Pavise
The pavise is a large shield carried by crossbowmen to provide shelter on the battlefield as they reload. Roughly 4 feet tall and often painted with the unit’s coat of arms, the crossbowman plants the pavise on the ground like a personal wall. At its most effective when deployed in a line with other crossbowmen, the pavise provides good cover when firing at opposing troops and defending against enemy sorties, the soldier wielding a spear or sword from behind the planted pavise.
The pavise can be used in two different ways.
It can be employed as a large shield. This is not a good way to use a pavise as it is a heavy construction of wood and leather. In this case it affords all the Qualities of a large shield (Shield 3, Defensive, Undamaging), gains the Slow and Tiring Flaws. A pavise used in this way still has an Encumbrance of 4 and only does +SB+2 Damage. It’s intended use is to be set up as a piece of portable cover. It costs the wielder 2 Actions to set the pavise up. This direction could be depending on the compass (north, south, east, or west), relative to the wielder’s body (left, right, front, or back) or from a particular landmark (‘I set it up between me and the castle’).
Provided the wielder remains within 1 yard behind the pavise, it provides protection to the wielder from any missile attacks that come from the stated direction, granting the Shield 5 and Defensive Qualities. Should an opponent engage the wielder in melee, the pavise only provides protection if the attack is made from the stated direction, and only in the first turn of combat.
Example: Braganza the Siege Specialist has worked his way up to the south of an enemy fortress. He sets up his pavise so that it faces the fortress. He gains the Shield 5 Quality to any attacks coming from the north, but he has no such protection to attacks coming from the south, west, or east. Should someone sally out of the fortress and charge towards Braganza, he could make use of the Shield 5 Quality for the first round of melee combat. If he is charged from the sides or rear, he cannot use the Shield 5 Quality.
The pavise can be used in two different ways.
It can be employed as a large shield. This is not a good way to use a pavise as it is a heavy construction of wood and leather. In this case it affords all the Qualities of a large shield (Shield 3, Defensive, Undamaging), gains the Slow and Tiring Flaws. A pavise used in this way still has an Encumbrance of 4 and only does +SB+2 Damage. It’s intended use is to be set up as a piece of portable cover. It costs the wielder 2 Actions to set the pavise up. This direction could be depending on the compass (north, south, east, or west), relative to the wielder’s body (left, right, front, or back) or from a particular landmark (‘I set it up between me and the castle’).
Provided the wielder remains within 1 yard behind the pavise, it provides protection to the wielder from any missile attacks that come from the stated direction, granting the Shield 5 and Defensive Qualities. Should an opponent engage the wielder in melee, the pavise only provides protection if the attack is made from the stated direction, and only in the first turn of combat.
Example: Braganza the Siege Specialist has worked his way up to the south of an enemy fortress. He sets up his pavise so that it faces the fortress. He gains the Shield 5 Quality to any attacks coming from the north, but he has no such protection to attacks coming from the south, west, or east. Should someone sally out of the fortress and charge towards Braganza, he could make use of the Shield 5 Quality for the first round of melee combat. If he is charged from the sides or rear, he cannot use the Shield 5 Quality.
Item type
Weapon, Melee
Subtype / Model
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