Combat Arm with an Expandable Shield?

[swordtart]

I have no problem with this, because, if you have a shield you will be practicing with your blade and shield together so that you can operate at full capability. I would perhaps exclude Melee (unarmed) and Melee (natural) from being usable with a shield.

In addition, you may not actually be using the shield to do the parrying (arguably weapons parry, shields block). The rule is that it adds +1 to your regular Parry chance. You may be simply putting the shield somewhere which forces the opponent to change the line of their attack making it easier to parry with your weapon as you are now only needing to cover half your body.

 

[swordtart]

What about a shield bash? You can unbalance an opponent or even cause real damage. Would that not be melee (unarmed)? Or would it be something else? Now that I think about it, that’s probably melee (bludgeon).

Using shields to do damage is Melee(Bludgeon) CSC p140.

 

[Yenaldlooshi]

Why would you get your full Melee skill while using a shield? A Shield is not a blade, so you should only be using Melee/0 since there is not specialty for shield, same way there is no specialty for fixed mount weapons on a starship.

First thing, I made a typo. I said parry gives -4 but really it would be -5 with the shield (Melee skill +1 is a negative to the attack being received)

Why would you get your full Melee skill while using a shield? Because that's how parries work per RAW. Core page 76 states:
"A Traveller in close combat may attempt to parry an
opponent’s melee attack as a Reaction. In so doing,
they will inflict their Melee skill as a negative DM to the
attacker’s attack roll."

It does not specify a specialty under Melee, it just says Melee. That and common sense would suggest that any of the specialties you have learned comes with a parry ability that could translate into defense moves that could parry any of type of melee attack. Being that as a ref I tend to err on the side of defense, I tell my players they can simply use their highest Melee skill. Though this does not contradict RAW, I admit they could have been clearer about it and stated as such.

Another ref might rule that you have to parry with the melee skill you are being attacked with, but then what melee skill would you use to parry a pistol attack when in close combat? The attacker uses their Gun Combat skill, but you are only supposed to parry using a melee skill yet this would not match the method of the attacker. Thus it is even more RAW to say they can use their highest Melee skill, and the shield would give a +1 to that skill.

 

[Yenaldlooshi]

Large shield doesn't provide any protection bonus so neither would an expandable shield in that configuration.

Agreed, but as a "Large Shield" you could get that sweet sweet +2 to your melee for a parry. The other shields only give you +1!

 

[MasterGwydion]

First thing, I made a typo. I said parry gives -4 but really it would be -5 with the shield (Melee skill +1 is a negative to the attack being received)

Why would you get your full Melee skill while using a shield? Because that's how parries work per RAW. Core page 76 states:
"A Traveller in close combat may attempt to parry an
opponent’s melee attack as a Reaction. In so doing,
they will inflict their Melee skill as a negative DM to the
attacker’s attack roll."

It does not specify a specialty under Melee, it just says Melee. That and common sense would suggest that any of the specialties you have learned comes with a parry ability that could translate into defense moves that could parry any of type of melee attack. Being that as a ref I tend to err on the side of defense, I tell my players they can simply use their highest Melee skill. Though this does not contradict RAW, I admit they could have been clearer about it and stated as such.

If you have Melee (swords)/3 but are using a club (Melee (bludgeon)), you would only be able to use Melee/0, not Melee/3 as you do not have any skillpoints in the Melee(bludgeon) specialty.

Another ref might rule that you have to parry with the melee skill you are being attacked with, but then what melee skill would you use to parry a pistol attack when in close combat?

Who cares what skill is being used to attack you? All that matters is what skill is used with the melee weapon you are using. You don't need to know how to use a sword to know how to block strikes from one using a staff. You'd defend using Melee(bludgeon). They'd attack using Melee(sword). Make sense?

 

[swordtart]

Agreed, but as a "Large Shield" you could get that sweet sweet +2 to your melee for a parry. The other shields only give you +1!

Indeed as I said at #9 above