Time Required: 1 second.

You place your shield between yourself and your foes. If you have the trait, Shield Training, you may Raise the Shield for Cover; otherwise, you may only Raise the Shield for Damage Reduction. Once you have Raised your Shield, you cannot change your choice unless you take this action again. Either way, you lose the benefit at the start of your next turn.

When you Raise your Shield for Damage Reduction, add the Shield Rating of your shield to the Damage Reduction of your armour (if any). However, any attack roll that equals or exceeds the Smash TN of your shield will reduce the Shield Rating by one, and your shield becomes Broken. If your Shield Rating is reduced to zero, your shield becomes Destroyed.