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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 4037705" data-attributes="member: 2067">Actually, my 4e grappler should be using better rules with the first core books than my 3.5 grappler was using with the core books.I mean, that's why the edition is changing after all, right? Because the rules weren't very good?Anyway, it looks like 3.5 didn't officially have a human shield rule of any sort. I may be remembering from 3.0, but a quick check of d20srd.com shows that (1) there are no special rules for attacking into a grapple form outside, and (2) soft cover is not automatically struck if the attack roll fails by 4 or less. Though there is something similar to a human shield, with a pinned character getting a -4 to AC against other attackers, soft cover granting a +4 AC to the one covered. I seem to remember rules for accidentally hitting creatures in a grapple, and for striking cover (including soft cover), but these could be just constant house rules I've used. Still, let's see if I can't do better than all the 4e designers combined and make a new rule for a human shield:Grappling and Soft CoverWhen you have an opponent pinned, you can use them as soft cover, gaining a +4 bonus to AC. The target is still considered pinned, and thus has a -4 penalty to AC itself, and is still grappled, meaning it does not get it's Dexterity bonus or any Dodge bonuses to AC. If the attack misses you, but hits the (lowered) AC of the pinned creature, it damages the pinned creature instead. If it misses both of you, it misses entirely. If it hits your (improved) AC, it damages you, regardless of if it would hit the AC of the other creature.Note that this really just combines the Soft Cover rules with the rules for Pinning and introduces a way to strike cover (that I could've sworn was already in the PHB, but eh). If I was feeling especially punchy, I might even make that a feat, though I guess I don't really need to. And that's using 3e's less-than-smooth grapple rules. Then, my Bugbear Strangler might have this special ability to boot!Human ShieldBugbear stranglers are especially adept at using others in a grapple to take blows for them, due to focused training. When they have an opponent pinned, any attack that misses the Strangler automatically hits the pinned creature, even if it would normally miss them both. The Bugbear Strangler moves the pinned creature deliberately into the path of the oncoming attack. If the attack hits the Bugbear Strangler, it deals damage to the creature normally, and does not damage the creature that the Strangler has pinned.But I guess instead of doing what makes sense, in 4e, I'll have to be a Bugbear Strangler if I want to use someone as a human shield, or I'll have to shell out for the next PHB with the New and Improved Grapple Rules.</blockquote>

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