Shield Proficiency A weapon proficiency slot can be spent to gain a shield proficiency. Warriors can gain this proficiency by spending 1 slot; other characters must spend 2 weapon proficiency slots to become proficient in shield use. Obviously, a character must be able to use a shield to acquire this proficiency.

Shield proficiency improves a character’s AC against one or more attacks per round from in front or from the side faced by the shield. This proficiency does not help against rear attacks or attacks coming from the flank opposite the shield.

Like other weapon proficiencies, the shield proficiency must be taken for a specific type of equipment—listed on Table 51: Shield Proficiency Effects. The bonuses conferred vary by the type of shield the character chooses, and are added to the normal AC benefits of carrying a shield. The Number of Attackers category indicates how many attacks, per round, the shield proficiency can help against. If a character with a buckler, for example, is attacked by three enemies at once, his shield proficiency will only benefit his AC against one of those attacks. The player should designate which enemy he will guard against before attack rolls are made.

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