Shield Feat - Balanced?

[Godric]

I know there is already a feat in Complete Warrior called this, but...

SHIELD SLAM[GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Str 15, Power Attack, Improved Shield Bash, Base Attack Bonus +5
Benefit: You may make a free trip attack if you Power Attack with your shield and hit your opponent. The penalty taken on the attack must be -5 or worse.
Special: A fighter may select Shield Slam as one of his fighter bonus feats.

If a heavy shield is actually considered a light weapon, I apologize. Just wanted to make an option for those not-quite-13-int sword and board melee characters out there :smallsmile:

[Falrin]

There is a Homebrew section on the forum for this kind of stuff.

Otherwise : How does this work with Improved trip? Do you get the Bonus? Do you Gain a free attack when the enemy is prone?

Also: You could do one for Bull-Rushing. I've always thought a Fighter Raising his shield and Running down an Enemy was a neat sight. Maybe something like this: When bull Rushing you inflict damage as with a shield bash (& +2 bonus)

Next: I'm all in for extra Shield options. Sword & Board is the litlle brother in Fighting Styles so any improvement is good.

[Fawsto]

I personaly like anything people can do for sword and borders, and I Liked this feat, though... I wouldn't probably use it due to the lack of feats presented to Paladins :smallbiggrin:

Talking about shields, I am to insert a houserule that says the following: When using a Large or bigger Shield, anyone who is proeficient with it is treated as having the Evasion feat. Meaning that, if a Dragon Breaths to the Fighter, if he rolls his reflex save he will use the shield as cover. The same thing would happen if there is a Pillar or Wall that can provide cover adjacent to the character.

What you think? Too hard to the casters? Overpowering the Fighters? Just remember the atrocious reflex save given to warriors in general.

[MrNexx]

Talking about shields, I am to insert a houserule that says the following: When using a Large or bigger Shield, anyone who is proeficient with it is treated as having the Evasion feat. Meaning that, if a Dragon Breaths to the Fighter, if he rolls his reflex save he will use the shield as cover. The same thing would happen if there is a Pillar or Wall that can provide cover adjacent to the character.

I believe there are rules for gaining a bonus to Reflex saves for having cover.

[Godric]

It would just be a normal trip attack sans AOO with the added damage from the shield bash. If you hit, you deal damage and make a strength check to see if you knock the baddie down.

[Fawsto]

A little off in here, but that kind of rule sucks, since it is not quite real, since if you are a fighter and succesfully junps behind a pillar when the fireball explodes you still take half the damage even when it gives you full cover. A little funky isn't it?

[Falrin]

There's a '+2 On reflex saves for cover rule' somewhere.

Keep evasion for the rogues.

Nerfing the caster? Oh my go no!

But the nerfing is the wrong way: Even less fireballs & more Save-or-die/suck/lose

[Fawsto]

hmmm... Still don't think that +2 to reflex due to cover sounds good... C'mon... Rogues have a good reflex save and improved Evasion latter. Which bad would cause a Fighter/Paladin/Melee that depends on Armors to get Evasion only when wielding shields? They still have got some poor Reflex saves. This would help them to get more independence, since they would fight longer if they totaly escape once in a time from a Dragon's Breath.

Clarify something here, do Shield Bonus apply against touch attacks?

[Godric]

Not many characters use sword and board. If someone is going to be doing much less damage while using a shield, I don't see a problem with granted +2 to reflex saves while wearing a shield. It'll help a lot in the lower levels but over time become ... not-so-significant.

[KillianHawkeye]

Varying Degrees of Cover
In some cases, cover may provide a greater bonus to AC and Reflex saves. In such situations the normal cover bonuses to AC and Reflex saves can be doubled (to +8 and +4, respectively). A creature with this improved cover effectively gains improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save bonus applies. Furthermore, improved cover provides a +10 bonus on Hide checks.


I think this pretty much sums it up. The PHB notes that this level of cover could, for example, be gained by standing just around a corner or behind an arrow slit.