Using a shield and using it proud.

[Surzt and Gurzt]

We all know that this in this system using a shield hurts you more than it helps. All a shield user really has going for him is the ability to take slightly less damage, and that's not much if you could have ended the encounter already with a charging power attack or barrage of sneak attacks from a pair of short-swords.
So what can one do to build a decent shield user? Someone with sword and shield who can preform as well, or at least close to, a great sword wielding berserker or a lance equipped cavalier? And yes, at mid level you can just make a magical shield follow you around and free up your off hand. For this thread, lets just pretend that doesn't exsist.

I know everyone is going to say 'be a cleric, use a shield and just cast spells' or something along those lines. If we could keep the character concepts limited to a sword-and-board warrior that would be splendid.

[KillianHawkeye]

There are some pretty cool shield-bash feats in Complete Warrior and maybe Player's Handbook 2. There's one that lets you do a knock-down on a shield bash, and another that adds stun when you bash on a charge.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Person Man wrote an excellent guide to Shields somewhere around here.

Ah, here she is.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123630

[StreamOfTheSky]

I had a dual heavy shield build once, it was fun. Bodyguard type character. I loved the Wall of Steel teamwork feat. Let me give one shield's AC to an ally and lose it for myself (but i had 2 shields, so no big loss).

Also had Shield Ward, Shield Block maneuver, etc...

Of course, those with mithral twilight heavy shields and he was a draconic gish character in an all-draconic themed party, so oftentimes he "shielded" allies by using Wings of Cover spell to protect them. I'm proud of the fact he never once used that spell to protect himself.
It's also the only time I've used WoC or seen it used, and it didn't feel horrifically broken. Being on a mostly martial dude and used to fulfill the incredibly gimped role of defender. As opposed to the usual selfish use on a god sorcerer casting chucking instant win bombs.

[Surzt and Gurzt]

So from what I've gathered is a shield user can be: a charging cavalier knight using his lance to emulate exactly what a ubercharger does.
A defense specialist who can trip/bullrush/whatever better than normal, but doesnt excel at it.
A defense specialist who doesnt get hit. And is very good at not getting hit.
A shield basher who (with a hilarious image of a 5 ft tall human pushing a wall-sized steel shield adorned with spikes at a single kobold and missing) can add various effects to his metal board to push/knock over/whatever his foes.

[Annos]

get throw anything feat and be a spartan captain america:smallbiggrin:

[StreamOfTheSky]

get throw anything feat and be a spartan captain america:smallbiggrin:

What you'd want is to go into Bloodstorm Blade.

At level 1, you get Throw Anything.

At level 2, you can treat thrown attacks as melee attacks (so you can power attack, etc...) with a swift action.

At level 4, you have the thrown item instantly return to your hand, allowing full attacks with the same weapon and having it back on hand for AoOs.

At level 5+... you move onto some other class. :smalltongue:

[Aegis013]

JaronK has some pretty sweet shield basher builds. I have a link handy:
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1532.0
Enjoy.

[VGLordR2]

All I'm going to say is that a spiked kappa shell shield is both useless and awesome.

[The Dark Fiddler]

The Tome of Battle classes do sword and board pretty well, since their main shtick is their maneuvers which (mostly) work independently of how you wield your weapons.