diff --git a/code/game/objects/items/weapons/material/swords.dm b/code/game/objects/items/weapons/material/swords.dm
index 62111196f4..a8b0ea19a3 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items/weapons/material/swords.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items/weapons/material/swords.dm
@@ -13,16 +13,7 @@
/obj/item/weapon/material/sword/handle_shield(mob/user, var/damage, atom/damage_source = null, mob/attacker = null, var/def_zone = null, var/attack_text = "the attack")
- //parry only melee attacks
- if(istype(damage_source, /obj/item/projectile) || (attacker && get_dist(user, attacker) > 1) || user.incapacitated())
- return 0
-
- //block as long as they are not directly behind us
- var/bad_arc = reverse_direction(user.dir) //arc of directions from which we cannot block
- if(!check_shield_arc(user, bad_arc, damage_source, attacker))
- return 0
-
- if(prob(50))
+ if(default_parry_check(user, attacker, damage_source) && prob(50))
user.visible_message("\The [user] parries [attack_text] with \the [src]!")
playsound(user.loc, 'sound/weapons/punchmiss.ogg', 50, 1)
return 1
diff --git a/code/game/objects/items/weapons/material/twohanded.dm b/code/game/objects/items/weapons/material/twohanded.dm
index 177957bd91..6102c76026 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items/weapons/material/twohanded.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items/weapons/material/twohanded.dm
@@ -73,19 +73,7 @@
//Allow a small chance of parrying melee attacks when wielded - maybe generalize this to other weapons someday
/obj/item/weapon/material/twohanded/handle_shield(mob/user, var/damage, atom/damage_source = null, mob/attacker = null, var/def_zone = null, var/attack_text = "the attack")
- if(!wielded)
- return 0
-
- //parry only melee attacks
- if(istype(damage_source, /obj/item/projectile) || (attacker && get_dist(user, attacker) > 1) || user.incapacitated())
- return 0
-
- //block as long as they are not directly behind us
- var/bad_arc = reverse_direction(user.dir) //arc of directions from which we cannot block
- if(!check_shield_arc(user, bad_arc, damage_source, attacker))
- return 0
-
- if(prob(15))
+ if(wielded && default_parry_check(user, attacker, damage_source) && prob(15))
user.visible_message("\The [user] parries [attack_text] with \the [src]!")
playsound(user.loc, 'sound/weapons/punchmiss.ogg', 50, 1)
return 1
diff --git a/code/game/objects/items/weapons/melee/energy.dm b/code/game/objects/items/weapons/melee/energy.dm
index 71b43d8564..6a236e1b8f 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items/weapons/melee/energy.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items/weapons/melee/energy.dm
@@ -152,19 +152,7 @@
icon_state = initial(icon_state)
/obj/item/weapon/melee/energy/sword/handle_shield(mob/user, var/damage, atom/damage_source = null, mob/attacker = null, var/def_zone = null, var/attack_text = "the attack")
- if(!active)
- return 0
-
- //parry only melee attacks
- if(istype(damage_source, /obj/item/projectile) || (attacker && get_dist(user, attacker) > 1) || user.incapacitated())
- return 0
-
- //block as long as they are not directly behind us
- var/bad_arc = reverse_direction(user.dir) //arc of directions from which we cannot block
- if(!check_shield_arc(user, bad_arc, damage_source, attacker))
- return 0
-
- if(prob(50))
+ if(active && default_parry_check(user, attacker, damage_source) && prob(50))
user.visible_message("\The [user] parries [attack_text] with \the [src]!")
var/datum/effect/effect/system/spark_spread/spark_system = new /datum/effect/effect/system/spark_spread()
diff --git a/code/game/objects/items/weapons/shields.dm b/code/game/objects/items/weapons/shields.dm
index 020af234d2..8b807e803f 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items/weapons/shields.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items/weapons/shields.dm
@@ -1,3 +1,34 @@
+//** Shield Helpers
+//These are shared by various items that have shield-like behaviour
+
+//bad_arc is the ABSOLUTE arc of directions from which we cannot block. If you want to fix it to e.g. the user's facing you will need to rotate the dirs yourself.
