Shield Gauntlet Stats

By BalazarLightson, in Star Wars: Force and Destiny RPG

I have an issue with the Defense bonuses of the Shield Gauntlet (Keeping the Peace, p44).

As its stats stands it gives "Deflection 2, Stun Damage", which seems counter intuitive to me. Any schmo can pick it up and receive exceptional cover (better than hiding behind solid cover) from ranged attacks by hiding behind a small glowing forcefield, yet it is useless for said schmo in melee for parrying incoming attacks. I kinda feel that any bonus greater than Deflection 1 should be coming from the talent of the wielder, and that parrying a vibro-blade is a bit easier than parrying a blaster bolt.

I've house ruled it to be "Deflection 1, Defensive 1, Stun Damage" similar stats to a Force Buckler (same page). Makes it Slightly less likely that everyone in the party is going to want one.

KillianRanger.JPG

Is the shield solid? Or does it only stop energy-based projectiles? I'm not very familiar with this part of Star Wars lore, but it's possible that the author of the statblock had a very specific idea of how the gauntlet worked.

It also allows non-lightsaber types to use their Parry and Reflect skills, which is why our Guardian has one.

Can't verify through the sources, but Wookieepedia made a comparison to Gungan energy shields, which are really good at handling energy bombardment but physical objects can pass through.

The source of the Shield Gauntlet is from the D20 Star Wars RPG, Rebellion Era Sourcebook, p48-49, under the Kilian Ranger entry. Where it is described merely as a "Force Field" that can parry melee weapons or blaster fire. Its stats for the game make no differentiation of its properties as a Ray shield or a Particle shield. Basically it's a buckler that gave +1AC and allowed deflection of blaster fire like a lightsaber,

Interesting to note, AFAIK no SWRPG rules set yet has made any differentiation between the two main types of shield in game with any of it's equipment. There seems to be no reason why one force shield weapon and another would have significantly different defensive stats, like a Shield Gauntlet and a Force Buckler (Which has an integrated concussion field generator so slaps hard and can burn out its capacitors a bit more readily).

I thought having a buckler sized shield that gave whatever schmo who carried it a significantly greater amount of cover than hunkering down behind some crates was a bit counter-intuitive, and wanted stats for the weapon that more accurately reflected the intended genesis of the device in the EU.

It's an energy shield that only stops ranged attacks; which is why it can only be used on the reflect talent and not parry.

As such Deflection 2 makes sense, giving it defensive 1 means that it's also good in melee as well as ranged which imo makes it less balanced.

As for ways to stop the whole party getting them, they're rarity 8 and described as only a handful being away from the Kilia meaning as a GM I wouldn't put more that 1 out unless the players really worked hard for it and even then that one would be a pain to get hold of.

It's an energy shield that only stops ranged attacks; which is why it can only be used on the reflect talent and not parry.

As such Deflection 2 makes sense, giving it defensive 1 means that it's also good in melee as well as ranged which imo makes it less balanced.

As for ways to stop the whole party getting them, they're rarity 8 and described as only a handful being away from the Kilia meaning as a GM I wouldn't put more that 1 out unless the players really worked hard for it and even then that one would be a pain to get hold of.

The original concept for the SG in the fiction was that it could both parry melee weapons and deflect blasters. For the reasons I gave above I think giving it Deflection 2 is both unbalanced and it doesn't fit with the original fictional concept of the device. Defence 2 for a Gungan shield, sure, it's a full body monster of a shield.

Why does the force field from the SG differ from the field of the Force Buckler one which offers both ranged and melee protection (Both Ray & Particle protection fields) yet for some reason can't be used for the reflect Talent? Actually for that matter, why don't these Force Fields get worn down like Vehicle Shields? Why can the SG field stop a bullet or blaster bolt yet not a dagger thrust? It's just false game conceits.

Breaking down to a Melee defense bonus, it is possible that a bonus would not necessarily derive from the shield field itself but from an the armored gauntlet. A one point melee defense bonus is the same bonus as a parrying dagger or buckler, or cowering behind a crate for that matter.

Edited by BalazarLightson

I am sorry to necro this thread, but I searched the forum and couldn't find a reference to the energy shield the Mandalorian are using in the last season of Clone Wars. Is this the same shield? and we see in the show that the Mando is blocking the flamethrower with it.

Or is it an energy buckler from the same page of Keeping the Peace?

Thanks

Edited by Rosco74

I believe it is the Portable Plasma Shield from Collapse of the Republic. It is an armor attachment that grants Deflection 1, but has 3 Defensive +1 mods and 2 Deflection +1 mods. Given that CotR armor attachments seem to be trying to mimic Mandalorian loadouts (the book has the Death Watch Warrior tree), I believe that that is what it is intended to be.

On 3/9/2016 at 6:11 PM, Cynthorus said:

It's an energy shield that only stops ranged attacks; which is why it can only be used on the reflect talent and not parry.

As such Deflection 2 makes sense, giving it defensive 1 means that it's also good in melee as well as ranged which imo makes it less balanced.

As for ways to stop the whole party getting them, they're rarity 8 and described as only a handful being away from the Kilia meaning as a GM I wouldn't put more that 1 out unless the players really worked hard for it and even then that one would be a pain to get hold of.

this is in fact the killian ranger one.

Ok but ofc Collapse of the Republic is just a legend and we can't find it anywhere on the planet since weeks 😞

I think it is illegal to get a screeshot of the attachment pages ?

2 hours ago, Rosco74 said:

Ok but ofc Collapse of the Republic is just a legend and we can't find it anywhere on the planet since weeks 😞

I think it is illegal to get a screeshot of the attachment pages ?

What're you looking for? Just the stats, or you want the fluff text too?

At least the stats yes, the fluff is always good 🙂

Thanks 🙂

Armor and weapon designs oppose one another in a cycle of endless escalation. Not surprisingly, many warriors seek out means to enhance their defenses in hopes that it will leave them free to make additional attacks. A small defensive shield can provide a substantial upgrade. Energy shields take this a step further, offering a near-impenetrable defense while requiring much less weight and bulk than a more traditional shield. A forearm-mounted plasma shield's biggest limitation is its size. One capable of completely protecting the wearer requires a bulky emitter and energy source. It can also interfere with the soldiers own weapons, making striking a blow awkward around the edge of the shield.

Base Modifiers: The small plasma-based shield generator attaches to the armor's forearm armor and can be activates or deactivates as an incidental. When the shield is active, the user cannot wield a two-handed weapon. The plasma shield cannot be used to attack, but grants the Defensive 1 (not Deflection, my mistake earlier) item quality.
Modification Options: 2 Item Quality (Defensive +1) Mods, 3 Item Quality (Deflection +1) Mods.
Hard Points Required: 2
Price: 2,500

My take on it from my Mandalorian Vambrace Houserules is to reduce its mod options to one Deflection +1 mod and reduce price to 1,500, but that's for reasons stemming from the nature of the houserules, I would suggest using the RAW if you aren't using my houserules.

Nice, thanks P-47. 2 hard points is quite high I think. That's what I was searching and it is probably what they use in Clone Wars season 7. Cool

And your house rules are good, I am looking at them and will maybe incorporate them 🙂

Unfortunatly lots of those attachments are from CotR and I am still finding a way to get a copy to really thinking about having a Mandalorian in my game 😕

Edited by Rosco74