Bucklers?

[Alaudrien]

Ah for the less tin canned fighters out there! *You know who you are!* More bucklers would be a plus...only one I have ever seen is the newbie item for shield. Bucklers are a cool and versatile shield to have for those who need to hold a light but want to keep some osrt of protection but there hands are full. Bucklers are the coolest since they strap onto your wrist leaving your hand open to hold a light! so um yea..thanks!

[Hviti]

The only problem I can see with this is that if they strap onto one's wrists, then everyone will dual wield and get 2 bucklers to get dual wielding AND shield blocking. If they don't strap onto one's wrists, then presumably any other shield would be a better choice because bucklers probably wouldn't be able to deflect as much as a larger shield.

[Solaghar]

Realistically most shields, including the bigger ones would be worn on the wrist or forearm. Especially the larger shields, since you'd need a lot more support for the weight. This doesn't mean you'd be able to wield a weapon with them. Even with a buckler, you still wouldn't have an agile weapon hand available. It's not so much a fact of where you wear it as much as what you can do with your arm when you're wearing it. Hence, just have it wield like any other shield.

[Andreas]

A buckler doesn't just "strap onto your wrist."

It needs to be held to be used properly. The principle behind a buckler, or target shield, is being able to quickly move it and ANGLE it to deflect blows.

I was never much of a "sword and board" fighter. Compared to the guys, I was just too small to effectively use a full-size shield and sword together. But I would still enter those rounds with my trusty short sword and buckler. I can't imagine just having a buckler strapped onto my wrist and trying to deflect or completely block a sword stroke without any control over the buckler! At the very worst that would quickly lead to a broken wrist!

[Hviti]

Yes, but the game doesn't include the angling of a shield in the blocking of blows (except perhaps in the shieldwork skill). Therefore, a larger shield with a better AC would always be 'better' to use than a buckler if put on a hand location, except for RP purposes. I think Alaudrien was proposing a kind of shield which could be worn on the wrist location (regardless of the RL mechanics of a shield) with the hand location left open, instead of the way it currently is (though I guess to be -really- realistic a shield ought to take up an over location on the wrist/arm as well as the hand) but as I stated earlier that would probably lead to a bunch of 2 shield / 2 sword fighters.

[Dugald]

There are buckler shields, and there are buckler gauntlet combinations. The buckler shield is literally held in your hand - the buckler gauntlet combination is nothing more than a nice arm guard, if a little more restrictive but leaving the gauntletted hand open to grab/punch/pull/obscene gesture.

I'd suggest if someone really wanted to do some wacky two buckler/guantlet style to give their character some flair, then to see if they can find some really nice arm guards and request if they can get the items name changed to say Buckler.

And then if they wanted to stay true to that two buckler style mechanically they can always fight in defensive.

That way those who really /need/ two buckler styles to make their character "work", they can have it ICly with bucklers on their arms, and fight defensively OOC to represent the nature of that fighting style...which is almost entirely defensive.

But then I could see where it could get ridiculous with a buckler armguard also carrying a shield.

I don't think there is really an easy answer.

[Alaudrien]

hehe i think you guys misread what I meant..I think i stated that not to dual wield. It just leaves for humans and non infra races to be able to hold a torch or light at night. I know the dual wield bash thats why I said you can't hold a second weapon. Because trying to use a strapped on wrist buckler to block and youro ther weapon isn't gonna work..not unless your a race with 4 arms like a xith! that and bucklers are basically only good for blocking an arrow if your really good at aiming it up at a highspeeding missile ..and sword thrust to ^^ just to clarify for the misconception. But i do like bucklers i find them cool!

[Dugald]

That's just it though, a buckler used as a shield isn't strapped to the gauntlet...typically. Fortunately, I think the creators of the game saw the longterm problem of not having a light - and made plenty of ways to get glowing stuff

But you can find bucklers anywhere you can find orcs and hobgoblins.