Shield
Shields are carried in the left hand, and give a natural +20 to DS, plus the enchantment of the shield. Training in Shield Use increases the defensive capabilities of carrying a shield by roughly +2 DS for every three ranks, depending on the size of the shield. Carrying a shield negatively impacts a character's ability to dodge attacks, the severity of this impact is determined by the size of the shield.
Shield Sizes
There are four basic types of shields in GemStone IV: small, medium, large, and tower. The sizes of the shield determine its effectiveness in defense. The larger the shield, the better it defends, but at the same time, the worse it affects your ability to dodge and evade attacks, potentially lowering the overall defense of a character well trained in Dodging. Conversely, a small shield doesn't defend an attacker as well as a large shield does, but it allows for a character well trained in Dodging to evade attacks better. Generally, a character that is very well trained in Shield Use and not well trained in Dodging would benefit more from a larger shield, and a character with more training in Dodging than in Shield Use would benefit more from a smaller shield. When ranks in both Dodging and Shield Use are near equal, there are other factors that may determine what size of shield may better benefit a character's defenses.
- Small Shield
- Small shields, sometimes called kidney shields or bucklers, are typically worn on the wrist or the back of the hand in a manner that makes the hand less capable of manipulating objects. Small shields are not very good for blocking ranged attacks due to their small size (-22.5% to ranged DS, and +15 to DS rather than the usual +20), and are less effective at blocking melee attacks than larger shields (-15% to DS, still +20 to DS). Small shields typically weigh five pounds and lower evade defense by 20%.
- Medium Shield
- Medium shields, also called target shields, are the standard size of shield found within Elanthia. They are the base shield used to determine defensive strength and the ability to outright block an attack. Ranged weapons and melee weapons are equally effective against the medium sized shield, and medium shields typically weigh about eight pounds. The bulkiness of a medium shield lowers evade defense by 30%.
- Large Shield
- Large, or round shields, are large, bulky shields that are more effective at blocking attacks than smaller shields. They provide a 22.5% bonus against ranged attacks, and an additional +5 DS. They also provide a 15% bonus against melee attacks. Large shields typically weigh 10 pounds and lower evade defense by 40%.
- Tower Shield
- Tower, wall, or great shields are the largest of portable shields. They're typically large enough to provide complete cover from head to toe, allowing the defender to hide behind the shield until they're ready to make an attack. Tower shields provide a +45% bonus against ranged attacks and an additional +10 to DS. They also provide a +30% bonus against melee attacks. Tower shields weigh 12 pounds and lower evade defense by 50% due to their large bulk.