D&D 5E (2014) How would you make a character who uses a shield like Captain America?

[Afrodyte]

Now that I think about it, the boomerang isn't listed as a weapon, and the stats for such a weapon would probably be ideal for a throwing-shield kind of fighting style.

 

[hejtmane]

While on the Shield coming back on a throw you could make a modify magic shield similar to this item so a magic shield with a return property just pointing out that the concept is in the DM Guide for magic items so making a shield with magic return is an option. Me as a DM would provide you with a magic shield eventually to embrace the concept not that powerful but I would have something. (Myself as a DM I am currently doing my own custom magic items using the DMG current items as guide lines for myself; the big difference I have removed all +tohit because of bounded accuracy)

DwARVEN THROWER
Weapon (warhammer), very rare (requires attunement by a dwarf)
You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made
with this magic weapon. It has the thrown property with
a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
When you hit with a ranged attack using this weapon,
it deals an extra ld8 damage or, if the target is a giant,
2d8 damage. Immediately after the attack, the weapon
flies back to your hand.

 

[Skyscraper]

I would build a class around it altogether.

Give him the shield from the outset. The class is entirely based on that for combat.

A few ideas for class design:

- Base the class on the fighter class.
- replace fighter manoeuvers with shield manoeuvers.
- replace feats with more shield manoeuvers.
- class is limited to medium armor
- shield is magical, a +2 shield (total +4 AC); PC also has advantage REFLEX SAVES against attacks that the PC can see
- shield has a thrown/returning property
- shield does 1d8 damage thrown or melee
- if the PC does not attack with the shield on a turn, he gets an additional +2 to AC and reflex saves until his next turn
- As a reaction, PC can use shield to give adjancent creature +4 AC/ADV on REFLEX SAVES as a reaction
- as the PC levels up, he can develop additional powers, through feat-equivalent of manoeuver-equivalent powers. E.g. knock target creature prone with shield, ricochet shot that bounces off first target then attacks a second, etc...

 

[GreenTengu]

Okay, so I love the whole Marvel cinematic universe, and the Cap movies are among my favorites, but it's always bugged the heck out of me...

How do you hit someone harder--or at all--with a metal that absorbs impact?!?!

Ahem. Sorry.

All shields, and all armor for that matter, absorbs impact. What that means is that when something hits it, the force of that blow doesn't transfer over to the other side. But if it is moving, it is still a metal object that makes impact itself-- that impact just won't be felt by someone on the other side.

I think the problem wouldn't be the impact part, but the bouncing part. Why does it bounce instead of dropping to the floor after hitting something?

 

[ChrisCarlson]

Warlock with a shield, the Shield spell and Eldritch Blast...

 

[Mercule]

I don't see why you'd punish a player or make her wait a ton of levels to earn the core ability of Captain America.

I wouldn't -- if I was running Champions. In D&D, there's a genre mismatch. If you want to make it work, great, but the rules aren't really geared towards it.

Let's say you give the paladin the 1d8 damage, ricochet, and returning ability. Let's even say, because it's not really any better than a longbow, you don't require an additional feat or magic item. How is the player going to feel when that one bad guy is in an odd position, without ammo and a chasm between him and the party -- but he has a shield. No feats, no magic item; he just throws it and bounces it twice, critting the wizard. Less severely, do you tell another player "no", when he's in a position where throwing his shield would be helpful? If so, what's the rationale?

I'd go with, at minimum, a feat or a magic item. Probably the magic item. Feel free to hand it to the PC at the start of the game -- the offset is that he either abandons his concept or he knows he's never getting an upgrade. Maybe the item grants proficiency upon attunement (which the PC would have at the start, but no one else could pick it up and do the cool stuff). I wouldn't feel too bad about him not being able to upgrade because the "bounded accuracy" math assumes no magic items.

As far as the ricochet goes, I wouldn't give him that at the beginning. What makes sense, to me, is that each bounce is an attack, whether or not it's against a creature. So, when he gets to 5th level, he could "attack" a side wall to bounce the shield at the wizard in the back line. If he went Fighter, instead of Paladin, that gives him some impressively complex sneak shots. Wall shots automatically bounce correctly, but bounces from creatures require a successful attack roll (if you want to be nicer, just fail the bounce on a natural 1).

