(TFT) Re:

[Raven <raven@wizard.com>]

Good evening David, this is Ron Pehr.  Your optional rule is very much in
the spirit of TFT, it doesn't skew the percentages either for or against
the shield-using character and requires putting points into skills.  From a
historical standpoint though, simply having shield talent should be enough.
 Two weapons talent is something completely different, it is more for
duelling than combat and was really later in history than regular use of
shields.  The exception would be using the buckler as one of two weapons in
duelling, that would be two weapons talent rather than shield talent.

Still on a historical note, chainmail was used because it stopped whatever
was incoming better than non-metal armors, backed by padding to prevent the
chainmail itself from digging into your skin when it got hit by something
unpleasant.   The links of chainmail are close enough together to stop
(hopefully) puncturing weapons.  Chainmail was surplanted by plate armor
because the latter stops everything better, it was a matter of industry and
technology catching up with what armor-wearers wanted and needed.  Rapiers
weren't specifically designed to penetrate chainmail.  By time they were
common, chainmail was uncommon.  In any event, rapiers are primarily
duelling weapons and would have been used off the battlefield when you'd be
unarmored anyway.  

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