Dune Shields

[Wolfhead]

How would you model the shields from Dune? Just a normal Ability?

https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Shield

[Richard S.]

The most I'd do is give shield-trained characters a situational penalty if fighting someone without one. Until Leto II they're just a normal part of the Dune universe, they only need to have an effect when there's either a distinct lack of them or if someone's shooting lasers around.

 

[g33k]

16 hours ago, Richard S. said:

The most I'd do is give shield-trained characters a situational penalty if fighting someone without one. Until Leto II they're just a normal part of the Dune universe, they only need to have an effect when there's either a distinct lack of them or if someone's shooting lasers around.

It's a good insight to note that the larger 'verse considers shields the norm (and thus not worth implementing as a mechanic that stands out).

But it's also worth noting that on the planet Arrakis, shields attract worms!  So shields are NOT the norm on that planet.

So IMHO it's worth implementing:
 - natives (without shield-training) facing shield'ed foes
 - shield-trained outsiders (who have no shields on the planet) facing natives

There might be some other points worth noting... but I think it quickly goes down into a rabbit-hole of crunchy simulationism that's kinda off-point for QW.

[Eff]

19 hours ago, Wolfhead said:

How would you model the shields from Dune? Just a normal Ability?

https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Shield

Shields in Dune have two effects, story-wise: 

1) They emphasize the mismatch between the effete and decadent Imperium and the practical, hypermanly Fremen. 

2) They make most high technology ineffectual as a tool of violence. 

The former is really very dependent on the context of what you're doing with your game's setting- if you're not running the basic conflicts of Dune, that factor doesn't matter or may be reversed. But the latter is mostly relevant because it does have an immediately relevant effect on QW games- it limits the tactics that can be used in a situation where there are shields. Using an ability that involves guns, energy weapons, etc. when shields are in play would be ruled as out as a viable tactic for overcoming a story obstacle or answering a story question. 

So that's how I would model that kind of motif- this is something that shapes the viability of abilities and tactics, but is not an ability itself, though having or not having shield access may be part of particular occupation keywords or other abilities.