Shields

A shield is used to absorb damage before it reaches the bearer. A hero may use their relevant Shield skill to parry or attack. A shield may not be ready for use when the hero is using a two-handed weapon. Two-handed weapons include bows.

The Shields table describes how many points a shield can absorb before the bearer is damaged. As with a weapon, a shield user must make a successful parry roll to interpose the shield between their body and an incoming attack.

Almost all Norse shields used in Iceland are medium, consisting of a circular wooden board between 80 and 100 cm (30 and 40 inches) in diameter, bound around the edges with iron, and with a central iron boss to protect the hand. They are generally painted but may also be decorated with designs of mythic creatures, such as dragons. Large shields vary widely in shape and dimensions, and smaller shields are usually smaller in diameter than the user’s forearm.

Almost all Norse shields used in Iceland are medium, but folks of other lands use small and large shields as appropriate. Only large and medium shields can be used in a shield wall formation.

Explanation of Headings

Heading	Explanation
Size	Most shields used in Iceland are medium, while overseas small and medium are sometimes encountered in the hands of foreign opponents such as town guards or nobles.
STR	The STR necessary for a hero to use the shield effectively. If the hero lacks the necessary STR, the parrying chance with the shield is halved.
Damage	The amount of damage the shield does when used offensively. Damage modifier is added to this.
HP	The shield absorbs this number of damage points per attack before the wielder takes damage.
ENC	How encumbering the shield is, measured in “things”.

Shields

Size	Type	Base %	STR	HP	Damage	ENC	Type
Large	Wood	15	12	20	1D6	3	C
Medium	Wood	15	12	16	1D6	2	C
Small	Wood	10	8	8	1D3	2	C

Notes on Shield Use

Any damage taken by the shield above what the shield can absorb in one blow is inflicted on the hit location originally rolled in the attack. The armor on the location, if any, absorbs the excess points, with the remainder going to the target in that hit location. The shield then loses 1 hit point. Greater successes might cause the shield to take more damage.

Shields break as often as weapons, or even more often. The hit points of a shield show the number of damage points that a shield can absorb before it is knocked aside or penetrated by the force of the blow, allowing the remainder of the damage to affect the intended target.

When a shield reaches 0 hit points, it is considered useless and must be repaired. If it takes double its normal hit points in damage, it is destroyed completely and cannot be salvaged.

Shield Attacks

It is possible to attack with a shield, giving up the chance of parrying that round. The chance to attack is identical to that for parrying—shield training covers offensive as well as defensive usage. Attacking can be done with the front of the shield, the boss (a large metal knob in the center), or with the edge. A frequent tactic for shield users is to attempt to knock opponents backward or off their feet (see Knockback).

All shields do crushing damage when special or critical successes are rolled.

Use of Shield Against Missile Weapons

Thrown weapons can be parried if the target is aware of the attack and is ready to parry. Missiles shot by projectile weapons cannot be parried. However, a shield can be used to provide coverage against projectile weapons if it is not used to parry that round.

A hero may specify in their Statement of Intent that they are holding their shield in one place instead of parrying, covering the shield arm and two other hit locations contiguously (player’s choice). If struck by a projectile, the shield protects those hit locations. If a shield is slung on the back of a missile target, the shield provides half its hit points (rounded up) as protection against chest hits when those hits are made from the rear.