LucaCherstich
Mongoose
I always liked the idea of a warrior armed with shield & weapo (especially sword, axe or spear).
Nevertheless, given the impressive bonuses one gets from 2-weapon fighting and two-handed weapons (+PowerAtk), this form of combat is often forgotten.
However, in my view of the Hyborean age the most diffused form of combat among normal soldiers should be the classic Shield+Weapon.
Please, give your suggestions and opinions about how to improve this classic combination.
One of my favourite is to use a few feats from other d20 sources.
Here a few of my favourites ones!
In the medieval movies we see often peeple using the "shield bash" attack to "stun" the enemy who falls prone or in any case to move it from your way.
However, the "1d4" damage for the Large Shield is not very useful to represent this kind of use...
A way to resolve the question is the "Improved Shield Bash" feat, but not its 3.5 version (PHB3.5), but its 3.0 original form from DotF.
I like this way of using the shield!
Here it is:
IMPROVED SHIELD BASH
General
You can push opponents back by bashing them with your shield.
PREREQUISITES: Power Attack.
BENEFIT: Any shield bash you make with a small or large shield also affects your opponent as if you had performed a bull rush.
You don’t actually move into your opponent’s square or incur attacks of opportunity for the bash.
You also can’t move your opponent back more than 5 feet, nor can you move along with the defender. You can’t use this feat with a buckler.
This feat helps only in moving somebody out of your way, and make it prone if you push it to somebody else's square (Bull Rush mechanics).
However, there is a possible improvement from CW (3.5) which makes the "prone" result more possible (trip mechanics).
Here it is:
SHIELD CHARGE
General
You deal extra damage if you use your shield as a weapon when charging.
PREREQUISITES: Improved Shield Bash, base attack bonus +3.
BENEFIT: If you hit an opponent with your shield as part of a charge action, in addition to dealing damage normally, you may
make a trip attack without provoking an attack of opportunity.
If you lose, the defender does not get to try to trip you in return.
Even Better should Be a feat from CW:
SHIELD SLAM (We should find another name, to not confuse it with the manoeuvre)
General
You can use your shield to daze your opponent.
PREREQUISITES: Improved Shield Bash, Shield Charge, base attack bonus +6.
BENEFIT: As a full-round action or as a charge action, you may make an attack with your shield against an opponent.
If you hit, you force _ the target damaged by this attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level+your Str modifier) addition to dealing damage normally.
A defender who fails this saving throw is dazed for 1 round (until just before your next action).
Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be dazed.
One of my favourite combinations is warspear+shield.
It a very historical one, used by many different kinds of fighters (from Corinthian Hoplites to Kushite warriors).
Warriors' Companion feat "Spearman" helps you using Warspear & Shield without penalties.
SPEARMAN
General
You are trained to use a long-hafted spear in tandem with a shield. Using the edge of the shield as a resting point and your own weight as a counterbalance, you can utilise a spear with greater ability.
PREREQUISITES: Base attack bonus +1, Strength 12+, Martial Weapon Proficiency.
BENEFIT: When wielding any non-buckler shield and a one-handed spear, you gain a +1 bonus to hit on spear attacks.
Additionally, any two-handed spear can be wielded as a one-handed weapon when paired with a non-buckler shield; this weapon does not gain the bonusto hit, however.
The "reach" is an advantage of the warspear, you stab your enemies as they approach to you enetering the areas you threaten...
...but the advantage disappears when the enemy gets closer and when, unless you draw another weapon (recomended quick draw) or do a 5ft move, you cannot use the warspear at close range.
A solution could be another feat for spearmen (or Halberdiers, Polearmers, etc...). It is from teh PHB2:
SHORT HAFT
General
You have trained in polearm fighting alongside your comrades in arms, sometimes reaching past them while they shield you, and sometimes shielding them while they attack from behind you.
PREREQUISITES: Proficiency with a reach weapon, Weapon Focus with a reach weapon, base attack bonus +3.
BENEFIT: As a swift action, you can choose to lose the benefit of wielding any reach weapon other than a spiked chain or a whip.
In return, you can use that weapon to threaten and attack spaces adjacent to you.
