Toni Sihvonen (order #92780) 62.142.248.1

Toni Sihvonen (order #92780) 6
die for the extra d6; damage from this extra die applies to
the target normally, and on a “6” it also breaks the target’s
shield. He can rearm (if another shield is available)
under the usual rearming rules.
As noted on Pendragon page 174, missile attacks suffer a
-5 penalty against shielded foes. If an attack misses
because of this penalty, the missile has lodged in the
shield. Arrows and stones do not matter, but if it the missile
is an angon that scores 5+ points of damage, or any
other hurled weapon that score 6+ points of damage, the
target suffers a -/+2 reciprocal penalty in hand-to-hand
combat per missile stuck in his shield until he removes
them. Removing one missile requires a full round and
either a Strength -5 roll (-8 for angons and other barbed
javelins) or inflicting 12 points of damage (16 for angons)
on the missile (no attack roll needed). Each impacted missile
also reduces the shield’s -5 benefit against missile
attacks by 2 points (the shield moves awkwardly).
Sturdier shields become available in Phase 3 for triple the
usual cost. Such shields resist shield damage effects half the
time (d6 = 1-3).
New Battle Rules
Battle Formations
Gamemasters can use these formations to describe the
moves and countermoves of a Pendragon battle. They
apply only to the first charge, after which units usually
disintegrate into individual melees and skirmishes.
Optionally, characters whose commanders place them in
a formation gain certain benefits during the “Melee
against Random Enemies” segment of the Battle System.
This can include a Leader/Follower Bonus, even though
these do not usually apply to first charge.
Scildburh Formation
A foot unit can form a scildburh if it is two to ten men
deep, and at least five times as wide. The front rank carries
large shields and huddles together so that they overlap.
Two-handed swinging weapons are useless within the
crowded scildburh. Spears, on the other hand, let rear
ranks contribute to the battle. While durable, even
against cavalry, scildburhs are slow, clumsy, and easily
outflanked; moving scildburhs also tend to drift dangerously
rightward, as each man unconsciously crowds
toward the shield to his right. The Saxons and the Romans
are the main users of the scildburh (the Romans know it
as the testudo or fulcum).
If your commander puts you in scildburh during the first
charge, test Battle:
Success gives the following advantages:
You gain +2 shield armor. Your shield modifies
enemy missile fire by -7.
Against foot foes, or any foes in wecg, you gain
a Leader/Follower Bonus equal to the half depth
of the scildburh or +6. whichever is lower.
You reduce the Mounted reflexive +/-5 modifier
to +/-2, and can cancel it entirely by passing an
extra Prudent test.
Failure to form scildburh forces you to test [Reckless.
Success: you charged ahead of the scildburh, gain none of
its benefits, and count as Alone next round. Failure: you
are in the scildburh’s rear ranks, where you gain no scildburh
benefits and probably don’t engage the enemy].
The best Roman troops can break their scildburhs into
smaller units, enabling them to maneuver freely and
avoid the rightward drift problem. Such well-drilled
Roman troops are rarer than giants or wyrms in Britain
after 400.
Other Cultures: Cultures who do not normally form
scildburhs (Cymri, Picts, Irish, Occitanians, etc.) use the
lower of Battle or Prudent when forming the scildburh.
Wecg Formation
This amplifies a battle line’s tendency to “bulge” when
the central commander and his bodyguards charge, and
then men farther from the center join in. As this “wedge”
of warriors hits the enemy lines, soldiers rushing to join its
back ranks push the “point” deep into the enemy formation.
A wecg is not highly maneuverable: it either goes
forward, or stops.
Wecg is exclusively a Saxon (Germanic) and Roman tactic
(the Romans call it the cuneus, or swine’s head). Later in
the Pendragon campaign, the Saxon knights who join Sir
Mordred charge in mounted wecgs on huge barded
destriers - a fearsome sight straight out of Alexander
Nevsky.
If your commander puts you in wecg, test [lowest of
Battle, Energetic, or Horsemanship if mounted. Critical:
At the point. Gain a +6 Leader/Follower Bonus. Success:
On the edge. Gain a +3 Leader/Follower Bonus. Failure:
In the rear. No bonus. Fumble: A leaf in the storm.
“Alone” in next melee round].