Every once in a while, I see someone mention an OSR-style hack where shields halve AC. The overall effect is that a shield becomes a massive improvement for those without other armor. For example, rounding up and using the armor specs in Moldvay Basic D&D:
Armor AC w/Shield
None 9 -> 5
Leather 7 -> 4
Chain 5 -> 3
Plate 3 -> 2
Obviously this would make shields a much better choice for those wearing leather and chain, but no effect at all on plate wearers. This would also impact the choice to wield a two-handed weapon instead, but again only for those in lighter armor.
So, if anyone out there is using this hack - what are your experiences with it? Any other drawbacks or benefits I didn't mention?
Bonus find: a slightly similar rule exists in Moldvay's 1986 "Challenges Game System," which was kind of a simplified AD&D from what I can tell:
Notice that here he has addressed the idea of small, medium, and large shields protecting more or less than each other, and entwined it with the idea of them being redundant with successively heavier armors.
This is actually somewhat historically accurate. As armored improved over the centuries knights favored two handed weapons over shields. Not always a compelling reason for a rule though. If I implemented something like this I'd also want a shield breakage rule alongside.
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