Good Homebrew Shield System

[Arcran]

Lets be honest, right now shields suck. The good ole sword-and-board fighter isn't a good option. I was wondering if anybody has created a homebrew system that makes shields as viable an option as a Power Attacking TH fighter.

[Knaight]

Tome of Battle handles rather a lot before one gets into home brew.

[Arcran]

Yes there are a lot of good shield stuff in ToB, but they don't put it on par with using a two handed weapon.

[Flickerdart]

There's quite a bit of shield support, but the best of it handles offense using shields. Because defending in 3.5 is always a terrible thing to focus around, and then later on you can Animate the shield. If you want a homebrew system you have to address the fact that you're using up your hand for a handful of points of AC, which in the end matters little...the best thing you could do would be to design attractive shield enhancements that only function when held.

[Arcran]

Thanks for all the advice. I might try my hand at somthing but I'll probably just do the hold only enchantments.

[Seerow]

I homebrewed a set of feats for all of the major fighting styles, with the intent to bring them closer together with similar levels of investment, rather than THFing overpowering everything else. Link (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199946)




Note: It is important to remember these feats are intended to replace any similar feats from the core rules. Many of them should be obvious due to overlap, but general rule of the thumb is if it applies to only one fighting style, it shouldn't be used with the feats linked.



Edit: If you want something more specific, you can look around the homebrew forum a bit, I know there's a lot of shield material there. At least 2 full 20 level classes I know of, a full ToB discipline dedicated to it, and more feats. I don't feel like digging it up, but some google-fu should find it without too much trouble once you know it's there.

Also the single biggest change you can make to promote shield use: Ban animated shields. Seriously, once the difference between a THFer and a Sword and Boarder isn't just a +3 enhancement, the shield becomes a lot more desirable. Not quite enough on its own, but it's a HUGE step in the right direction.

[Arcran]

Thats great, thanks! I will try these out in my next session.

[Piggy Knowles]

In a campaign I played in years ago, the DM had a homebrew feat that gave you an attack of opportunity if you were wielding a shield, and the opponent missed you with a melee attack. Thematically, the idea was that you were using the shield to deflect the blow, and therefore create an opening to attack in.

He had a few other shield-based feats, but I didn't actually play a shield fighter in that campaign, so the memories are fuzzy at best. Still, he did a fair bit to make it a flavorful style that could do some things 2-handers couldn't.

From what I recall, he also had a homebrew rule that, by taking a minor speed reduction, a character could move through threatened squares without provoking AoOs.

And I believe that most of his shield feats and abilities required light, heavy or tower shields - bucklers generally didn't qualify.

[Vandicus]

Perhaps a fighter bonus feat called Shield Focus and Greater Shield Focus that give a +2 and +4 untyped bonus to AC respectively, but only while actually held in the hand?

[Flickerdart]

Perhaps a fighter bonus feat called Shield Focus and Greater Shield Focus that give a +2 and +4 untyped bonus to AC respectively, but only while actually held in the hand?
The problem with that is you still need to invest absurd amounts in AC for it to matter, and then you're neglecting all your other defenses. Oh, and you wasted two feats on shield the 1st level spell...
The problem with shields is the same problem as with fighters in general - not only can they not do their job out of the box, but even if they could, it's just not a very important job.

[Arcran]

These are all great ideas, I'll try them out over the next couple sessions.

[Big Fau]

Perhaps a fighter bonus feat called Shield Focus and Greater Shield Focus that give a +2 and +4 untyped bonus to AC respectively, but only while actually held in the hand?

It isn't just the AC bonus that's wrong with shields. And no one wants to spend feats on minor, static bonuses that only work with a subpar option.

With the exception of using your shield as a weapon (Captain America style), there is nothing good about shields.

[Vandicus]

It isn't just the AC bonus that's wrong with shields. And no one wants to spend feats on minor, static bonuses that only work with a subpar option.

With the exception of using your shield as a weapon (Captain America style), there is nothing good about shields.

I was trying to emulate the weapon focus feats in design (which probably wasn't my brightest idea :smalltongue: ) and avoid overpowering PCs at low levels. It really should warrant more goodies, probably an equivalent bonus to reflex saves(using the shield to block) and attack rolls/damage with shields.

[Yora]

I like to add shield bonuses to touch AC, but to remove them from flat-footed AC.
Also a cover bonus to Reflex saves against area effects. Blocking the dragons fire with a shield is just too iconic.

[Arcran]

So like a +2 or 3 to AoE Reflex saves?