Hand Shields

We had a bit of a "discussion" in my roleplay group last night about Handshields. I've had them for a long time, but this is the first time I had to use them, and I knew someone was going to raise an objection. One of our group referred to them as "Game Breaking" because they apply a -5 DM to the attack roll, which is huge. I believe that yes, they are powerful, but you could limit that by applying a cap to the number of times you could block with them each round (DEX mod, for instance?), and/or requiring a roll (Athletics/dex?) to "catch" the incoming attack and deflect it. And the GM seemed a little confused on the whole Parrying vs. blocking thing, negative DM vs. extra AC.

The way I read it in the CSC is that if the item is listed as a shield in the far right column, it gives extra AC if you catch the attack on the shield. If it's listed as a parrying weapon, it applies a negative DM to the attack. I do believe there should be a roll involved, because this item is much smaller than a shield, and it would take some skill to use it against a fast blade, but other members of the party seemed to think that a roll indicates a significant action, which defending, whether blocking or parrying, is not.

I guess I'm just looking for some clarification. These are supposed to be an awesome item that prevents you from being hit, rather than absorbing damage for you, and is very, very good at it's job. So, here's the starting pistol, folks. Discuss away!
 
I think you have interpreted it correctly, though even the author cannot work out if the 5 is a to hit DM or armour points, it is just a daft weapon (why can't it be used offensively?) and not in MTU (though if you are running a Flash Gordon type game it may well fit well with all the other gravitic axes, arc swords etc).

Next time someone produces one, draw your pistol and shoot him.

Egil
 
Hand Shields? Is that some kind of Michael Jackson glove? :roll:

Ah - found it. (CSC pg 43 - called 'Handshields' TL14 only Cr 750) Haha... hehe... hohoho. Ah - gotta love CSC, its a real hoot! (Well, a hack of a prior work, at least...)

  • "Quick everyone - get behind Jim and fire over his shoulders... he has those grav knuckle thingies!"

    "He'll save every one of us!" <cue dramatic background music!>
 
Grav handshield Cr750
HE Grenade Cr50
The look on the players face when his hands survice the explosion that destroys the rest of him Cr Priceless :lol:
 
I love the handshield. Use it to parry a heavy battle axe, and
its flicker of gravitic repulsion will certainly be strong enough
to deflect the battle axe so that your leg will be severed below
the knee instead of above the knee.
 
As the GM for the group Reborn is part of, I will admit I really did not do a full read-through of the Shield rules in the CSC at the time Reborn purchased these items. :oops: I will probably do some more read-throughs in addition to the one I have done now, but the rules are really in dire need of clarification which everyone seems to agree on.

I am really hoping for some serious advice on this before next Sunday as I really dread having to resolve this on my own while dealing with real-life issues as well...too many distractions. I probably will (praying it will be acceptable to all), but some advice would really be appreciated. It's times like this I really understand Pres. Obama or any PM, who have to deal with two factions who really can't work together, and their own party who won't follow along entirely either. :( :x
 
The handshield seems to work and be used like some type of
"powered buckler". From my experience with rapier fencing,
an attempt to parry an opponent's attack with a buckler is as
much an action as any attack would be, and it indeed requires
as much dexterity and skill as the use of the weapon does.

As hinted at above, I would not allow the use of a handshield
to parry a heavy melee weapon. If the gravitic flicker would be
strong enough to block or parry such a weapon, the handshield
would make an excellent offensive weapon, much like a "gravi-
tic club or mace".

I would also not allow more than one attempt to parry a wea-
pon with a handshield per round. The chance that any succes-
sive attack is aimed in a way that one can move the handshield
in its way fast enough is minimal, unless the attacker is plain
stupid.*

So, if I would use the handshield in my setting:
- requires some roll for DEX or skill to block or parry an attack,
- works only against light (fencing) weapons, not against wea-
pons with more mass,
- can block or parry only one attack per combat round.

* The attacker with the fencing weapon only has to turn his
wrist to move the point of his weapon from the defender's
left side to the defender's right side or from the defender's
head to the defender's leg, while the defender with the hand-
shield has to move his hand with the shield all the way to the
second target of the attack, which takes a little more time ...
 
Considering handshields a 'powered buckler' makes the whole concept easier to work into the existing ruleset. Since it is buckler sized, it is classified as a 'parrying weapon' per those rules and must use a parry action to gain any benefit from it. However as a buckler it uses the ac listing not the parry value. 5 ac for a buckler that is nearly weightless, easy to conceal and helps parry arclight weapons by granting ac seems a bargain for the already paltry 750 cr.

If you give it the parry value of 5 instead of an ac value 5 it suddenly allows nominally skilled security guards to negate Olympic level melee attackers (3 melee skill aka PhDs with 12 dex aka near human maximum) simply by taking parry actions. Is there another personal item in the game that gives a -5 to be hit just by powering up?

The latter solution is fodder for rule changes and exceptions, the former makes it a concealable shield. In my opinion, the powered buckler is more in the spirit of the rules.

A considerate Gm might give you a 1 parry value for the flicker, which is more in line with the listed values of other examples (typically one or two). The OP should remember this would leave it open for the handshield user to apply Melee (unarmed) skill as an additional minus to be hit per the parrying weapon rules.
 
Hmmmm....I never thought of it like that. Actually, that exact same fix (-1DM, 5 AC) was brought up in our group, and I guess all I could see at the moment was that I was getting gypped...but now when I consider all the value...I suppose it's not really a gyp at all!
 
Also, remember this is a MELEE weapon; built at a high TL, but still a melee weapon.

Doesn't block bullets, or lasers or plasma (or fusion). At the TL it is built at, how many people are going to attack with melee weapons? Scum and villainy, that's all; the hand-shield is designed for that and as some kind of a stopper for the Arc-Field weapons that are also coming out at that time.
 
Rikki Tikki Traveller said:
Also, remember this is a MELEE weapon; built at a high TL, but still a melee weapon.

Doesn't block bullets, or lasers or plasma (or fusion). At the TL it is built at, how many people are going to attack with melee weapons? Scum and villainy, that's all; the hand-shield is designed for that and as some kind of a stopper for the Arc-Field weapons that are also coming out at that time.

And, possibly, for the monoweapons... I'd imagine they'd be pretty hard to stop.

As for who? Anyone involved in a boarding action? They don't really want bullets flying, so it'd be low-velocity bullets, meaning that melee weapons would probably do more damage without damaging the ship or the systems.
 
BFalcon said:
Rikki Tikki Traveller said:
As for who? Anyone involved in a boarding action? They don't really want bullets flying, so it'd be low-velocity bullets, meaning that melee weapons would probably do more damage without damaging the ship or the systems.

You underestimate my skill (however augmented) with a gauss rifle, good sir! I can put a DSAP round through the eyehole of a visor from accross a football field in pitch dark, when he's peeking around heavy cover and the field is obscured by smoke! Damage the ship, pshaw.

But all bragging aside, I do agree. it doesn't apply a negative DM (or whatever we conclude the effect should be) against everything. Unlike a shield, this can only block melee weapons. I imagine if it tried to stop a gauss needle, someone would need a new set of handshields because the bullet blew through them, and the hand wearing them.
 
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