Dungeon Master Forum

Sorry for bothering you, but people's opinion and several FAQ's seem to differ in this point...

In short, my question is:
Are shields worth carrying around in the ready hand??
Do they really increase armor, or are they ignored when it comes to damage?

yes, they increase you armour, and the 'block' option evidentally does decrease your chances of being hit dramatically - there is a thread, over on the dme forums, in the tools section, where this and other mechanics were finally revealed and discussed

but who wants to use up a spare hand for defense...i always prefer a potion for healing

It depends a lot on the style of gameplay. As Fuzzy put it an empty flask seems to be one of the preferred choices since you can still cast a quick potion (healing, anti-poison) while having a weapon in the other hand. A shield does work but requires you to have different tactics and get yourself used to it. Try it out and see for yourself - best is to do this with stronger characters when you're not apt to die easily and run around the levels experimenting with the amounts of damage you get while wearing armour/using a shield as opposite to without them.

Regards, PitD

According to the CSBedit, shield have an armor value. But it doesn't count when calculating the total armor against a blow!!!
They have an "ignore check". (I removed it in the conflux dungeon.)

I prefer keeping the best 2 shields available. I only ever use them in in the off-hands of my 2 front characters, never in their ready hands, which I use for the best available melee weapons or staffs/wands, and only when I am about to enter an area where I will probably do a lot of close combat. If I enter an area with many other possible sources of damage like various shooters I sometimes keep flasks in the off-hand, but usualy I am contend to have spare healing potions in the 1st position of the backpack since I have to open the inventory anyway if I want to drink them.
In levels with corporal and non-corporal creatures I have the best physical weapons available in one hand of each front character and the Vorpal Blades in the other, so I can switch quickly.
In RTC I often have the Mace of Order or a wand or staff in the off-hand, since they boost stats too if placed there (not so in PC-DM or Amiga-DM I think; George - no, don't fix it, it's perfect the way it is).

ah yes, for RTC i tend to keep the mana/stat boosters in an off hand except for intense dmage situatons : )

Hmm. I never liked maces and wands too much, but from the point of view of stats it should be tried I guess. On the other hand, there's probably very few situations in a "normal" dungeon where it's such a close call that you need all the bossts and shields you can get. For RTC this might be different when playing with a high difficulty level though.

Regards, PitD

Z, you are lucky not to have played DM up today.
If I were you I wouldn't spoil your experience, I would try to finish the game before coming back to the forum.
It is more satisfactory to build your own tactics.

i ALWAYS use shields + meleeweapons for the 2 front fighters and some +mana-wand and a flask with an always ready healing potion for the 2 on the rear. i don't mind if shields have any use, they look good and somehow right there
oh, and i tend to exchange the front and the rear men from time to time to train all of them in all 4 disciplines.

pitd: 'one the other hand...' *hic* heheheheh *hic*
its funnier if you are delerious, i think...

Did I write that? *looks* Does not seem like it... but very well could have if I recall Friday correctly ;o) Yeah it's fun sometimes... since I'm a careful players my tactics get all distorted when I play after drinking and I tend to rush through experiencing some lucky escapes and splendid ways of dying

Regards, PitD

never tried DM drunk...probably do the same, but not work out why a half my guys aren't with me anymore!

look! dragons! *tickle tickle tickle tickle* *bash* *tickle tickle tickle * *bash*
dragon: growl?
*tickle tickle tickle*
dragon runs away

LOL! I have a hangover, and that really conjured up a funny image -- must be the after effects....

Hmm. Just an idea that came to my mind by reading this... what about a drunken monster for a dungeon (I'm passing over the copyrights to whoever wants to use the idea ;o)) that needs to be sobered (not killed) to solve a riddle. RTC allows custom graphics and Zyx has proven CSBwin can also be twisted in that area (though not so easily I assume)...

Regards, PitD

monster direction sensitivity would be perfect to keep monsters spinning, but i think normal mechanics could do it...

a few 90 degree spinner/teleporters, create an unkillable monster, and you have the drunk...make each spinner push the monster at another always on teleporter first. If the party puts the item down at its feet, this switchesoff the permenant teleporter. Able to touch down on the closed off square, all the spinners are shut off, and a new monster comes in, with whatever 'sober' looks and attributes are applicable.

Sounds good - and since graphics are changeable you could even create a nice looking drunk creature with some gore dripping from whatever mouth it has ;o)

Regards, PitD

Wil wrote:Z, you are lucky not to have played DM up today.
If I were you I wouldn't spoil your experience, I would try to finish the game before coming back to the forum.
It is more satisfactory to build your own tactics.

Ah, yes, that's true for certain. However, it's absolutely impossible for me to pick up an item and not to know what it's good for. I can't be happy without looking it up... I'm a good scholar...

However, I did finish the game last night (the Dragon was a bit of a disappointment - he didn't last too long).
I made my own maps, and didn't look up any spells, and solved nearly all the riddles myself, only looking up creatures and items now and then, and the odd hidden room.

So, now it's time for Lord Chaos to strike back, isn't it?
Coooooming...‚

I think the dragon is mainly there as a pet for Chaos - once you get your tactics straight he's really not that hard an opponent - after fighting with scorpions, knights and Zytaxes ;o)

Regards, PitD