Now, I've never played 2nd edition and just kind of browse the rules out of curiosity. I'm curious if actual play matches how I read it.
Some characters get to use Shield Block to reduce damage by a shield's hardness, but the shield also takes that damage. On paper, that seems to incentivise blocking only low-damage attacks, like a kobold with a dagger. It doesn't seem worth losing your shield just for 5pts off damage from an ogre.
Is that the intent? Shield Block is to slap aside small attacks rather than a last ditch reflex to hide from a troll claw?
At least that's how I read it. How does it play at the table?
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uppse your 1st-level character is battling a Goblin Warrior creature -1. He has 2o hit points and a wooden shield, hardness 3 and 12 hit points. The goblin warrior hits for 1d6 slashing damage.
If the goblin warrior rolls a 1, 2, or 3 on the 1d6, then the shield block absorbs all the damage and the PC takes no damage. If the goblin warrior rolls a 4, 5, or 6, then both the PC and the shield take 1, 2, or 3 damage respectively. The average damage the goblin deals is (1+2+3+4+5+6)/6 = 3.5 damage. The average damage that gets past the shield is (0+0+0+1+2+3)/6 = 1 damage.
Imagine that the goblin's damage rolls are 1, 6, 3, 4, 2, and 5 in that order. After the first five attacks, the goblin has rolled for 16 damage, but the PC hs taken only 4 damage. The shield is at 4 damage too. The last damage roll of 5 will break the shield. The decision whether to block is made after the damage is rolled, so most players would not block the 5 damage. Instead, they save the shield for lesser damage that won't break it. It has already prevented 12 damage to the PC, so blocking during this combat has already proven its worth. At this point, the shield is only for the +2 circumstance bonus to AC. But few combats last six turns.
The characters who use Shield Block routinely train in Crafting. They repair their shields between battles, if they have 10 minutes to spare, so the shield is at full hit points for each battle.
Later, the character is 2nd level and fighting a Goblin Commando, who deals 1d8+3 slashing damage. Every hit will damage a wooden shield. But the PC has the wealth to upgrade to a steel shield, hardness 5 and 20 hit points. The goblin commando's hits deal (0+0+1+2+3+4+5+6)/8 = 2.625 damage to the shield, It can block an average of 3 hits before it would break, which averages to about 8 damage. Is preventing 8 damage worthwhile? That is a quarter of the character's 32 hit points.
Shield-Blocking PCs have to keep upgrading their shields to deal with creatures that deal more damage. The 4th-level mnor sturdy shield has hardness 8. The 7th-level lesser sturdy shield has hardness 10. The 10th-level moderate sturdy shield has hardness 13. And so on. The shield hardness increases with level just like the creature damage.
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Shields are good for a lot of classes.
Shield Block is a good defensive option. It plays best for a Champion with Shield Divine Ally that boosts its hardness, hit points, and break threshold. Fighter uses it ok. It's pretty decent on a druid as well or cleric.
You have to build the shield up, ensure you have the means to quickly repair it while traveling, and use it intelligently to block. You can block some strong attacks, but at low level the shield will likely break very easy. But once you start picking up Sturdy Shields or Reinforcing Shield Runes, you can greatly improve the shield's ability to block damage.
In real play, the classes I see use it the most are:
Champion with Shield Ally
Druid as it's pretty much free defense.
Most other classes can have trouble using shields as it requires an action to raise it every round to use Shield Block. Not every class has the right action economy or abilities to make a shield shine.
Good insight, guys, thanks.
I hadn't realized shields would get bettor over levels. I'd just imagined they'd be fighting hydras with the same 5 hardness shield they started with.
And I guess I do have to adjust my narrative. It felt like it wanted to be an "oh carp!" reaction to try to survive a big attack. It seems like "pfft blocking" over time is where the value is.
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Also to note: Shields recently got Shield Runes as upgrade options. So they can be upgraded as the character levels just like armor can.
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I made a Giant Barbarian with a giant Gnome Flickmace and Sturdy Shield (that's not giant because size doesn't make machanical difference).
It was a pretty interesting barbarian once that the Shield's AC helps me to compensate the AC penalties from rage and clumsy and the rage damage bonuses doesn't change if you are holding a 1 or 2 handed weapon (except if its agile).
Shields and Shield Blocks are an excellent 3rd-action to have specially in early game where if you aren't a fighter you probably won't get any good reaction sooner.
I made a Giant Barbarian with a giant Gnome Flickmace and Sturdy Shield (that's not giant because size doesn't make machanical difference).
It was a pretty interesting barbarian once that the Shield's AC helps me to compensate the AC penalties from rage and clumsy and the rage damage bonuses doesn't change if you are holding a 1 or 2 handed weapon (except if its agile).
Shields and Shield Blocks are an excellent 3rd-action to have specially in early game where if you aren't a fighter you probably won't get any good reaction sooner.
A giant barbarian with a shield and a giant falcata might be interesting.
The problem of falcatas is that it doesn't have an ancestry trait so it doesn't progress well. But could be fun if you are playing an adventure limited up to level 4.
The problem of falcatas is that it doesn't have an ancestry trait so it doesn't progress well. But could be fun if you are playing an adventure limited up to level 4.
I think most DMs would let you take it with Unconventional Weaponry, but if dealing with a stickler it could be a problem.