Shields (AEG)

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Shields (+1 AC)
Shields ordinarily improve a character's armor class by 1 (or more if magical). Shields cannot be used to block attacks from the rear or rear flanks.
== Buckler or Target Shield ==
A buckler, also known as a target shield, is a small round shield of wood or metal that fastens to the forearm. It can be worn by crossbowmen and archers with no hindrance to their attacks with their chosen weapons.
Because of its small size (approximately 1' in diameter), a buckler protects against one attack per melee round. The user can choose which attack he wishes to use his buckler against, but he must declare this before the attack roll has been made. This increases the defender's armor class only by 1 (more if magical) against that single attack.
Note: Bucklers should be treated not as full shields when determining the armor class of the user, but more as a special item that can be called upon to add extra protection for one attack per round.
== Small Shield ==
A small shield is usually round and is carried on the forearm, gripped with the shield hand. Its light weight as compared to a medium shield permits the user to carry other items in that hand, although he cannot wield or carry another weapon.
A small shield (approximately 2' in diameter) can be used to protect against two frontal attacks of the user's choice. Like the buckler above, the user can choose which attacks to use his shield against, but must decide before the attacks are rolled.
Note: Like the buckler, the small shield should be considered a special item used for defense, not as a general addition to frontal armor class.
== Medium Shield ==
A medium shield is carried in the same manner as a small shield (i.e., on the forearm). Unlike the small shield, however, its weight prevents the character from using his shield hand for anything other than carrying the medium shield. Medium shields are usually made of metal, range from 3'-4' in diameter, and can be of any shape, from round to square to a spread dragon's wings. A typical medieval shield resembles a triangle with one point facing downward.
With a medium shield, a character can defend against any number of frontal or flanking attacks in a given round. In this instance, the character applies the +1 armor class bonus (not including magical bonuses) for the shield to his overall armor class rating, providing he remembers to disregard the shield bonus during the occasional attack from the rear.
== 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.