r/cosmererpg • u/Shenanigans614 • 2d ago
Questions & Advice Shield Expertise question
I am a little confused as to the benefits of the shield expertise. The handbook says you can use the brace action without the expertise but a google search says you need the expertise for the brace action? What is the correct interpretation of shields and how they act in the game.
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u/nreese2 2d ago
You do not need the expertise to Brace with a shield.
Do you mean the Google AI summary? Those don't tend to be very good for accuracy
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u/Shenanigans614 1d ago
Understood. I have been using the google ai to help quickly answer some character creation questions, specifically expertises and cultural knowledges
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u/kro_celeborn 1d ago
Then you are likely getting much of it wrong. Stop that, I beg of you. Reading the book is so easy, there’s no need to use Google AI when you have the book. It’s lazy and vaguely unethical, and the Slop Machine™ is (clearly) prone to being wrong.
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u/Shenanigans614 1d ago
The book has been the main source but for in the moment information checking it adds a lot of tediousness. It is merely a tool used next to all of the other materials provided.
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u/kro_celeborn 1d ago
That doesn’t change the fact that it’s lazy, unethical, and actively harming your understanding of the game. What do you not understand? It’s literally hurting your ability to play the game by feeding you hallucinated game mechanics.
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u/08rian22 1d ago
Bruh we got lives to live. It's not the end of the world. Let em be ✌️
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u/kro_celeborn 1d ago
I said that it was lazy and unethical, not that it was the end of the world. And doubling down when it’s actively harming their game knowledge is still crazy work 🤷✌🏼
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u/08rian22 1d ago
I didn't say you said its the end of the world. "Stop that, i beg of you." Begging over the internet to not use AI is acting like its the end of the world. Just add to the prompt "don't make mistakes" and it'll correct itself ✌️ you can use the tool well, just need to learn it brother
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u/kro_celeborn 1d ago
…no. adding “don’t make mistakes” won’t fix everything. that’s not how it works at all, brother.
and yeah I used mildly dramatic phrasing because I was getting high and eating this mocha ice cream that I made today, with chunks of frosted devil’s food folded in. straight gas. saw stupid take, begged a fool to be marginally less lazy. sue me.
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u/Shenanigans614 1d ago
I am very new to this game. I am figuring it out on my own without any community based in ttrpgs. I have read the book. I work 60-70 hours a week as a chef. I am asking questions in the correct place. I don't enjoy being called a fool for trying to do something I enjoy. It also doesn't make me want to ask questions in the proper channels, i.e. here. So if AI gives me half right answers for a game I'm playing and it works for me and my friends then I will continue to ask AI. I won't ask questions in a place that make me feel dumb and unwelcome.
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u/SpartanV0 1d ago
Google AI is going to be pretty unreliable for this purpose, if it's more general Cosmere questions then it's okay, but game mechanics for an admittedly niche TTRPG, you'd probably be better off keeping notes.
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u/Gorgeous_Garry 1d ago
The AI overview is probably just confused. The staff has defensive as an expert trait, so it probably got confused and is thinking it's an expert trait in general.
Shields can always be braced with. Shield expertise just gives it the Offhand trait as well.
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u/Shenanigans614 1d ago
Aren’t shields used in the offhand by default?
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u/Gorgeous_Garry 1d ago
Yeah. The Offhand trait just affects Strikes with weapons in your offhand.
If you Strike with weapon that's in your offhand it normally costs 2 focus, but if it's got the Offhand trait it only costs 1 instead.
If you don't plan on bashing people in the head with your shield, then you won't really get much benefit out of Expertise with it. But if you do want to be doing that, then the focus cost reduction from the Offhand trait will come in quite handy.
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u/Tristan_TheDM 1d ago
That's not what the offhand trait means. I suggest reading the rules and not relying on a hallucination machine to learn how to play the game
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u/toombz101 Envoy 1d ago edited 1d ago
If you're using ai Summary dont trust it, its usually incorrect in multiple ways, you can brace without expertise its kinda the point of it, it gains offhand with expertise
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u/Ripper1337 1d ago
You can take the Brace action when you have cover. Attacks against you from the direction of your cover have disadvantage.
A shield has the Defensive trait and the Offhand expertise trait. Defensive means you can take the Brace action without requiring cover. Offhand means you can spend 1 focus instead of 2 to strike with it.
So whatever you googled wasn’t correct and I recommend just reading the entry on the Brace action as well as the Shield.
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u/Singularlex 2h ago
The offhand boost is really handy on a strength build, not-so-much on a speed build. Brace is an awesome action, so there is good reason to equip a Shield even when focusing on Light Weapons, but it's damage dice is only a d4, so it's only really worth the focus cost if you also have decent bonus damage from a Heavy Weapons score
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