Forgotten Kingdoms Forums

Perhaps give one of the trainers in the newbie pit..or perhaps another small little quest to learn it in? To give the bucklers that the newbie mobs drop some use?

Shields actually do benefit in that they add to the PCs armor class when worn, as I understand. The shieldwork skill then adds the ability to totally avoid damage from a hit in combat by blocking the damage.

I think for newbies, the former benefit is sufficient, especially seeing that if we do move combat to a D20 D&D mechanic, it will mean shieldwork as a skill, and blocking the damage would be going away, kind of like dodge.