tivadar27 |
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The light shield is essentially a worse heavy shield in all but Bulk, and Bulk, for most characters, is easily managed. Note that without weapon/armor description, it's entirely impossible to know this for sure, but it seems as if both of these items take up two hands, and Light Shields provide 1 less AC.
My suggestion is for a light shield to work *similar* to a bucker in 1e. Allow people to use that hand (perhaps with a circumstance penalty for actions with the attack trait), but also still be able to raise their shield (no need for all the extra verbiage with "raise shield" being an action). This would put it on par (but not really better than) the shield spell, which requires 0 hands entirely.
Zwordsman |
There is such a large difference with the two.
On my alchemist, I originally had studded arour and light armour, but after looking at things, like ACP and such. I realized that I should just have padded armour and a heavy shield instead.. That way I could just stow my shield and have no ACP, and (assuming I have time to equip) my AC is better with the heavy shield due to TAC, and the Hardness effect.
Mudfoot |
IMHO, the difference between a light and heavy shield is whether you need to use it actively. A light shield is fairly small and the user has to actively interpose it against a blow. But if used properly, it's very effective: +2 AC when Raised and can Block. Whereas a heavy shield is a great big thing that is in the way all the time: +2 AC whether raised or not, and you Raise it if you want to block.
And a heavy shield is a great big thing that is in the way all the time, so it contributes its ACP whether wielded or not. You try walking around the house with a three foot wooden disk on your back. I am not responsible for the damage.
Seannoss |
The parry bonus and the shield bonus do not stack. Shields do not provide normal AC, they provide a circumstance bonus to AC and only when raised.
Which I think makes shields more pointless. Especially when people talk about how many shields a fighter goes through.
Zwordsman |
in my case, I spent my human ancestry fate for it.
I mean I want to test it, and will often have an extra action open for raising it.
Also note. due to it being a circ bonus. cover and the like does not stack with it either.
So hiding behind things matters less I guess..
though hiding behind a small wall and holding my shield above my head should realistically give me more cover than either one alone