Great weapon fighter is a "trap"? Forked Thread: I don't optimize.

[Goumindong]

But that doesn't actually make for a huge shift in damage, it just means a little extra. Because you can wear Bracers of Mighty Striking with a shield - it just can't be a magical shield.

Not unless you have a third arm you cannot for the same reason you cannot dual wield and use a shield at the same time either.

Hmm that's another thing to consider: The rogue should be flanking with me, so that limits Tide of Iron because if I push the foe away, he's not flanking anymore. The encounter power that lets an adjacent ally shift 2 squares can be helpful, though, because if he's not flanking he can use it to flank.

I guess I need to just sit down and think of what appeals to me more, and just roll with that.

As a shield fighter, in a situation like this here will be your optimal course of action, where E is an enemy, R is the rogue, F is you, and C/W is your cleric/wizard, and A is your archery ranger

...
EEE
.F.
.E.
.R.
.W.
.C.
.A.

The wizard and cleric will be wanting to make sure every combat is as much like the above corridor as possible using nasty zones that are hard to move through. The cleric is going to be buffing you for defenses if possible. The wizard is going to be keeping the enemy from getting around the rogue and you when its not proper(in fact, he can thunderwave enemies out from beside you on either side, and/or knock the enemy back into flanking without hitting anyone)

Your job, as the fighter is to keep as many enemies in front of you as possible with one enemy behind you to be flanked by the rogue. Everyone beats on the enemy flanked(except maybe you, who might want to ready actions to mess around with their front line and prevent attacks and the wizard who might want to ready thunderwave to punish people who think they can escape) and then you isolate another enemy.

 

[Nifft]

But that doesn't actually make for a huge shift in damage, it just means a little extra. Because you can wear Bracers of Mighty Striking with a shield - it just can't be a magical shield.

True, but magical shields are competitive for that slot: Bashing, Deflection and Defiance all leap out as more desirable, and Guardian is kinda hot too, if you like to gamble.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Goumindong]

True, but magical shields are competitive for that slot: Bashing, Deflection and Defiance all leap out as more desirable, and Guardian is kinda hot too, if you like to gamble.

Cheers, -- N

Not true. While it works by the slot rules, it does not work by the "can my character wear these things rules".

For the same reason that you cannot dual wield and wield a two handed weapon at the same time or dual wield and use a shield or wield a two handed weapon and use a shield at the same time despite the "item slots" working just fine under those interpretations.

 

[MwaO]

Not unless you have a third arm you cannot for the same reason you cannot dual wield and use a shield at the same time either.

If you're using a shield, you can't use that hand to make attacks. But a non-magical shield does not take up your arm slot and wearing the bracers simply gives a property. It doesn't make attacks. Not to mention, they specifically state that you can wear bracers and carry a shield at the same time.

You can benefit from only one magic item that you wear in your arms slot even if, practically speaking, you can wear bracers and carry a shield at the same time.

 

[Zelc]

Not true. While it works by the slot rules, it does not work by the "can my character wear these things rules".

For the same reason that you cannot dual wield and wield a two handed weapon at the same time or dual wield and use a shield or wield a two handed weapon and use a shield at the same time despite the "item slots" working just fine under those interpretations.

I think what he meant was there are magic shields that may be better than magic bracers, and while you can carry a shield and wear magic bracers, you can't carry a magic shield and wear magic bracers.

 

[Goumindong]

If you're using a shield, you can't use that hand to make attacks. But a non-magical shield does not take up your arm slot and wearing the bracers simply gives a property. It doesn't make attacks. Not to mention, they specifically state that you can wear bracers and carry a shield at the same time.

There are two options

1. The fluff example in the DMG is erroneous
2. You cannot wear bracers and benefit from the AC and Reflex bonus that a shield grants, nor benefit from any power that requires you to be wielding a shield since the fluff example in the DMG explicitly states that you may not benefit from any other item being worn. Any other item strapped into the same slot doesn't function.

Non-magical shields do not take up a magic item slot yes. Non-magical shields do however, take up the space on your arm that the bracer goes. And wearing the shield means you cannot strap the shield on, the bracer gets in the way.

Its the same reason you cannot wear magical or non-magical cloth under plate mail and expect to benefit from boots of striding and springing(even if you are technically "wearing light armor"), or expect to get the enhancement bonus from the cloth and the armor bonus of the plate. (I.E. trade a few points of AC for the enhancements you can put on cloth, but not plate)

 

[Nifft]

I think what he meant was there are magic shields that may be better than magic bracers, and while you can carry a shield and wear magic bracers, you can't carry a magic shield and wear magic bracers.

Yes, this is what I meant.

Thanks, -- N

 

[Danceofmasks]

There are two options

1. The fluff example in the DMG is erroneous
2. You cannot wear bracers and benefit from the AC and Reflex bonus that a shield grants, nor benefit from any power that requires you to be wielding a shield since the fluff example in the DMG explicitly states that you may not benefit from any other item being worn. Any other item strapped into the same slot doesn't function.

Non-magical shields do not take up a magic item slot yes. Non-magical shields do however, take up the space on your arm that the bracer goes. And wearing the shield means you cannot strap the shield on, the bracer gets in the way.

Its the same reason you cannot wear magical or non-magical cloth under plate mail and expect to benefit from boots of striding and springing(even if you are technically "wearing light armor"), or expect to get the enhancement bonus from the cloth and the armor bonus of the plate. (I.E. trade a few points of AC for the enhancements you can put on cloth, but not plate)

Are you seriously saying I can't be wearing 3 nonmagical rings, put on a 4th (magical) ring, and none of them work?

 

[ValhallaGH]

Sorry. Please delete.

 

[Danceofmasks]

No, 4th edition says there are magic item slots.
I can benefit from 2 magic rings, one on each hand.
I have 4 fingers as optional physical places to place each of those rings.

Nonmagical items are irrelevant if they don't physically occupy all the space.