+/proc/check_shield_arc(mob/user, var/bad_arc, atom/damage_source = null, mob/attacker = null)
+ //check attack direction
+ var/attack_dir = 0 //direction from the user to the source of the attack
+ if(istype(damage_source, /obj/item/projectile))
+ var/obj/item/projectile/P = damage_source
+ attack_dir = get_dir(get_turf(user), P.starting)
+ else if(attacker)
+ attack_dir = get_dir(get_turf(user), get_turf(attacker))
+ else if(damage_source)
+ attack_dir = get_dir(get_turf(user), get_turf(damage_source))
+
+ if(!(attack_dir && (attack_dir & bad_arc)))
+ return 1
+ return 0
+
+/proc/default_parry_check(mob/user, mob/attacker, atom/damage_source)
+ //parry only melee attacks
+ if(istype(damage_source, /obj/item/projectile) || (attacker && get_dist(user, attacker) > 1) || user.incapacitated())
+ return 0
+
+ //block as long as they are not directly behind us
+ var/bad_arc = reverse_direction(user.dir) //arc of directions from which we cannot block
+ if(!check_shield_arc(user, bad_arc, damage_source, attacker))
+ return 0
+
+ return 1
+
/obj/item/weapon/shield
name = "shield"
var/base_block_chance = 50
@@ -119,28 +150,6 @@
add_fingerprint(user)
return
-//** Shield Helpers
-//This is here in case it is useful for things like energy swords that want to pretend they are shields
-
-//bad_arc is the ABSOLUTE arc of directions from which we cannot block
-/obj/item/proc/check_shield_arc(mob/user, var/bad_arc, atom/damage_source = null, mob/attacker = null)
- //check attack direction
- var/attack_dir = 0 //direction from the user to the source of the attack
- if(istype(damage_source, /obj/item/projectile))
- var/obj/item/projectile/P = damage_source
- attack_dir = get_dir(get_turf(user), P.starting)
- else if(attacker)
- attack_dir = get_dir(get_turf(user), get_turf(attacker))
- else if(damage_source)
- attack_dir = get_dir(get_turf(user), get_turf(damage_source))
-
- world << "attack_dir: [print_dir(attack_dir)]"
-
- if(!(attack_dir && (attack_dir & bad_arc)))
- return 1
- return 0
-
-
/obj/item/weapon/cloaking_device
name = "cloaking device"
diff --git a/code/modules/holodeck/HolodeckObjects.dm b/code/modules/holodeck/HolodeckObjects.dm
index b2841c4cf0..bc0f1a376c 100644
--- a/code/modules/holodeck/HolodeckObjects.dm
+++ b/code/modules/holodeck/HolodeckObjects.dm
@@ -253,19 +253,7 @@
item_color = "red"
/obj/item/weapon/holo/esword/handle_shield(mob/user, var/damage, atom/damage_source = null, mob/attacker = null, var/def_zone = null, var/attack_text = "the attack")
- if(!active)
- return 0
-
- //parry only melee holo attacks
- if(!istype(damage_source, /obj/item/weapon/holo) || (attacker && get_dist(user, attacker) > 1) || user.incapacitated())
- return 0
-
- //block as long as they are not directly behind us
- var/bad_arc = reverse_direction(user.dir) //arc of directions from which we cannot block
- if(!check_shield_arc(user, bad_arc, damage_source, attacker))
- return 0
-
- if(prob(50))
+ if(active && default_parry_check(user, attacker, damage_source) && prob(50))
user.visible_message("\The [user] parries [attack_text] with \the [src]!")
var/datum/effect/effect/system/spark_spread/spark_system = new /datum/effect/effect/system/spark_spread()