Animated Shields

[mvincent]

How were you using reach weapons that was so flatulently abusive of the rules?

With combat reflexes and an enlarge spell, characters were dominating a 50' wide area (pretty much the entirety of most battlefields) with AoO's, effectively preventing people from casting, using ranged weapons or even reaching us... all at 1st level.

Then tripping started getting out of hand (allowing 3rd lvl. characters to easily take down 12th level fighters), and don't even get me started on spiked chains. Even our monks started holding reach weapons for the free AoO's... it didn't matter if they were proficient or not because they weren't using their hands for anything else anyways (and the 2-h bonus to disarming more than made up for the non-proficiency penalty).

 

[Kmart Kommando]

Totally illegal by the rules you mean. How will you get the ac bonus when the shield returns when it does?

Not if they're attacking you in melee.

Oh, and you have Improved Shield Bash.

I never said it was totally legal, but the image conjured is vastly amusing.

 

[Dracorat]

... all at 1st level.

First level characters can usually dominate. They can also die fast, but that's beside the point. Once they get a few levels up, it turns around quite a bit.

Also, that character you described... can't hit or AoO anything within ten feet of him, even those standing right next to him.

 

[CrimsonWineGlass]

I allow the "floaty shields" in my games actually. A two handed fighter with a greatsword can pay an extra 8000 gold to get the same defense as a sword/board fighter. A sword/board fighter can pay 2000 for a flaming, icy or shocking weapon and be doing the same damage as the two handed fighter with the greatsword.

 

[mvincent]

First level characters can usually dominate. They can also die fast, but that's beside the point. Once they get a few levels up, it turns around quite a bit.

Incorrect. This was still being done (effectively) well into 10th level, and in more than one campaign.

Also, that character you described... can't hit or AoO anything within ten feet of him, even those standing right next to him.

Incorrect. Armor spikes, improved unarmed strike and/or spiked chain.

 

[Dracorat]

Incorrect. This was still being done (effectively) well into 10th level, and in more than one campaign.

Then your DM needs some training RE: Reach weapons.

Incorrect. Armor spikes

In order to use them as an on-hand weapon you have to drop the reach weapon. If you use them as an offhand weapon you have to take your main attacks at the dual weild penalties.

improved unarmed strike

You can only take free actions on your turn, which would be required to drop the reach weapon so your fists were free.

spiked chain.

An exotic weapon, requiring an additional feat to pick it up. And it's reach is perhaps its best feature. Aside from that, it has only average damage for its weapon type and it has the poorest crit range.

Overall, I still fail to see any issue.

 

[mvincent]

Then your DM needs some training RE: Reach weapons.

I think you do actually.

In order to use them as an on-hand weapon you have to drop the reach weapon. If you use them as an offhand weapon you have to take your main attacks at the dual weild penalties.

Nope.

You can only take free actions on your turn, which would be required to drop the reach weapon so your fists were free.

You do not need free fists to use armor spikes or improved unarmed strikes.

An exotic weapon, requiring an additional feat to pick it up. And it's reach is perhaps its best feature. Aside from that, it has only average damage for its weapon type and it has the poorest crit range.

I don't believe you have any idea what the spiked chain can do. I could point you to (very) long threads on the issue, but I have no desire to discuss it here.

 

[Grog]

If you pay as much for that piece of metal as a king does for a castle, then yeah, you take no penalties.

What do you mean? At 9,000 gp, a +1 animated large steel shield is the cheapest 3 points of AC a 2-hander can get beyond their armor.

As for the poll, I take option 3 - ban them. Animated shields are broken - they completely destroy the balance between 2-handers and sword-and-board fighters.

 

[Dracorat]

I think you do actually.

Not at all, but since you have no desire to discuss the issue, I have no desire to force feed it to you. However, you would not get away with half of what you describe in my campaigns and that's per the rules.

 

[Hypersmurf]

You can only take free actions on your turn, which would be required to drop the reach weapon so your fists were free.

Unarmed Attacks: Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon...

Where do you find a limitation on unarmed strikes to being fists only?

-Hyp.