Shield Break

[Arabian Nights]

How about a "shield break" skill? Nothing major, just something I thought of that might be kinda neat.

While in combat (if your opponent is using a shield):

>shield

delay after

*success message*
>You drive <insert weapon here> hard into the plain, dark-skinned man's simple wooden shield.
(The result would be some damage to the condition of the shield.)

*failure message*
>You attempt to drive <insert weapon here> hard into the plain, dark-skinned man's simple wooden shield but miss.

*critical success message*
> You drive <insert weapon here> hard into the plain, dark-skinned man's simple wooden shield with a resounding crack.
A simple wooden shield breaks.

*critical failure message*
> You attempt to drive <insert weapon here> hard into the plain, dark-skinned man's simple wooden shield, but he angles it to deflect the blow and you stumble.
The plain, dark-skinned man attacks you as you stumble.
(free attack for the intended victim, much like trying to pick something up during combat)

It would go off of the intended victim's shield use skill vs. the shield break skill of the attacker.

Nothing major I know...but I think it would be kinda neat.

[Morfeus]

I think you fight to kill your opponent. Why would you want to attack the shield?

[Arabian Nights]

Because if you can strip them of their defense it puts them at your mercy. Plus, you aren't always fighting to kill your opponent. You might want to take them alive. Slavers and bounty hunters are a couple examples I can think of.

Besides that, I'd like to see more non-lethal raiding which I'm sure many others would as well.

[Tamarin]

No, because no one is going to hold their shield up for you to intentionally hammer at.  If they continuously block you with their shield, and you have buff enough strength, you're going to destroy their shield anyway.

[Arabian Nights]

No, they aren't going to hold their shield up for you to intentionally hammer at. But they will keep it up. Like I said, it would be their skill in shield use vs. your skill in shield break. Covered that issue in the idea already.

[jmordetsky]

I don't think it should be a skill. I think there should be a chance that maybe a shield breaks, but a skill? Not so much.

[Morfeus]

I don't think I'd put my effort into breaking someone's shield. I'd try to knock it out (an that only in case the opponent is without his weapon already or his shield makes -serious- troubles to me - which usually doesn't). Breaking the shield accidently - alright. I generally think weapons, armor and shields should break more often IG. But I am not up for a skill like that.

(Just an idea coming into my mind - breaking his helm or breastplate would strip his defense as well.  :twisted: )

[Maybe42or54]

Sticking a wooden sword through a chitin shield doesn't sound good.
Then if you take the sharpest weapon, obsidian, and drive it through a simple wooden shield, they can turn their shield and disarm it or break your weapon. Don't see how it is plausible in this world.

[Cenghiz]

I agree with 42|54.. Even the sharpest blade wouldn't easily break a simple wooden shield. Shields are crafted to absorb some damage.. They're not leaf-thin.
There's an accidental experiment I made a few minutes ago. Get a sharp 'stainless steel' knife, thrust it into a chestnut and swirl it a bit. The knife may break - mine did.
It would be simply chance to break a shield with a weapon.

[jhunter]

Take a wooden shield. Hit straight on with a blade or whatever....little effect. Hit it along the edge and it may splinter,crack, or break pieces off.
*shrugs*

[Larrath]

I think it could be cool as an additional advantage for metal weapons, to be able to cleave through armor, shields and other weapons.  Obsidian is as sharp, but it's too fragile for attacks of this sort.

In general though, I don't think there should be a specific command for this.  Maybe if combat became more advanced and let you choose the damage locations you'll be targetting (if your target has steel armor but the arms are bare), including Shield would be a great idea.  But right now, just as a special command to attack a shield, I'm against this.
Shields aren't used enough as it is.

[ashyom]

Just an FYI..weapons, armor and shields can degrade in quality and occasionally break.  Just stating that incase some people didn't know this does occur.

Neat idea, btw, but I'm not sure it's feasible for reasons some players have said.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

Shield break, huh? Can we get limit break, too?
Teehee.
But seriously, while I can definetly see a shield cracking during combat, I doubt some one (besides maybe a half-giant) could do it to their opponent on purpose.
I think a good fix would be to simply step up the rate of weapon/shield degradation. I always thought it should've been higher, anyway. They're made out of bone and wood and brittle obsidian and stuff, right? How long could they possible last? The day when a warrior loses or has to repair their weapon every two IC months is the day I'll be a happy man.

[Sholdyn]

In the times when people actually fought with this stuff, shields did not last long. Those badass heavy long swords used by the British knights could eat a shield in one blow if the person holding them didn't know how to use a shield properly. That being said, those big badass swords were made of steal. But, all the same, shields at not the indestructible portable walls that some people think they are.

[Aldiel]

I don't think it's a bad idea, but one problem I see is that it would give shield wielders a huge disadvantage.  Shields get broken all the time already.  If you implemented a shield break ability, I think you would have to implement a weapon break ability to counterbalance the skill and that would lead to a lot of broken weapons and extremely quick bouts.  Kick functions much like this shield break ability at high levels anyway.

[jstorrie]

Bad idea. No thanks.

[Desertman (not logged in)]

There is a skill called Sunder in D&D that does this,,,breaks weapons and shields. While it sounds really cool I think it would most likely just be the end all do all for warriors who would twink it out as fast a possible. But if it was a skill in Geddon, you would definantly have to do some major coding to accomidate weapon and shield materials affecting the skill....obsidian weapon vs wooden shield.....bone weapon vs chitin shield....so on and so forth. If this could be implemented in Geddon in a way that it would not be the first thing everyone tries to do eighteen times in combat and it would have the proper checks and balances to make it realistic, I would like it. Now...as for how to do all of those things...I have no idea.

[Sakra]

Have you people ever fought a half-giant or mul? Your shield is toast in a couple hits. Most of your armor as well. And your bones. And body tissue.

[valakas]

I like it should work BUT... ever try to break somthing for real like... even a door is kind hard and its like hollow if this dose work out give weapons (depends on matieral) a high chance to break. like

EX:You hit the shield hard but your obsidian sword is now shadderd.

so theres a bad side to it like bash or you can make it like bash but it would be like... Bash helmet... :You bash in the fit man's helmet with ease.

No skill in this game should only have possitives.

Edit:so it breaks or damages the armor pieace badly or you fall over.

[Recharge]

In my short time playing this game I have noticed that it is all too easy for someones shield to break due to a few too many hits on it. We dont need a skill to do this.