Warrior types (BKs and Pallys included), when using a shield, could get a block skill which would act like a souped up parry.

What about dual wield? I think that skill would work more for mages/warriors since they dont wield a weapon as primary but I also think it would be a dedicated skill. Therefore only a 2 attack player using it? Or just a tank on big fights? Im trying to picture it on real playing. When soloing maybe you wouldnt use it unless straight warrior, losing 1attack would be good for em. Mmm I see now how it could be useful. What do you guys think?

If the skills blocks, say, 3 times as many times as parry does - I could see a tank or bk/pally picking up a shield to take the brunt of an attack while others assist and do stuff from the back rows.

I think anything that promotes the use of a shield would be great. I don't have much experience with one, as it's been more useful to have parry with that occasional extra attack.

The small amount of AC received and the fighting style of turtle hardly make a good substitution for losing the above mentioned. I've always had this picture of a group of Romans with tower shields, intending to fend off a flight of arrows or the like.

Fighting under turtle seems so crude when you think of the potential there for a warrior. Even in the help for styles it calls the shield wearer a wimp. In the right hands, a shield can even become a makeshift weapon. An even more agile person could deflect blows with one, rather than simply hiding behind and watching as it's beaten to nothing.

Fire breathing dragons? I wouldn't mind hiding my head there! There's a lot of potential for skills here, perhaps even spells down the road. As a paladin, I never really pictured myself going the route I did. It's just that parry is hard to ignore for all of its bonuses.

Yeah. I'll testify that shields can make a weapon even. I've definitely been slammed in the face before IRL. And besides that, I'd like to see something out there that would make them worth using in gameplay. I think it would promote new and innovative styles of gameplay aside from the usual beat it til it's dead and hope to hell it doesn't wake up long enough to kill you.

Agreed entirely. Maybe make shields have a damage reduction quality (a % for example) that would make people maybe want to use them more.

Ive been trying to get Blobbie to put in a blocking skill for a while now....his latest response from a few months ago was simply "maybe"...nuff said

I like this idea. It could be a skill similar to stomp. Call it shield smash or slam or something like that. prereq bash and maybe headbutt?
"you slam your opponent's head with your shield"
at higher levels/str it could even have the same effect as headbutt and knock him out for a round or 2.