another adventurer’s ability, such as using one skill to bolster another, working cooperatively or in support of another. " p144 Note that - with rules as written - it is only one augment per attempt. On the other hand, +20% is really important, if it pushes the skill being used over 100%, and thereby reduces the active defences of the enemy, as per " . If the opponent is trying to parry, block, Dodge, or otherwise oppose the adventurer’s ability, then 100%+ ability gives a greater chance of preventing that opposition. If the highest rated participant in an opposed roll has an ability rating above 100%, the difference between 100 and their ability rating is subtracted from the ability of everyone in the contest (including themselves)." p143. What does this mean ? The first thing is the GM needs to think about what they think about., say, Jump as an Augment. I'd argue - strongly - that an Orlanthi leaping behind his enemy to stab him better is a very Orlanthi thing to do - indeed, when dealing with windbags I would allow Orate or Sing as an augment as well (cf p270 'I challenged the priest of Thed that had slain Nathan and smiled as it replied in a howl of rage'). The second thing they need to think about is how generous they want to be with "in support of another" - will you let Eurmal get away with 'I do interpretive dance to look like I'm summoning a spirit, to allow my friend Orlanth to shank them'. Finally, if this makes for Maximum Game Fun, whether they want to rule that "once per session" to mean something shorter, so Our Heroes use more of their character sheet.

If they are shooting at the Storm Bull with the large axe, they aren't shooting at you .

The numbers quoted above are completely wrong, and the kind of gamey rules you get from people who don't know the history of combat. Or were writing a RPG combat system in 1978. It is about the same difficulty to cut through three inches of hardened leather, three inches of wicker or three inches of wood, as that is what actively defending with the shield does. Functionally, active shield work all about 'Did I get the edge of the shield on the edge of the weapon'. If you did, great. If you didn't, you're in trouble (and your block missed). There are two theories with Bronze Age shields - a mucking big bronze shield that I don't move, it just protects my upper legs, abdomen and chest and in game terms acts as DR(*), or a small light shield that I try and get my enemy's weapon stuck in - because stopping their sword hitting me is good, but having their sword or spear stuck in my shield is best. Similarly, parrying damaging swords should be an 'only if you do it wrong' - the reason all the dark age illustrations seem to show parrying with the flat is that's what a false edge/short edge parry looks like ('Absetzen' or 'setting aside' is the technique, and its got equivalents in Italian). (*) To implement this, a Big Shield covers the shield arm and two declared areas, a Medium shield passively covers the shield arm and one declared areas and a small shield covers the shield arm. Any enemy attack on those areas adds the DR of the shield to the DR of the armor underneath. Yes, this does mean you can cover all the vital bits with a big shield. 'Parry' can be

If you want to balance things, make the two hander user pass a Scan check to see the arrow coming in before they can use Dodge. They will soon realise that the only thing better than a friend is a friend with a large shield.

A possible answer is 'because you'd prefer the cheap shield to be destroyed'. In any case, I think the core problem isn't the shield, it's the prices. In Prax, an entirely wooden shield is rare, expensive and a status symbol. Everyone else just makes do with cured zebra-hide stretched over a frame. And wicker shields - the Zola Fel gives many things, including reeds that are both tough and strong. In Sartar, wood is a lot more common, but enough putting leather to make two pairs of boots and a helmet onto a shield ? That's the shield of a man with cows. And a wicker shield, in human size ? That's Duck export work, that is. They make quality, and they want silver for it too. The prices strike me as right for Pavis, but wrong for Sartar.

There was this guy called Sheng Seleris, who back in the day destroyed the Lunar Empire and raided the Moon itself. Way back in the day, it was speculated he was exactly that sort of Shaman. The spirit is probably going to want something. If its a Bladesharp 30 spell spirit, that something is going to be pretty impressive.

Me too, but she is very Humakti. I'd done her family and personal history, and was going 'Can't find the right cult', and then it hit me. Truth rune. Then the dice came up hot on the geas, and she just works The personal and family history really places a new character in the world.

Lukoi Oathtaker, Initiate of Humakt "I am oathsworn to Humakt to never lie. I have no love for killing" "I needed to be a warrior, so I picked up Death. Being at my bench, making beautiful things is better than killing" "Move your hips with your sword arm. Fight with your whole body" Humakt Geas Never Lie. Humakt Gift +1 Strength Lukoi is a reluctant Humakti, with little connection to Death (but much to Truth). She took up the Sword to fight the Lunar Empire and liberate Sartar, and this has been done and she did her duty in it, and now she is finding her life. Her grandfather, the bandit Fortos, was eaten by the Crimson Bat at Boldhome in 1602 and his soul was lost. Following this, her mother Endorai was adopted into the Culbrea and became a jeweler, working in Jonstown. After fighting in Starbrow's Rebellion and in the Hendriking campaign, she died of Creeping Chills in 1620. Lukoi inherited her workbench and tools, but took up the sword at Auroch Hills. She was driven insane by Lunes at the siege of Nochet, and was present with Argrath at the simmoning of Jaldon Goldentooth and the Dragonrise. She witnessed the liberation of Sartar and the installation of Kallyr as Prince of Sartar. The Lunar Empire being defeated and Sartar being liberated, she is heading home to Jonstown. She is an initiate of Humakt, and is under a geas to never lie. She is completely candid about having no passion for Humakt or for killing - the fight against the Lunar Empire needed her to pick up a sword, and so she did those things that would make her most effective with it. She is tall, blonde and slim. Her health is not good, and she fears that she will die of plague as her mother did. She is meticulous about fufilling her cult obligations, working for one afternoon a week and donating 10% of her income to the closest Humakt temple. This work is often training lay members in swordsmanship and shieldwork, especially those seen as having little passion for the First Sword. She will train non cult members, for the customary rates, and owns a set of wooden swords for this purpose ("Death comes at training too"). It vexes her that she can earn more training swordsmanship - and she is good, at just below the level expected of a Sword of Humakt - than she can making jewelry. She will, for pay, invoke Humakt's Detect Lie to be part of disputes between merchants. She has her grandfather's old sword, a finely crafted weapon (13 hp, 1 enc) with a Strength matrix. If the magic is activated, her Strength goes up to 21, and her weapon skills go up by 10 and her damage bonus goes to 1d6. Additionally, she has a wooden medium shield (12 hp, 2 enc), a linen Linothorax (3pt armor, 1 enc), a closed bronze helm (5 pt armor, 1 enc), curiboilli leather greaves (3 pt armor, 1 enc) and cuirboulli vambraces (3 pt armor, 1 enc). Her total combat encumberance is 8, putting her adjusted Dodge at 41%. She will endeavour to cast Strength from the matrix and then Bladesharp on the sword itself, which will boost her Broadsword skill to 105% and the sword's damage to 1d8 + 1d6 +3. Most enemies do not expect a skinny girl to be able to cut through their shield. While she still has her jeweler's tools and portable work-bench, she does not currently have the stock of precious stones and metals and such needed to work properly, and is out of practice in any case. Her personal life is greatly impeded by the Oath to Humakt she is under - she cannot, for example, say 'You look good in that'. This vexes her, as she wants a normal life with husband and children. She has considered taking service as a weaponthane, if it comes with a farm of her own. Lukoi.xlsx