Sword and Board Gish

[Yogibear41]

Working on a potential character and I am trying to put together a sword and board gish using a Paladin/Warlock combo and a homebrew prestige class that actually makes that combo work.

My problem:

I want to sword and board, but also be able to use invocations while holding my sword and shield. I would rather not spend a feat to fix this problem if I can help it. I do NOT want to use a buckler.

Thoughts:

A shield gauntlet would allow me to use that hand for somatic components, but it has a 35% ASF rate. 25% if its Mithral. (I know there are other ways to reduce it but I don't think its possible to completely reduce it to 0%.)

A heavy shield has a base ASF of 15% (5% with mirthral, easy to get to 0% with other abilities added on) but I am unable to use that hand for somatic components.

Somatic Weaponry is a feat that lets you use the hand that is hold a weapon to perform somatic components for spells (would probably work for invocations) but I would prefer not to have to spend a feat.

Looking for other ideas/suggestions.

[Yael]

Working on a potential character and I am trying to put together a sword and board gish using a Paladin/Warlock combo and a homebrew prestige class that actually makes that combo work.

My problem:

I want to sword and board, but also be able to use invocations while holding my sword and shield. I would rather not spend a feat to fix this problem if I can help it. I do NOT want to use a buckler.

Thoughts:

A shield gauntlet would allow me to use that hand for somatic components, but it has a 35% ASF rate. 25% if its Mithral. (I know there are other ways to reduce it but I don't think its possible to completely reduce it to 0%.)

A heavy shield has a base ASF of 15% (5% with mirthral, easy to get to 0% with other abilities added on) but I am unable to use that hand for somatic components.

Somatic Weaponry is a feat that lets you use the hand that is hold a weapon to perform somatic components for spells (would probably work for invocations) but I would prefer not to have to spend a feat.

Looking for other ideas/suggestions.

If you're using Dragon Magazine, there's an armor property that allows to reduce ASF by 5 or 10%, iirc.

Also, maybe Shielded Casting could be useful? (Races of Stone)

[MisterKaws]

There's a ranger spell for that, I think in Complete Warrior. You can put it on a wand chamber inside your sword and UMD it(and you're a warlock, no excuses there).

[pabelfly]

The Spellsword PrC will reduce your ASF.

[Zaq]

Are you worried about the ASF or about the “must have a hand free” bit? Because I think those are separate problems that both must be addressed.

[Psyren]

A shield gauntlet would allow me to use that hand for somatic components, but it has a 35% ASF rate. 25% if its Mithral. (I know there are other ways to reduce it but I don't think its possible to completely reduce it to 0%.)

A heavy shield has a base ASF of 15% (5% with mirthral, easy to get to 0% with other abilities added on) but I am unable to use that hand for somatic components.

Somatic Weaponry is a feat that lets you use the hand that is hold a weapon to perform somatic components for spells (would probably work for invocations) but I would prefer not to have to spend a feat.

Looking for other ideas/suggestions.

The obvious answer to the hand issue is an animated shield, then your hand is free to do whatever with. You still have to deal with the ASF problem but that's where the mithral and other tricks come in.

Your other option is using a light shield or a buckler instead of a heavy shield. I believe there is a 3.5 FAQ that says those two shields don't occupy your hand, just your forearm, letting you hold objects. You can't wield a weapon in that hand but you can temporarily swap your weapon to it as a free action when you need to invoke, and then swap it back once you're done (for AoOs and such.) Heavy and Tower shields don't work for this.

[Yogibear41]

To Clarify:

1. I want my ASF to be 0%.

2. I want to use a heavy shield (or something similar such as a shield gauntlet)

3. I want to be able to cast with a shield in my off hand, and a sword in my main hand.

4. I do not want to use an animated shield.

[Psyren]

To Clarify:

1. I want my ASF to be 0%.

2. I want to use a heavy shield (or something similar such as a shield gauntlet)

3. I want to be able to cast with a shield in my off hand, and a sword in my main hand.

4. I do not want to use an animated shield.

If you add to these your earlier stipulation that you don't want Somatic Weaponry, then I'd say that your requirements are incompatible with somatic components.

(I was going to suggest Weapon Cords but requirement 3 seems to block those too.)

