why not duel wield shields...

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Antigegner wrote:

I want to dual wield helmets please.

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Xzorn wrote:

When it comes to D&D rules. It depends how far back you go. AD&D owned by TSR and thus the real creators had very different rules on Shields than 3e and onward owned by WoTC.

AD&D Rules state:

Spoiler

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Attacks from the rear or rear flanks cannot be blocked by a shield (exception: a shield slung across the back does help defend against rear attacks).

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Small Shields / Bucklers are worn by crossbowmen and archers with no hindrance. Its small size enables it to protect against only one attack per melee round

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Medium shields are carried in the same manner as the small shield. Its weight prevents the character from using their shield hand for other purposes. With a medium shield, a character can protect against any frontal or flank attacks.

More specific to what I think your example is stating for 3e or 5e where a Shield provides 'Deflection' AC bonus. It does not stack simply because only one source of an AC type (the highest) is used.

At any rate. While duel wielding small shields is possible, it's not practical for melee. Against ranged a medium shield, Targe or similar would provide all the protection needed while encumbering melee.

Weapons like Armored Katars or the Roman Scissors where created for purpose of combining parry capacity to the arm while maintaining striking ability. However they're useless against range.

Then we have the Spiked Shield. Never let a game fool you into thinking a shield is not a weapon. They are and they can do serious damage. To do so though, they need to be big thus you're back to the medium shield issue where it's pointless vs range and would encumber you in melee.

I'm not trying to history quote in a fantasy game. This is both historical and practical purpose.
There just isn't one unless you are considerably wide or non-humanoid in shape.

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IHellBoundI wrote:

Dual daggers or 1 sword and 1 dagger can work and were used especially as self defense, duels, and old manuals even have fight tecniques about it. But dual wield normal wep are pure hollywood shenanigans

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For a time in Europe, the dueling Long Shield was popular. The shields themselves were often deadly weapons, not just a simple defense. Though often used with other weapons, the size often meant combatants would drop blades or maces and use the shields to batter, stab, and wrestle one another. This was popular in various regions, though more so in northern Europe. Gradually they were supplemented with Sword and Buckler, or less the lethal stick fighting, before the eventual unset of firearms.

The strangest ones though was one German depiction I had seen years ago, but can no longer find. A strange non lethal form of civil dueling involving no armor. They used a long duel shield with no stabbing points, but a huge hallow hook from which to wrestle your opponent down, and pin said opponents neck into the ground (hopefully not breaking the neck in the process) to elicit a forfeit.

There is a current attempt to reconstruct and revive these ancient shield duels by martial arts practitioners much like Bartitsu practitioners.