Low Str high Dex Shield Master worthwhile?

[Zaltman]

Low Str characters are obviously less likely to successfully use the shove action, but is the feat still worthwhile just for the save bonus and taking no damage on dex save for ½ effects?

New to 5e and not sure how frequently this will be worth the investment with the low shove chance.

[Ryunosuke]

This all varies on the class you use but there are many ways to improve the partial evasion benefits of this feat.

-Paladin's Charisma bonus to Saving throw aura at lv 6

-Being Proficient in Dex saves even without a high Dex score

-Taking the Resilient feat and selecting Dexterity

-Using a Giant Strength Belt to offset your otherwise low strength score (easy in Adventures League, harder in homebrew)

-Have a bard use Bardic Inspiration on you

-There is a difficult item to get in the Tyranny of Dragon's Hardcover at the end, the Dragon Mask of Tiamat, gives you Legendary Saves which let's you auto pass a save of choice.

[Man_Over_Game]

Low Str characters are obviously less likely to successfully use the shove action, but is the feat still worthwhile just for the save bonus and taking no damage on dex save for ½ effects?

New to 5e and not sure how frequently this will be worth the investment with the low shove chance.

Not really. Rogues and Rangers already get abilities that are comparable, and they usually don't need to improve their Dexterity saves, since they already have a really high natural save. Fighters who use Dexterity can afford to take the halved damage if they succeed on a Dex save. So really, it mostly improves those who need it the most, which are Strength-based characters in melee range.

Additionally, the primary benefit of the feat is that bonus action maneuver, which is incredibly handy for a character who doesn't have much use for their bonus action (like with Barbarians or Fighters).

[Zaltman]

In my 1e trained brain, it is less about the bonus to the dex saves (already good on a high dex character), but potentially taking no damage from things like fireball or lightening bolt.


"If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to
make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half dam -
age, you can use your reaction to take no damage if
you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your
shield between yourself and the source of the effect.

Sounds like I am putting more value on this aspect of the feat than warranted?

[Man_Over_Game]

It has some merit, absolutely, but it requires a reaction, a shield and a feat. Feats in 5e are supposed to be about as powerful as an entire level into a class. However, at the same time that Rogues and Rangers gets their equivalent features, they're also improving their spellcasting/sneak attack bonuses.

Not to mention that most Dex-based saves are strictly damage and often don't have secondary effects on a save (besides halved damage), and being a high-dex character with a shield generally means you're designed to take a hit. This is a bigger deal to a rogue, who has less health, than it is to a Fighter who has Second Wind and a 1d10 Hit Die.

[Mr.Spastic]

I would agree that this feat is made more high str/low dex characters like fighters and barbarians. Their are a few more specific synergies that this has though like Forge Clerics.

[Ali_face]

Mechanically its not unfeasible.

Im currently playing a Half-Elf Rogue (Trickster)/ Fighter (BM) Shield Master with STR 16/ Dex 20 & Elven Accuracy, and shove most things around thanks to Expertise (Athletics)

There are a few ways to get Expertise (Athletics), either by MC'ing as Rogue/ Bard, or with the Prodigy feat if you're a Human/ Half Elf.

The trick to using the Shove feature of Shield Master successfully is to not waste the bonus action on things you know you wont succeed on shoving lol.

But you'd be shocked at how few monsters get athletics and have to rely solely on their raw STR score to oppose you. Even against a STR of 30 (+10), at level 20 your proficiency bonus alone with expertise is (+12).

The biggest challenge are non monster NPCs who have more skills they're trained in.

[NaughtyTiger]

the bonus action on things you know you wont succeed on shoving lol.

not using your bonus action is the waste... if you have nothing else to spend the bonus action on, then shove prone.

[Marywn]

Shieldmaster is great.
But only if you are going into sword and board, There is benfit to taking it even without super high str, though you won't get as much as a benefit as a Str based fighter with a shield.

[Ali_face]

not using your bonus action is the waste... if you have nothing else to spend the bonus action on, then shove prone.

Thats fair, if you have nothing else to do its always worth a shot!