[MisterKaws]

To Clarify:

1. I want my ASF to be 0%.

2. I want to use a heavy shield (or something similar such as a shield gauntlet)

3. I want to be able to cast with a shield in my off hand, and a sword in my main hand.

4. I do not want to use an animated shield.

Yeah, take that ranger spell thingy, just put it in a wand inside your sword and you're golden. Can someone find the actual spell?

[Psyren]

Yeah, take that ranger spell thingy, just put it in a wand inside your sword and you're golden. Can someone find the actual spell?

I checked my copies of Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, Complete Champion and Spell Compendium, and I can't find the ranger spell you're referring to, but I might just be overlooking it. I assume it lets you perform somatic components with both your hands occupied?

[MisterKaws]

I checked my copies of Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, Complete Champion and Spell Compendium, and I can't find the ranger spell you're referring to, but I might just be overlooking it. I assume it lets you perform somatic components with both your hands occupied?

I remember it was a spell that let you use a sword to cast spells, had a verbal component only. Kinda very similar to Somatic Weaponry but in spell version.

Might even be Somatic Weaponry itself and I'm going crazy. Let me check my spell lists.

EDIT: Yeah I'm probably going crazy.

So... okay, just take somatic weaponry, a couple levels in spellsword, use a smaller shield, an animated shield, one of them magic shield that appear and disappear ad-hoc, or any other way of doing it that's in-game already.

Or just grow a new pair of arms. There's Girallon's Blessing, Arms of Plenty, and that one spell I always forget the name for those. Also the Spare Hand belt? I think it's called that.

If you have a tail, Prehensile Tail also works, but that's a feat, so meh.

You could also get some tentacles and shove on a pair of Gloves of Man, which converts all your non-foot limb terminations into hands. You can get real weird with natural attacks using those.

Or use an Opposable Shield. That's a weapon enhancement, but I'm pretty sure you can make parallel upgrades to a shield as both a weapon and a piece of armor.

[Bartmanhomer]

Working on a potential character and I am trying to put together a sword and board gish using a Paladin/Warlock combo and a homebrew prestige class that actually makes that combo work.

My problem:

I want to sword and board, but also be able to use invocations while holding my sword and shield. I would rather not spend a feat to fix this problem if I can help it. I do NOT want to use a buckler.

Thoughts:

A shield gauntlet would allow me to use that hand for somatic components, but it has a 35% ASF rate. 25% if its Mithral. (I know there are other ways to reduce it but I don't think it's possible to completely reduce it to 0%.)

A heavy shield has a base ASF of 15% (5% with mirthral, easy to get to 0% with other abilities added on) but I am unable to use that hand for somatic components.

Somatic Weaponry is a feat that lets you use the hand that holds a weapon to perform somatic components for spells (would probably work for invocations) but I would prefer not to have to spend a feat.

Looking for other ideas/suggestions.

I don't know if a Paladin/Warlock will work due to alignment restriction. But hey anything is possible in D&D 3.5.

[MisterKaws]

I don't know if a Paladin/Warlock will work due to alignment restriction. But hey anything is possible in D&D 3.5.

Warlock can shift alignments afterwards, plus Pally of Freedom, plus homebrew as already mentioned.

[Bartmanhomer]

Warlock can shift alignments afterwards, plus Pally of Freedom, plus homebrew as already mentioned.

And what about Paladins? They can't shift their alignment at all. :sigh:

[Elkad]

Ring of Force Shield (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rings.htm#forceShield).

No ASF, and can activate/deactivate as a free action. So you only turn it off when you cast, and turn it back on as soon as the cast is complete.
Wouldn't cover you while you are actually casting (AoO, Mageslayer, readied action, etc)

[MisterKaws]

And what about Paladins? They can't shift their alignment at all. :sigh:

The warlock side changes to LG, obviously.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

The obvious solution is more than two arms. I'd go with Diopsid (Dragon Compendium), because they've got just +1 LA and no RHD. The reason that's so low is that their two extra arms are too weak for wielding weapons or shields on their own... but nothing is said about somatic components. Another advantage is that you only need one of the secondary arms for gesturing, so the other can let you wield a two-handed weapon in your main hand. That gives you one two-handed weapon, one shield of your choice, and a hand free.

[Thurbane]

Has anyone mentioned the Shieldbearer spell yet (SC p.188)?

Functions similarly to the Animated enhancement. Only lasts 1 round/level though, and I'm not sure if it's legal for persist or similar?

I know OP mentioned he didn't want Animated, just putting another option out there...