I've been thinking about the way shields are handled in KAP5, and while I think they are handled efficiently and elegantly, they seem to lack the real value of the shield in combat.

In KAP5, shields provide additional damage reduction on a partial success.

Rather than lessen the severity of an attack, shields help lessen the chance that an attack will get through.

Perhaps knights with a shield have to make some sort of modified Dex check...?

I know many people will see this as me just trying to split hairs... which is kind of true ;D , but really any suggestions would be appreciated.

I see no reason to change the shield mechanic, which works for me. But if you want to do something else and keep it simple, how about this...

If you have a shield and gain a partial success (not a success), add +5 to your roll in comparison purposes. If this makes you the victor, you do no damage, but manage to deflect the attack with your shield.

Example:

A has skill 14. B has skill 17. Both have shields.

A rolls 9, B rolls 6. Normally, A would hit and do damage. However, since 6+5 = 11 > 9, B manages to deflect the blow with a shield, no damage is done to either knight.

Next round, A rolls 4, B rolls 10. Now A gets the shield bonus +5, but since 4+5 = 9 < 10, B manages to hit around the shield anyway and does damage to A.

Third round, A rolls 1, B rolls 18. Since B rolls a failure, he gets no shield of course and A hits B for damage.


I have not tested this in actual play, so I have no idea if this would be 'balanced' or not approach. +5 might be too much, causing a larger 'draw zone' than, say, +3. However, +5 fits the modifier mechanic better. My gut feeling is that the lack of shield armor balances the less frequent hits, but like I said, I have not calculated the probabilities / tested this. You could give it a try and see if it works for your game? The advantage being that it does not require more rolls.

Two problems with the dex-check-to-deflect-all-damage approach:

1) Sufficiently powerful attacks (sharp lances, two-handed-axes, etc.) can, in reality, continue on right through a successfully interposed shield.

2) Active use of a shield for blocking is very much a learned skill, not an inherent stat check. But then, if you use the skill-check-to-deflect-all-damage approach, please be careful that high-skill folks don’t become invulnerable.

Alternatively, you could do away with the opposed rolls and just roll for attack and parry as in BRP. It would no longer be Pendragon, but it gives you an active shield mechanic.

I personally like the simplicity and elegance of the current system.