Shield Bash Build

[StabbyStab]

I've got a PC who's looking into building a character inspired by spartans, and wants to know a much as he can about shield bashing for beating people down with a massive round shield. What's the best way to go about doing this?

[Bakkan]

Check out Agile Shield Fighter in the Player's Handbook II: Aloows you to essentially TWF with a sword and shield without those pesky Dex prerequisites. Get a spiked shield, of course, and then get the Bashing enhancement, which combine to give you a 2d6 shield bash on a heavy shield. Agile Shield Fighter never specifies that you have to use your weapon as your primary attack, so use your shield to perform all your iteratives and use the weapon as your off-hand attack.

[Metahuman1]

If your the DM, I'd look at heavy shield, and then just flat let him Bash with a Tower shield and do one two two die size's bigger damage. Hell, maybe give him a couple of tactical options like a boost to bulls rush or an ability to make sneak attacks with opponents your in melee with if your taking cover behind the tower shield and using a light/one handed weapon.


Really, it's sword and board, it's painfully unoptimized. This certainly won't unbalance the game any further.

[Doorhandle]

Pathfinder seems to have quite a bit of support for sword and board.

in addition to feats, of perticular interest would be the Phalanx Soldier or the Shielded Fighter archetypes.

[Kantolin]

In actuality, if you two-hand a heavy steel shield, you can do whatever two-handed features you want. Costs you a feat in shield bash, saves you cash on animated. :P

Two-handed power attack and do whatever you'd normally do with a greatsword, as your base damage isn't all that focal normally.

[Fax Celestis]

Spiked heavy steel shield of bashing +1 is 2d6+Str+1, so comparable to a greatsword. Yes, you can two-hand it. Take Shield Ward and Agile Shield Fighter from PHB-II, kill things.

[Namfuak]

Check out Agile Shield Fighter in the Player's Handbook II: Aloows you to essentially TWF with a sword and shield without those pesky Dex prerequisites. Get a spiked shield, of course, and then get the Bashing enhancement, which combine to give you a 2d6 shield bash on a heavy shield. Agile Shield Fighter never specifies that you have to use your weapon as your primary attack, so use your shield to perform all your iteratives and use the weapon as your off-hand attack.

What would be really funny is if you took that feat that lets you use an off-hand light weapon as a shield, so you attacked with the shield and blocked with the weapon.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I think 6 levels of Dungeoncrasher fighter wouldn't be out of place, be a goliath or half-giant and take knockback so you slam your shield into your enemy and send them flying against a wall causing even more damage.

[Aegis013]

Here's a couple of builds from JaronK.
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1532.0

They're quite good.

[Doorhandle]

Two-handed sheilding....

Well, it works for goofy and captain America. I approve.

[Greenish]

Person_Man's Guide to Shields (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123630) for your perusal.

I recommend warblade or crusader for the class.