So, shooting myself in the foot here because I just got a shield myself, but. Corrin (the Black Arrow) and I have been discussing ideas about shield mechanics for awhile, and Skip sounded interested when we first mentioned them but I completely forgot to post these thoughts. So, I figure I will post now! Due to the rules of LARP, shields are really strong. They stop almost every attack (except dragons and siege weapons) and you cannot just wail on them to knock the person wielding the shield down because that is too aggressive for our game. As such, the only immediate counters to a shield are to have a shield yourself, or to have a numerical advantage in order to use flanking. This makes shields hard to beat mechanically, especially for LARPers who lack the funds to just go out and buy their own shields. Corrin and I had the following idea to try and rebalance shield mechanics and also promote some class variety in game: give mages (and clerics) the ability to enchant a weapon to "break" the next shield it strikes. This would give another counter to shields, give mages and clerics more combat utility, and be limited enough that it would not obsolete shields. What are people's thoughts on this idea?

As the rest of the Guild of the Black Sky prepared to journey back to Confluence, I turned back to the small collection of huts. Lagos, the fishing community that was the newest addition to the guild. Barely a speck compared to Confluence, but far too important to leave unattended. As for my duties as the Steward of Confluence, and overseeing New Prosperity… I’ll have to oversee both of those via ravens, I sighed. This is going to be a busy month. Probably longer, in all honesty. Still, with Orzalon’s forces massed on the Plains of Sorrow nearby, at least things wouldn’t be boring. Construction at Lagos moved along steadily. The Ravenry was one of the first things constructed, and where I spent most of my nights. The messages from the other factions across Osterra were… troubling. Still, all I could do was focus on the tasks at hand. New Prosperity and Confluence were doing well enough, and the garrison building at Lagos was already halfway done. Nat kept trying to convince our workers to go fishing, but luckily the promise that Artorius would go fishing with him on his return kept the old man satisfied. And once the basic construction work for the garrison is completed, we can move on to the next step. Based on the reports from Confluence, we have the votes and the resources we need. We should be able to fortify Lagos before the end of the season. At that point… “Riastrad! We’re ready for more training today, sir!” Corvis called out. I looked up with a start. Oh. That’s dawn. Guess I don’t need sleep that badly. Corvis and the other militia members from the village of Solace strode over to the Ravenry, their canoes pulled up off the river and tied to stakes for good measure. They looked a sight more professional today then when Black Sky first rode through Solace. In addition to their own gear, each member had been equipped with a bow and arrows. Though I wasn’t as good an archer as Corrin the Black Arrow, I was at least competent enough to teach them the basics. Even if they weren’t marksmen, a decent volley of arrows at the start of a fight could determine the flow of the whole battle. “Alright,” I responded, “You know the drill. Two groups of four for sparring in formation, then we’ll head to the range.” The assortment of villagers-turned-soldier split up quickly in the practice field by the garrison, making sure the groups were different from the day before. They had to be used to fighting next to every one of their brothers and sisters in arms, after all. Then the stomping started, weapons pounding on shields as they psyched themselves up. I couldn’t help but grin as I wondered who would mess it up today. “THE HIGH VENTURE IS WITH US!” the militia all called out as they moved to engage. Except for one. I guess Corvis was a bit too excited today, if he’s the only one who made that mistake, I mused as I watched the leader cringe as he realized he had yelled, “The Prophet is with us!” Ah well. They’re trying, and with any luck they’ll have broken that habit before Brennen comes this way again. Now then, today’s itinerary… after group sparring, there’s archery practice. Then a quick lunch break, a little bit of strategy training. Maybe I’ll take them for a long run before we do one-on-one practice? Work on their stamina some more, see how well they fight when they’re already worn out. The gods know the demons won’t wait for them to rest, so neither will I. I stretched out, working out the stiffness in my neck from spending all night huddled over scrolls by candlelight. Certainly not a boring month.