First, if something like this already exists, I'd like to know where to find em..

One of my "gripes" about shields comes down to character concept and for me, many times I end up just thinking a shield doesn't fit at all (thieves come to mind, moon mages, necros, etc.) Problem is, shield is just about a necessity in the current combat paradigm. Ignoring it for aesthetic or concept reasons just ends up hurting yourself in the long run.

As a suggestion, what about "shields" that are arm worn only that don't need to "look" like shields? A heavy bracer on one arm you can block with, or something along those lines. I'm strictly looking at this for cosmetic reasons, so not looking to change how protective or not they are compared to regular shields that can just be arm-worn anyway.

Thoughts?