Shieldwork

[Jadom]

Does the type of armour you are wearing affect your Shieldwork?

I started wearing some heavier armour, and now during battles I get (seemingly) random messages saying "Your armour hinders your attempt". Shieldwork is the only thing I can think of that might be sending the message, but I'm not sure if it works that way.

[Rhelian]

It sounds like it is - and should, in my opinion.

Heavier armour means it's harder to move your arms deftly enough to block things with any finesse, especially if you're going for platemail, banded mail, or splint mail.

[Jadom]

True, but on the other hand, shields and armour sort of go hand and hand.
It doesn't help to be skilled with a shield if you have to be naked in order to use it effectively. And the character in question isn't wearing anything heavier than chainmail.

[Rhelian]

Heavier armour though, if you were a chainmail shirt with sleeves, plus the padding, makes it cumbersome, and would be harder to position the shield as quickly as leather.

[Selveem]

I disagree with Rhelian. If that were the case, wouldn't it give you a higher bonus for wearing a shield in D&D if you're wearing cloth? Now, before you go saying: "Wait, but there are feats and prestige classes that allow bigger bonuses!," just remember that prestige classes aren't in yet. As it is now, I think it should work the same if you have full plate as it would if you were wearing 1/90000th lb. silk garm.

[Stayne]

While the tactics of using a shield effectively with a weapon take time and practice to learn (represented by skill level in FK), it is easier to use a shield than it is a sword. Hence if your armour affects your shield skill, then it should also effect your attacks. This makes little sense to me, and I hope it is not coded that way either. The fact also that fighters and other classes have and can gain the armour proficiency feat which is supposed to remove all hinderances for any skills that involve movement (ie - combat), I see no reason why shieldwork would trigger this echo.
Personally I have not seen my armour hinder my shieldwork. I would suggest perhaps it is triggering off something else. There are many automatic skills that can be affected by armour. Perhaps such skills are dodge or parry. I believe also skills such as sneak can trigger that echo in combat.

Just my thoughts.....
Stayne

[Jadom]

Only problem is, at present Shieldwork is the only automatic skill the character has.

On a related note, I thought guilded priests (with the exception of the nature deities) got 3 ranks of armor proficiency automatically? Char only has two.

[Timaeus]

Guilded priests of coded gods for the most part do get 3 armor proficiency slots. A check of your guild on the website guild link should show if you get the extra slot or not. I would guess a guilded priest of an uncoded god would only have the basic cleric skill sets including feats.

[Beshaba]

Actually. I don't think is is shieldwork, I think that it may be some sort of automatic parry, regardless of if you have parry or not. I've noticed this with classes that don't have any sort of automatic defense skills.

[Jadom]

Helm apparently, only two ranks in armor proficiency and no mention of it on the guild list.

[Nikkos]

Near as my tired old brain can recall, Selune's priests only got two * in armour prof as well.

Can one of the newer priests confirm this?

Nikkos

[Ursan]

I would hazard that it is your additional attacks that are being affected by the armour you wear, since priests do not get other combat skills which are impeded this way.

Also, bear in mind that it is not solely the type of armour that impedes but also the amount. If all wear locations are armoured then the effect is greater than if they are not.