Daggerfall Workshop Forums

Bucklers treated like larger shields depending on material.
If you use a class that can only use bucklers for example, you can use the lighter ones like 1 kg but not the heavier ones.

Test:
Pick default healer class (according to uesp, this class can use buckler and round shields).
Pick the buckler in character background questions, it will be a 2.5 kg one.
In the dosbox version you can equip it, in unity it won't let you "your class prohibits you from equipping this".

Healer class is limited to leather and chain armor only. I assume that the shields you're trying to equip are of a different material Iron-Daedric?

If classic allows this to be equipped and DFU doesn't then there's a bug. Can you post your classic save showing this please?

This is because the shields are made of materials. The heavier ones are made of heavier materials. You probably have a material restriction stopping you from equipping them.


When starting the game. Go to Advanced -> Interface

Set "Helm and Shield MateriaL Display" to "on".

Ok so this is how I first noticed this, by loading this calssic save in Unity version.

I have one equipped already, if you unequip it you won't be able to re-equip it. I also have 2 more bucklers in magic category if you want to try those.

Thanks I will take a look into it.

I tested some stuff.
So I made a custom class with copied skills of healer so I can choose the buckler from the character background questions.
Which is a Steel Buckler.
And then I can pick different disadvantages in isolation.

-Shield restriction work fine
if I have not allowed tower/kite/round I can equip the steel buckler

-Restriction Plate Armor when I tried this single restriction it did not allow me to equip the steel buckler.

So my theory in short: in unity shield types are treated as armor pieces on top of being buckler/round/kite/tower, while in original it is treated more like weapon classes.
As a steel weapon doesn't become part of plate category just because it is steel, same should apply to shields.

Yes, that is correct.

Steel is a type of plate.

It's dumb, but that is how the game has always worked since the 90s.

It is not dumb necessarily, it is just different approach to the system.

In original daggerfall daedric buckler is still just a buckler you can use it, even if you cant wear plate armor and only gets you +1 defense boost. Only bonus is extra enchancment points.

Are you sure it was like that since 90s?
Cause as it seems to me, it got changed in later games.
But they also removed buckler/kite/tower type categories and just put those in light/medium/heavy which were based on materials.
Pretty sure in arena and daggerfall shields were never part of armor categories, even if they had a material attached to them.

Seems like a clear bug in DFU to me, and I've fixed it locally.

I am assuming that material restrictions still apply to shields, but if someone can test that in classic that would be great.

e.g. restriction of not using steel material, and can still equip a steel shield for instance.

Tested in original.
Steel restriction won't allow you to equip the steel buckler.
I attach the save file too.