Help on a shield character

[ThoughtBubble]

While reading some of these 3.5 topics, I've run across the statement that characters using a sword and shield are better off than 2handers or dual-wielders. That got me thinking about the fact that no one I know has ever made someone who uses a shield by choice, and I've never gotten to see one played. The one person in any of my games who uses a shield is a cleric of the local sungod, who happened to be on the recieving end of a shield that has a sun motif.

The poor shield needs some loving! So I'd like to try to make a good shield wielding character. If anyone knows any good tricks, items, spells, or concepts, I'd love to hear them. I'm especially curious about the thing that I've heard with shields working with TWF.

It'll probablly be a 4D6, drop low method, at least one 8 and 1 17, or a 32 point buy (whenever the DM decides).

And if nothing else, this could be a memorable NPC.

Thanks for the time and thought.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Pal3/FtrX... or better yet, Rgr1/Pal3/FtrX.

Feats:
Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting (hence the Ranger level )
Power Attack
Improved Shield Bash
Shield Charge
Shield Expert
Divine Shield
Divine Might

Max out your Charisma and get a Shield of Bashing - d8 damage light off-hand weapon.

Shield Expert lets you retain the Shield bonus to AC in the same round that you attack.
Divine Might lets you add your Cha bonus to damage on all your attacks.
Divine Shield applies your Cha bonus to your shield as an enhancement bonus to both AC and Attack/Damage.
Shield Charge doubles the damage you do on a shield bash while charging.

-Hyp.

 

[ThoughtBubble]

Wow! Now that's a combination! What books would those be in? I think I smell Defenders of the Faith in there in the Paladin-charisma-based Feats.

Thanks for the help

 

[Hypersmurf]

PHB:
Ambidexterity
Two-Weapon Fighting
Power Attack

S&F:
Shield Expert

DotF:
Shield Charge
Improved Shield Bash
Divine Shield
Divine Might

-Hyp.

 

[Kark001]

2 weapon fighting, 2 - handed weapons are for the offensive fighters.
If you want a tank type of fighter, a shield is the way to go.
A Large Shield+5 and Expertise can add a smashing 12 ac. There are times you just will need that.
You can either now go Smurfs way and use Shield Feats or just take Quickdraw to change your weapon arrangement fast.

BTW: Hello all ).

 

[Hypersmurf]

There are a couple of threads going on at the moment about Defending weapons.

The Sage declared at one point that a +1 Defending weapon with a +5 GMW can only transfer 1 point of enhancement to AC, leaving the weapon +4 to attack and damage.

One of the opinions in the discussion threads at present is that an enhancement bonus is an enhancement bonus, and that the full +5 from GMW should be available to be transferred to AC.

If your DM is of this opinion, then it's worth getting your shield made as a +1 Defending weapon (as well as being a +1 Bashing shield).

That way, when you use your Divine Shield feat to give the shield a +7 enhancement bonus to both AC and offence (taking 24 Charisma as an example), you can transfer the +7 offensive enhancement to AC via the Defending property, for a total of +16 to AC from the one shield.

-Hyp.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

If your DM allows 3.5 feats, you can also consider getting Two Weapon Defense for an extra +1 AC when dual wielding your sword and shield.

 

[reapersaurus]

Since the good advice in this thread thus far has been about how to powergame a shield character, I'll add the following:

The 2nd & 3rd levels of Paladin are (almost) a waste.
Replace them (or all 3 levels) with levels of cleric. This grants the two domain abilities (Charm domain is a must to grant +4 to CHA, and Family or Nobility domains are good choices for high CHA character).
The 3rd level of Cleric really makes the build much stronger, since with 2nd level spells (and more healing), the buffs make you a much better combatant.

Also, if you can, replace the Shield Expert with Shield Specialization from Kalamar Player's Guide (grants +1 to AC also).
If you're there in Kalamar anyway, the Channel Positive Energy feat is quite helpful (Waxing Beauty, etc).

Hyp - you didn't mention the Command armor enhancement from DotF.... +4 to CHA, unnamed bonus.

 

[reapersaurus]

Wow! Now that's a combination! What books would those be in? I think I smell Defenders of the Faith in there in the Paladin-charisma-based Feats.

It's a very common assumption that they are for Paladins, but actually fighters and clerics have arguably more ability to acquire the many feats that are required to create a character based on this strategy, if yopu want it for less than 12th level.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The 2nd & 3rd levels of Paladin are (almost) a waste.
Replace them (or all 3 levels) with levels of cleric.

Yeah... the reason for Pal3 is for Turn Undead with no loss of BAB. The Charm Domain gives an Enhancement bonus, doesn't it? So it's not going to stack with your Cloak of Charisma later.

And since you're maxing Cha, at least one level of Paladin lets you get the Divine Grace bonus.

Hyp - you didn't mention the Command armor enhancement from DotF.... +4 to CHA, unnamed bonus.

Competence bonus, actually, and I assumed it was implicit in the phrase "Max out your Cha"

-Hyp.