Body Shield

The body shield, also known as the kite or tower shield, is a massive metal or wooden shield reaching nearly from the chin to the toe of the user. It must be firmly fastened to the forearm and the shield hand must firmly grip it at all times. Naturally, this precludes use of the shield hand for anything but holding the body shield in place.

Standing around 6' tall, the body shield provides a great deal of protection to the user, improving the overall armor class of the character by 1 against melee attacks and by 2 against missile attacks. As with all shields, these bonuses apply only against frontal and flanking attacks.

Since the body shield is very heavy, the DM may want to use the optional encumbrance system if he allows its use in the campaign. This will help to prevent overuse of body shields in combat.

Table of Contents