SHIELD, SPIKED: Employed by the Vikings (among others),
this is simply a shield to which has been attached a pointed
head instead of the usual boss. The shield spike may only be
attached to large and medium-sized shields, since if it were
attached to a small shield it would disrupt the object’s balance.

The spiked shield is used to jam an opponent’s weapon attack,
with the intent of driving the spike into the first available
opening in the enemy’s defenses. The spiked shield is a weapon
in its own right, and its use as a weapon requires proficiency (as
with any other weapon) on the part of the user. Such proficiency
should be specified for either a large or a medium-sized
shield. The training involved is such that the shield can be used
for both an offensive weapon and for a defensive weapon (giving
the appropriate armor class bonus) if no other weapon is
used during the same round as the shield. Otherwise the shield
is a secondary weapon with appropriate “to hit” penalties, for
both the shield and the other weapon being used, and the shield
will not add to the wielder’s AC.

by Randy Bowman
 

New Weapons

Equipment

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Dragon #61

Dragon magazine