With another swift action, you can give up this feat’s benefit in order to regain the use of your weapon’s superior reach.
Nevertheless, given the impressive bonuses one gets from 2-weapon fighting and two-handed weapons (+PowerAtk), this form of combat is often forgotten.
However, in my view of the Hyborean age the most diffused form of combat among normal soldiers should be the classic Shield+Weapon.
Please, give your suggestions and opinions about how to improve this classic combination.
One of my favourite is to use a few feats from other d20 sources.
Here a few of my favourites ones!
In the medieval movies we see often peeple using the "shield bash" attack to "stun" the enemy who falls prone or in any case to move it from your way.
However, the "1d4" damage for the Large Shield is not very useful to represent this kind of use...
A way to resolve the question is the "Improved Shield Bash" feat, but not its 3.5 version (PHB3.5), but its 3.0 original form from DotF.
I like this way of using the shield!
Here it is:
IMPROVED SHIELD BASH
General
You can push opponents back by bashing them with your shield.
PREREQUISITES: Power Attack.
BENEFIT: Any shield bash you make with a small or large shield also affects your opponent as if you had performed a bull rush.
You don’t actually move into your opponent’s square or incur attacks of opportunity for the bash.
You also can’t move your opponent back more than 5 feet, nor can you move along with the defender. You can’t use this feat with a buckler.
This feat helps only in moving somebody out of your way, and make it prone if you push it to somebody else's square (Bull Rush mechanics).
However, there is a possible improvement from CW (3.5) which makes the "prone" result more possible (trip mechanics).
Here it is:
SHIELD CHARGE
General
You deal extra damage if you use your shield as a weapon when charging.
PREREQUISITES: Improved Shield Bash, base attack bonus +3.
BENEFIT: If you hit an opponent with your shield as part of a charge action, in addition to dealing damage normally, you may
make a trip attack without provoking an attack of opportunity.
If you lose, the defender does not get to try to trip you in return.
Even Better should Be a feat from CW:
SHIELD SLAM (We should find another name, to not confuse it with the manoeuvre)
General
You can use your shield to daze your opponent.
PREREQUISITES: Improved Shield Bash, Shield Charge, base attack bonus +6.
BENEFIT: As a full-round action or as a charge action, you may make an attack with your shield against an opponent.
If you hit, you force _ the target damaged by this attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level+your Str modifier) addition to dealing damage normally.
A defender who fails this saving throw is dazed for 1 round (until just before your next action).
Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be dazed.
One of my favourite combinations is warspear+shield.
It a very historical one, used by many different kinds of fighters (from Corinthian Hoplites to Kushite warriors).
Warriors' Companion feat "Spearman" helps you using Warspear & Shield without penalties.
SPEARMAN
General
You are trained to use a long-hafted spear in tandem with a shield. Using the edge of the shield as a resting point and your own weight as a counterbalance, you can utilise a spear with greater ability.
PREREQUISITES: Base attack bonus +1, Strength 12+, Martial Weapon Proficiency.
BENEFIT: When wielding any non-buckler shield and a one-handed spear, you gain a +1 bonus to hit on spear attacks.
Additionally, any two-handed spear can be wielded as a one-handed weapon when paired with a non-buckler shield; this weapon does not gain the bonusto hit, however.
The "reach" is an advantage of the warspear, you stab your enemies as they approach to you enetering the areas you threaten...
...but the advantage disappears when the enemy gets closer and when, unless you draw another weapon (recomended quick draw) or do a 5ft move, you cannot use the warspear at close range.
A solution could be another feat for spearmen (or Halberdiers, Polearmers, etc...). It is from teh PHB2:
SHORT HAFT
General
You have trained in polearm fighting alongside your comrades in arms, sometimes reaching past them while they shield you, and sometimes shielding them while they attack from behind you.
PREREQUISITES: Proficiency with a reach weapon, Weapon Focus with a reach weapon, base attack bonus +3.
BENEFIT: As a swift action, you can choose to lose the benefit of wielding any reach weapon other than a spiked chain or a whip.
In return, you can use that weapon to threaten and attack spaces adjacent to you.
With another swift action, you can give up this feat’s benefit in order to regain the use of your weapon’s superior reach.