If you wanted to get really fancy with the shield, I'd require the magic item as a base then each new trick is a feat. You might get more than one trick per feat, depending on what it is. Cap's break-fall by landing on the shield isn't potent enough to be worth a feat on its own, but might work paired with proficiency in Dexterity saves while holding the shield.

 

[jgsugden]

Don't overthink it.

If the concept fits in the campaign, apply the least cumbersome whitewash on it and move forward.

If it were me, I'd just say that you treat the character like the shield is simultaneously a shield and spear at the same time. He uses it like a spear (d6 damage, 20/60 range, versatile (d8) for melee) and he has to have his other hand free to use it this way (d8 damage is fine when used in melee).

When you give him an enchanted shield (if you do), treat it as either one or two magic items. Either a defensive item, or an offensive weapon, or both - but only if you count it like two magic items the PCs found.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

Cap's original shield in most continuities is just steel. It's also not round, it's shaped like some bit of American symbolism. The shield the eagle holds in it's claws in some picture somewhere?

http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Captain_America's_Shield

Check the part near the bottom, Other Shields used by Captain America.

I'd say Cap's ability to throw stuff and have it return to him is purely skill, and honestly I'd be tempted to make a feat based purely around chucking objects at people and catching them to represent that. Something like...

Stuff Chucker (name is WIP)
-When you throw an object, it bounces off of objects and enemies to return to your hand(s). This causes no additional damage beyond what existing mechanics would allow.
-You add your Proficiency bonus to any attack made by throwing an object, including improvised weapons.
-Anything you throw as weapon attack against a target deals a minimum of 1d6+STR damage.

That's probably full of holes, but whatever.

 

[Afrodyte]

Don't overthink it.

If the concept fits in the campaign, apply the least cumbersome whitewash on it and move forward.

If it were me, I'd just say that you treat the character like the shield is simultaneously a shield and spear at the same time. He uses it like a spear (d6 damage, 20/60 range, versatile (d8) for melee) and he has to have his other hand free to use it this way (d8 damage is fine when used in melee).

When you give him an enchanted shield (if you do), treat it as either one or two magic items. Either a defensive item, or an offensive weapon, or both - but only if you count it like two magic items the PCs found.

Thinking back on it, I'd probably make it a fighting style that allows you to do more with a shield. This way, you don't have to use feats if you don't want to allow them (especially if it's only one player asking for this).

"You can wield a shield as a melee weapon that does 1d6 bludgeoning or slashing damage (depending on the make of the shield) and has the Thrown property (range 10/40)."

Granted, this is wordier than the other fighting styles, so there might be some revision necessary.

 

[Mercule]

I'd say Cap's ability to throw stuff and have it return to him is purely skill

It very much is, which is why it's a bit misplaced in D&D (hear me out).

The super-soldier serum pretty much (explicitly, IIRC) put Cap at the absolute peek of human physiology. It's literally impossible for a human body to function better than Cap's does. Technically, he's not super-human; maybe ultra-human would be a better term. That includes his mind, too, but he uses it like a quarterback or general rather than as Stark or Banner would -- it's all in hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and natural tactics.

That all comes together for how he uses his shield. It may look like a big Frisbee, but it's still pretty heavy. Without his strength, Cap wouldn't be able to throw it. Without his dexterity, he couldn't effectively aim it. He needs both, as well as his hardiness, to catch and stop it. Without his mind, he couldn't predict five bounces out during the time it takes him to throw it. Even using the shield effectively requires his ultra-human abilities to get the angles right so that he can choose to absorb the shock or ricochet an attack away.

What Cap does isn't just an iconic idiosyncrasy. Every move is actually a testimony to his ultra-human abilities. And that's why I say it doesn't really fit in a D&D game.

Sure, druids can control the weather, but they don't use the wind to fly like Storm. Warlocks have an unlimited eldritch blast, but they don't shoot it from their eyes like Cyclops. Fighters get a lot of stat points as they advance, but they aren't going to have all 20s like Cap.