Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="J. Anson" data-source="post: 639413" data-attributes="member: 9735">deflectionNot to pick nits, or anything...But it seems kind of strange to think of a shield wall as deflecting attacks, rather than stopping them.It also seems kind of strange to attribute all of the exhaustion incurred by the front-line shield-bearers as from the weight of the shields - surely they get exhausted more quickly during heavy fighting?And finally, it seems to me that the reason battering rams can break through the shield walls is because they do so much damage.All of this points to shields acting as DR. Of course, an attack can also be parried using a shield- most easily against slashing attacks, but thrusts can be parried with a bit more work. And, of course, with a relatively stationary shield (like in a shield wall), it acts more like cover than a deflector, assuming the shield's DR is high enough that it can't be punched through.This seems like a proficiency; someone skilled with a shield can choose to use it to parry, block, etc., where most damage that gets through is treated as blunt trauma rather than pointy things sticking through.</blockquote>