Post/Author/DateTime	Post
dengarbountyhunter 03-18-07, 05:03 PM	Thinking about how normal mounts (a fighter's heavy warhorse, not a paladin's divine magical celestial mount) have a short life expectancy at high levels, I just had the idea of a shield that could give a modicum of protection to the mount of the rider as well as the rider itself. Does such thing already exist in D&D? If not, well... Cavalry Shield Cost -- Shield Bonus -- Armor Check Penalty -- Arcane Spell Failure Chance -- Weight 30 gp -- +2 -- –4 -- 20% -- 15 lb. This large wooden shield's bottom curves toward one side to sit on the side of a mount. In addition to the protection it gives to it's weilder, half of the cavalry shield's shield bonus (including enhancement bonuses to the shield's shield bonus) is granted to the rider's mount. This shield cannot be used to attack with, except on a mounted charge. Treat it as a heavy wooden shield for purposes of damage, handedness, proficiency, etc. Sooo... commentaries, suggestions, questions, insults?
Watchman 03-18-07, 05:33 PM	Eh, just use Large Shield stats. That's what those bigger types of shields horsemen used that also partly shielded the mount were, after all, and that's what they were used as when fighting on foot. Indeed, not a few types or slightly different versions that for D&D purposes are the exact same things were commonly used for both infantry and cavalry fighting. Any shield that still remains manageable is going to be a bit restricted as far as maximum size goes - and for one thing you really don't want to unbalance one side too much on horseback, even if you have a good war-saddle. I'd suggesst using half the base bonus (ie. +1 for Large Shield) for the mount, and probably also half any magical bonuses the shield might have - most of it is after all protecting the rider, that it also partially covers the horse's flank/neck/etc. is just an extra bonus. And this cannot really be any other way, as the rider is the one who holds and wields the darn thing and in any case skilled horsemen are harder to replace than decent warhorses. Sundry other magical defence effects that can't be conveniently halved ought to apply fully to the mount as well though. Hey, it's magic. :D Shield Bash should be a perfectly valid move for a mounted char IMO. IRL it'd actually probably have been done quite often as well, given the obvious difficulties of bringing your main weapon arm to bear against some pesky infantryman to the opposite side and a bit behind for example. If it keeps him preoccupied for the second it takes the horseman to bring his mount around enough to bring his actual weapon to bear, it's all good.
dengarbountyhunter 03-19-07, 09:32 PM	Well, thanks for the input. Either I made something balanced, or I made something uninteresting, because not many people post commentaries. I don't want to make it simply a large shield, because it's bulkier (increased ACP and ASFC) but more useful. I don't know about the shield bash... It feels too bulky to me to be swung around, while a mounted charge is more like putting it at the right place and the mount makes the rest. Maybe double the damage on a mounted charge, and keep it at "no attacks on ground"? I'll add the part about magical effects, and yes it should apply to the mount. Anyway, sword (lance) -and-board characters are suboptimal when compared to two-handed Power Attackers. In fact, I could have simply created a feat to let the large shield do all of this... Hmmm...
Watchman 03-19-07, 09:55 PM	I don't want to make it simply a large shield, because it's bulkier (increased ACP and ASFC) but more useful. I don't know about the shield bash... It feels too bulky to me to be swung around, while a mounted charge is more like putting it at the right place and the mount makes the rest. Maybe double the damage on a mounted charge, and keep it at "no attacks on ground"?This would seem very counter-intuitive - a Tower Shield that, uh, isn't. And cavalrymen can't really manage too large shields anyway. A shield that was too large and heavy to be swung to at least some offensive effect (ie. pretty much what the D&D Tower Shield is) would IMO also be much too bulky to be of any use for a mounted man, nevermind now totally get in the way of employing his own weapons. Moreover, lances get double damage because of the very specific nature they're used in a mounted charge; I can very much quarantee you there's simply no way a shield, especially such a large one, could ever achieve the same. In fact, I could have simply created a feat to let the large shield do all of this... Hmmm...I'd include that into Mounted Combat, myself. IMO D&D already has far too many Feats for the slots just about anyone can ever hope to have available, and tying basically pretty elementary stuff to yet more is really going up the tree butt first if you ask me. Better to tweak the system in a fashion that encourages flexibility, adaptability and creativity.
maxxrox 03-19-07, 10:40 PM	Shields don't impose a spell failure chance or an armor check penalty. Other than that, I'd just suggest houseruling it that a large shield grants an AC bonus to the mount.
HomebrewedMonster 03-20-07, 12:04 AM	I think the mounted combat feat kinda covers the effect of this shield.