How can Tower shields be abused?

[kigmatzomat]

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.

Being a freestanding object, it can function without the weilder holding it (but it'll be knocked over with a serious impact). For caster's this is wonderful since it can provide 100% cover without limiting the casting of a number of spells. The few that are affected (fireball, lightning bolt) can still be cast with partial cover. Snipers can get 9/10th cover with no limitations on field of view. In quasi-ambush situations, it goes great with reach weapons. Watch as the opponents charge into it and knock themselves down when they slam into it. Use it to funnel attackers in hallways into the opportune locations without obstructing the caster's field of view.

Since the shield is never part of an attack, it doesn't go away without a dispel or after 10min/caster level. Wonderful use of a 2nd level spell.

 

[Berk]

Being a freestanding object, it can function without the weilder holding it (but it'll be knocked over with a serious impact). For caster's this is wonderful since it can provide 100% cover without limiting the casting of a number of spells. The few that are affected (fireball, lightning bolt) can still be cast with partial cover. Snipers can get 9/10th cover with no limitations on field of view. In quasi-ambush situations, it goes great with reach weapons. Watch as the opponents charge into it and knock themselves down when they slam into it. Use it to funnel attackers in hallways into the opportune locations without obstructing the caster's field of view.

Since the shield is never part of an attack, it doesn't go away without a dispel or after 10min/caster level. Wonderful use of a 2nd level spell.

Just is gonna seem wierd to the enemies why the person keeps moving 5' in one direction and then back to the place where he started from.

 

[kipran]

I would make the penalty even harder, when I found out that he's trying to bend the rules to his advantage... make the monster first go for the shield to trash it, and then for the character. Remember that targetet spells are nor affected by the tower shield (p.106 PHB).
This one, I'm not sure there's a rule, but shouldn't there be a rule about if cover is more than 3/4 a character shouldn't be able to make attacks of opportunity.

 

[Hypersmurf]

This one, I'm not sure there's a rule, but shouldn't there be a rule about if cover is more than 3/4 a character shouldn't be able to make attacks of opportunity.

It is a rule, and it's half cover or more.

-Hyp.

 

[Berk]

Remember that targetet spells are nor affected by the tower shield (p.106 PHB).

Targeted spells sure but don't cast that lightning bolt or fireball or meteor swarm from behind the tower shield.

 

[Oracular Vision]

A giant is attacking your party, you run adjacent to him, then hoist your tower shield to provide 100% cover. He can't hit you, but will probaly shred the tower shield. You get to make your attacks next round undamaged, though you don't have a shield anymore.

OR

Your entire party walks around with tower shields up in front of them, or even worse, in front and back, using the Roman Tortoise formation, at all times. They can give themselves 9/10 cover from most surprise attacks.

Carrying a 45-pound shield around with you all day did not happen, they were siege and major battle weapons, brought up on horsecarts and deployed before the battle only.

Anyone who thinks they aren't broken should be made to don plate armor, carry bows and weapons, and a 45-pount hunk of plywood around. I don't think they would have the same opinion afterward...

 

[frankthedm]

I don't mind the tower shields since IMG I treat them as unatteded objects for suffering attacks[ they are too bulky to quickly move aside and the shield may soak up a bit of dragonbreath but it IS going to suffer for you], they are really easy for a fighter to chop through or troll to rend through, heck i might allow someone to attack through it with enough damage. treatingthe shield as concealment and paying 5 points of damage off your attack for the hardness.

Notes: In my game a +1 won't keep mundane items from hurting equipment so YMMV.

 

[Oracular Vision]

Tower shields becoming normal shields

From Skip Williams Sage chat over the weekend:

Q: My character is hiding behind a +1 tower shield in one hand and a +2 tower shield in the other (also plate mail). I've read the FAQ and know how tower shields work. But if tower shields provide cover, not armor, what kind of bonuses are the +1 and +2? When do they apply, and do they stack?

A: Well, an enhancement bonus to a tower shield won't do a thing. I suppose you could give the shield some sort of other magical property that made the cover bonus bigger, but that's getting beyond what can be handled in a chat. It's worth noting that tower shields as cover are going away when the revision comes out in July, they'll just be bigger shields.

 

[niteshade6]

"Being a freestanding object, it can function without the weilder holding it"

Actualy no it cannot. Nothing in the rules say it's freestanding, and if you look at the picture, it is quite clear that it is not a free standing object, and has no base whatsoever. If a wizard wants to use a tower shield, he will have to take a 50% arcane spell failure penalty. He can't just set it on the ground.

 

[frankthedm]

"Being a freestanding object, it can function without the weilder holding it"

Actualy no it cannot. Nothing in the rules say it's freestanding, and if you look at the picture, it is quite clear that it is not a free standing object, and has no base whatsoever. If a wizard wants to use a tower shield, he will have to take a 50% arcane spell failure penalty. He can't just set it on the ground.

He is likely thinking of the mantlet [sp] they were moreor less wood or iron walls on rollers. here is a resin example from www.discounthobby.com