How adjudicate a shield worn on the back?

[Phaedrus]

You may accuse me of getting this idea from the movie Troy, but actually looking at Schleich Knights (awesome toys!) got me thinking about this.

Some wear shields on their backs for added protection. Achilles did it in Troy, and the battle-axe-wielding-Schleich Knight is wearing it like that, too.

How, if at all, would you handle this in D&D rules?

 

[Liquidsabre]

I'd use a special feat for wearing a shield on your back and be able to retain a shield bonus. There should be a few prereqs for the feat and with at least a +11 BAB requirement, Shield Proficiency, and some other feats that might go with the style. I'd almost require Whirlwind Attack, as that is the sort of fighting style a shield-on-the-back fighter would use.

Yea, I remember watching troy, awesome stuff with great fighting and a wonderful source of gaming inspiration for combats! The whole time I tried (very hard too) to break things down mechanically for D&D combat hehe, I'm such a game geek.

 

[Phaedrus]

Thanks for the response... but I was hoping to use it at a lower level.

No shield bonus, but it adds the shield AC to all flank and sneak attacks. Is that fair? You don't get normal (full-time) use of the shield, but it helps in a pinch. This, I think, goes to the purpose of wearing it on your back in the first place--protect you when you're back is turned.

 

[Sigurd]

I'd only give it any benefit if a called shot or critical hit was certain to be on the back.

Shields on the back already have the advantage that you won't be seperated from them if you chose to equip them later. They can be a useful thing to have in closed spaces or to jam in doors etc...

There is already a leniency that there really is no weight or mobility penalty.

A hero point or an extreamly lucky (or reworked) encounter might let the shield be useful.

I can also see a magic shield or a magic spell that lends a shield strapped on the back a protectective role for characters running from the battle. If your DM micromanaged every possible advantage your opponents could get I think you'd feel s/he was too cruel.

S

If you work out an armor benefit for it, are you going to calculate an encumbrance penalty? Or get a masterwork armor/shield combination that won't ever conflict??

 

[D+1]

Some wear shields on their backs for added protection. Achilles did it in Troy, and the battle-axe-wielding-Schleich Knight is wearing it like that, too.
How, if at all, would you handle this in D&D rules?

I wouldn't handle it. If I DID, however, it'd provide no better than breastplate AC while it was on the back. 3.5 D&D does not concern itself with facing. It assumes that combatants will face threats as best they can in all circumstances so NOT having armor on your back isn't a particular concern. If at all possible you aren't going to GIVE your back to an opponent and there's no benefit given for attacking "from behind", only for outflanking. Thus it's irrelevant if you improve your "rear" AC - it's your overall AC that is used and a shield on your back that is not BUILT as part of your armor is not offering you any significant protection. Certainly no more than breastplate would.

 

[Vargo]

Nope, I didn't think you got it from Troy...

...I thought you got it from watching Fellowship of the Ring and yelling at Boromir "It's a SHIELD, damnit! It doesn't do you any good on your back, EQUIP it and block those damn arrows!"

I'm pretty certain the only time he ever has it out is when the troll uses him for batting practice in Moria...

 

[swordsmasher]

Well, umm..yeah Achillies (wannabe tailored to Brad Pitt goodie two shoes version) in Troy wore it on his back, but historically I don't recall any greeks or trojans wearing shields on thier backs. (Though I could be wrong).

I know the Vikings did, however they usually had a big two-handed weapon while doing so. it was used a lot by berserkers in a spinning attack form. ie swing big bad great axe, put your back to your enemy whose blow is deflected by your shield, swing again.

The scots from scotland (i recall it was mostly the highlanders and thier claymores) used a similar tactic, though most favored smaller swords in the roman style with the shield strapped to thier offhand.

Here's the feat I use in my campaign.

Spinning Shield [General]
You fight like a ballerina dancing the flower waltz.
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Base Attack +6, Dodge, Shield Proficiency.
Benefit: You can strap a shield on your back and still retain its bonus to AC due to your unique style of spinning while fighting. Note that the tower shield cannot be used in this manner. You only gain the shield's AC bonus if you made an attack this turn.
Special: The fighter may select this feat as one of his bonus feats.



In my buddy's game, he allows anyone with Shield Proficiency to wear the shield on his back instead of the arm and suffer the shield's check penalty to all attack rolls and Reflex saves.

 

[Coredump]

I know the Vikings did, however they usually had a big two-handed weapon while doing so. it was used a lot by berserkers in a spinning attack form. ie swing big bad great axe, put your back to your enemy whose blow is deflected by your shield, swing again.

I would be *very* interested in any historical evidence that they fought like that at all. Any strategy that relies on continually turning your back on your enemy...... I just can't see it happening.

Sure they carried the shield on their backs, it was *easier*. If you look at pictures, soldiers also carry rifles on their backs...but they don't use them there.

 

[swordsmasher]

Disclaimer: I don't have a Master's degree in Viking or Norse fighting techniques.

Now that that is out of the way....

When i was stationed in germany, I took a few courses on Military Science for my OTC, and one of them had a little bit about various fighting styles throughout the ages. Now, the Vikings pretty much forged the world as we know it today, so there is a lot about them.

Apparently the style I mentioned above (in brief) was used like this: BIG TWO HANDED WEAPON. The warrior with the big two hander would hack, spin, hack, spin, very very fast in a berserker state, smashing through enemy troops, not standing or prancing around, fighting this way in a straight line, until he died, or broke through the enemy lines, then he would turn around and do it again until he was back to his lines.

For a good example of this, check out the Highlander episode where Duncan Fights Kanwulf (Kanwulf uses a two handed axe with a shield strapped to his back, does a lot of spinning, catching Duncan's claymore on his shield numerous times).

The scots and irish learned to fight this way by copying the vikings (and the scots claymores were much bigger than most viking axes)