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redwizard007
2016-11-20, 02:06 PM
I'm trying to put together some bronze age societies and am having trouble finding effective ways to do spear/shield builds with 3.5. I've got access to just about everything but don't have any books at my fingertips due to a move.

Feats, ACFs, classes, etc. If you can cite the book that would be appreciated.
CharonsHelper
2016-11-20, 02:14 PM
You don't really need any special feats/abilities to make it effective. Just have warriors use shields (either heavy or tower) and have them use small-sized reach weapons. Small sized reach weapons can be used in one hand by a medium creature at a -2 penalty and still give reach.

If you have them use tower shields they can, when maneuvering around the battlefield, only take a single move action and ready actions to give full cover if they're being attacked - especially by AOEs, though the shield would then take the damage.

Possibly you could have them go with Assyrian style tactics, where approx. 50% of the troops are in phalanx (not Greek phalanx - which was heavier armored and by Alexander the Great used much longer spears and smaller shields - which I don't think there are rules for since they would suck outside of their huge formation while D&D is about small #s of combatants) and 50% behind them with bows (a human with point-blank and rapid-shot can throw out quite a bit of damage for a level 1 character (with enough shots they'll kill anything without DR 10+ - use the volley rules for firing at long range over the phalanx troopers).
Darrin
2016-11-20, 02:28 PM
This thread on Formation Expert (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505193-Optimize-This-Feat-15-Formation-Expert-from-Complete-Warrior-p-110) has some ideas, although it's probably more oriented towards theoretical optimization than you need.

If you combine Formation Expert, Phalanx Fighting (Complete Warrior), and Shield Wall together... so long as all your troops have a shield, armor spikes, and either a shortspear or trident, then they all get: +6 AC, +1 on Ref saves, and +2 on attack rolls.