How can Tower shields be abused?

[Nail]

I've got a new player that's bringing in a dwarven Ftr/Rog with a tower shield. I suspect some sneaky rules use is about to ensue.....but I've never DMed someone using a tower shield. Any ideas what he's planning? (He's playing innocent.)

For the record, we are strinct core rules, with no non-WotC splatbooks or rule sets. The characters are now 1st level.

The whiff of kobolds is in the air.........

 

[Murrdox]

you can crouch down behind tower shields and be offered cover... that's about the only "abuse" I can think of. It seldom comes into play.

I suppose the dwarf could fully croutch behind the shield and make a "hide" check, being in 100% concealment, and then pop out to make sneak attacks against enemies that were unaware of him (they'd get spot checks with a large circumstance bonus to see him, since they know he's behind the shield)

 

[Darklone]

Tower shields, how I hate them...

You can use them for full cover. Adjusting them is not really explained in the book... so if you make it a free action, you can run through several enemies, turning your shield all the time without suffering AoOs.

I am not really sure but readying a shield per PHB is a ME action... does this apply to setting up a tower shield?

 

[AuraSeer]

I suppose the dwarf could fully croutch behind the shield and make a "hide" check, being in 100% concealment, and then pop out to make sneak attacks against enemies that were unaware of him (they'd get spot checks with a large circumstance bonus to see him, since they know he's behind the shield)

I don't think any reasonable DM would allow a Hide check. The rogue may have full cover, but he has no concealment, since it's obvious that there is someone carrying the shield.

 

[Number47]

The best abuse comes with magic. Animated tower shield. All of the bennies, none of the penalties.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I've got a new player that's bringing in a dwarven Ftr/Rog with a tower shield. I suspect some sneaky rules use is about to ensue.....but I've never DMed someone using a tower shield. Any ideas what he's planning? (He's playing innocent.)

I'm going to preface this by saying that to me a tower shield is a portable wall of heavy plywood with an appropriate brace or shape to stand on it's own.

Now, if he were a mage I'd expect invisibility. (Invisible tower shields are great; 100% cover, 0% concealability) As a rogue I'm thinking he expects to get ranged sneak attacks by popping up unpredictably. However you don't get sneak attacks once you identify the location of the sniper and "hiding behind that door" does it for me.

He could just be planning on using it correctly; snipe from cover and come out blades flashing as needed.

 

[Stalker0]

If your looking for how tower shields work, check the faq, they explain how to use a tower shield with good examples.

The real power of a tower shield is the same as it was in real life, against arrows. Being able to advance upon bowmen with full cover is the real power of the tower shield. However, in melee its not as good. Everything you try to hit in melee has the same cover protection from the shield as you do, which means you both get added defense from the shield. There are times where that can be useful, but not always. The other really nice use of the shield is as a removal of AOO. With half cover against an opponent, neither of you can make AOO against the other, which means disarms with no AOO. However, he has the same advantage.

Also, like the shield spell, it is not hard to move around the shield to hit you with full cover. And remember anytime an enemy has half cover or more, no AOO for movment.

Overall the tower shiled is cool, but its not broken by a long shot.

 

[John Smallberries]

Some good info here:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42264

 

[melkoriii]

Few ways to abuse a Tower Shield is to

1) Shout names and rude gestures at it.
2) Beat it up and leave it laying in the Street
3) Go out Drinking with it and leave it in the INN room the next morring with no way to contact you.


JS

 

[niteshade6]

As long as you properly understand how they work, they are pretty well balanced. Often they end up screwing up the wielder as much as his enemies. Make sure you read the article posted on the rules for them, because otherwise they are quite unclear.

Remember also that any attack that misses because of cover damages the cover. So tower shields will break eventualy unlike other equipment.

I'm not sure how an invisible tower shield would be useful, other then making it harder for your enemy to just move around it and attack from an unshielded side. And even then he could probably figure out where it was.