Shield Block Reaction & Damage to Shield


Prerelease Discussion


I know - the answer is probably "You'll have to wait and see", but it never hurts to ask. I am a little confused about the whole Shield Block reaction - which lets you reduce an attack's damage by the shield's hardness, if you spend an action the previous round to raise your shield.

From the Glass Cannon podcast and blog discussions, it is mentioned that shields will get damaged frequently due to how popular this action is - and this raised a question - If the shield is only absorbing the "hardness" amount of damage, ans the rest goes on to hit the shield's wielder, then hasn't the shield actually taken NO damage?

If I am attacked with a hit that would cause me 10 points of damage, and I use my reaction to use my raised shield (which has a hardness of 4), I take 6 damage and my shield takes 4.... but with hardness 4, the shield takes 0 damage. No?

Or is it that by using the reaction the shield takes the entire hit - turning the attack into a sunder? And therefore the shield takes 6 damage fromthe 10 damage hit?

What am I missing?


As near as I can tell your shield doesn't take damage, but every time you shield block your shield is 'dented'. So many 'dents' and your shield is broken (maybe).


From what I understand it it's something like this:

For a shield with hardness 9 if an attack rolls 9 damage or less it both blocks all damage and takes no dents.

If it deals 8-18 damage then it only blocks 9 damage (you take the remaining damage), and then the shield takes no dents (because the remaining damage is 9 or lower).

And if it deals 19+ damage then it only blocks 9 damage (you take the remaining), and then the shield takes a dent (because the remaining damage is higher than 9).


I think it's only dented if the attack exceeds its hardness. So in your example you take the damage and it has 1 dent, but if the attack was for 3 damage it'd block it all and have no dents.

Ninja'd
No idea who of me or Charabdos, The Tidal King is correct


Chess Pwn wrote:

I think it's only dented if the attack exceeds its hardness. So in your example you take the damage and it has 1 dent, but if the attack was for 3 damage it'd block it all and have no dents.

Ninja'd
No idea who of me or Charabdos, The Tidal King is correct

I have no idea either. We'll have to wait and see.


I am thrilled that this idea is coming to P2. I've long wanted shields to be more than "just another TWF option".


I'd be glad to see a "Damaged Equipment" (variant or not) rule, for weapons and armor at least.


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I haven't watched the podcast but here is how I would like it to work or something like this as maybe I'm making it too complicated.

Below hardness: No damage to you or the shield.

Over the hardness: Shield takes remaining damage up until half its hp is gone.

After half the hp is gone any damage over the hardness is split between you and the shield. This simulates holes, rents in the shield. Maybe the hardness drops too?

You could make this easier by having two hp pools.

ie:

Primary Shield Life:
Hardness 10
HP: 30 HP

Battered Shield Life:
Hardness: 8
HP: 15

Maybe reverse the hp's? I don't know what level of hardness or hp is balanced. :)


to me this makes sense - but no need to wait until the shield takes half its own hp worth of damage.

When using the shield block reaction, your shield absorbs half the damage of the attack (subtracting for hardness).

If the shield has 10 hp and 5 hardness and you get hit for 14 damage, you take 7, and the shield takes 2 (7 minus hardness 5).

If you got hit for 35 damage, your shield is destroyed (after taking its full hp in damage +5 hardness = 15hp), and you take 20 hp of damage.

Sure - you will go through a lot of shield this way - but if shields gain HP and hardness, like they did in 1e, a +3 adamantine shield would have hardness 23, and 50 hp


Oddman80 wrote:

Sure - you will go through a lot of shield this way - but if shields gain HP and hardness, like they did in 1e, a +3 adamantine shield would have hardness 23, and 50 hp

There was some talk about quality levels for items, like, more than just masterwork/not masterwork. I think the higher quality items even if made out of un-enchanted, normal steel, will likely have more hardness and hp.


Oddman80 wrote:

to me this makes sense - but no need to wait until the shield takes half its own hp worth of damage.

When using the shield block reaction, your shield absorbs half the damage of the attack (subtracting for hardness).

If the shield has 10 hp and 5 hardness and you get hit for 14 damage, you take 7, and the shield takes 2 (7 minus hardness 5).

If you got hit for 35 damage, your shield is destroyed (after taking its full hp in damage +5 hardness = 15hp), and you take 20 hp of damage.

Sure - you will go through a lot of shield this way - but if shields gain HP and hardness, like they did in 1e, a +3 adamantine shield would have hardness 23, and 50 hp

I obviously like my way better. ;)

However, using your way what if you reduced the damage from hardness first then split it between you and the shield?


Lemartes wrote:

I obviously like my way better. ;)

However, using your way what if you reduced the damage from hardness first then split it between you and the shield?

Yeah - I like that - its simple, and the risk/reward is a little more favorable so you are less likely to completely destroy a shield with each encounter.

Regardless, if the ring of force shield still exists in 2nd edition, it would be a pretty awesome item. Once they bust through the 30 hardness/90 hit point shield, you just conjure a new one as an action. LOL


I’m guessing damage over hardness applies to both you and the shield fully. Thus, it’s most useful against weak enemies.

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