Help with s/b build pls

[jaradaj]

I have a dilemma i'm hoping to get some help with. My experience with d&d 3.5 is very limited and i've been strong armed into a sword and board fighter roll. I'm trying to create a build that can hold it's own given the large limitations presented and i thought i'd need some help with it.

List of acceptable sources;
-phb
-phb2
-expanded psionics
-complete adventurer
-complete arcane
-complete champion
-complete mage
-complete scoundrel
-complete psionic
-complete warrior
-pathfinder core rule book
-pathfinder advanced players guild

Ask first sources;
-heroes of battle
-heroes of horror
-dragon magazine
-races of destiny
-races of stone
-races of wild
-frostburn
-sandstorm
-stormwrach
-miniatures handbook
-defenders of the faith
-masters of the wild
-song and silence
-sword and fist

Everything else is banned

Home brewed feats;
SHIELD PUSH [GENERAL]

You can push opponents back by bashing them with your shield.
Prerequisites: Power Attack, Shield Proficiency.
Benefit: Any shield bash you make with a small or large shield also affects your opponent as if you had performed a bull rush, making an opposed strength check with size modifiers as normal. You don't actually move into your opponent's square or incur attacks of opportunity for the bash. You also can't move your opponent back more than 5 feet, nor can you move along with the defender. An opponent moved by this attack does not suffer attacks of opportunity from the movement. You can't use this feat with a buckler. If you have the Improved Bull Rush Feat, you gain a +4 bonus to the opposed Strength Check.
Special: A fighter may select Shield Push as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Credit: Originally appeared in Defenders of the Faith (© Wizards of the Coast, 2000) as Improved Shield Bash™ and also in the Miniatures Handbook(© Wizards of the Coast, 2003) as Pushback™ with slightly altered effects.

SHIELD CHARGE [GENERAL]

You are adept at knocking your opponents over if you use your shield as a weapon when charging.
Prerequisites: Improved Shield Bash, base attack bonus +3.
Benefit: If you hit an opponent with your shield as part of a charge action, in addition to dealing damage normally, you may make a trip attack without provoking an attack of opportunity. If you lose, the defender does not get to try to trip you in return. In addition, a shield charge using both hands gains the normal 1.5X strength bonus to the damage caused by the shield. If the shield as a secondary attack in an off hand, it still gains the normal strength bonus to damage (rather than 1/2 the strength bonus normally gained by an off hand attack).
Special: A fighter may select Shield Charge as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Credit: Reworked from the original Feat found in the Complete Warrior (© Wizards of the Coast, 2003) for clarification.

Here's what i was planning on making;
lvl 1 -improved shield bash
-improved trip
-combat expertise
lvl2 -knock down (changing this shield specialization)
lvl3 -shield charge
lvl4 -power attack
lvl5----------------------------------------
lvl6 -improved bull rush
-shock trooper (perhaps elusive attack, if so move everything down one from here)
lvl7----------------------------------------
lvl8 -shield slam
lvl9 -shield sling
lvl10-combat reflexes
lvl11-shield ward
lvl12-leap attack (maybe counterattack, if so move everything down one from here)
-active shield defense
lvl13-------------------------------------
lvl14-dodge (gaining mobility from armor enchant)
lvl15-elusive target
lvl16-curling wave strike (maybe over powering attack)
lvl17------------------------------------
lvl18-sidestep
lvl19------------------------------------
lvl20-powerful charge


My dm is allowing the shield to be used as a 2handed weapon so i can gain the 1.5xstr increase of damage. I plan on having a sheath added to the shield for a 1h weapon to be drawn as a free action if need be. If so, i might switch to agile shield fighter feat and trade it in somewhere. Maybe get hold the line. Can i do a charge attack as my full round single attack action using over powering attack for the double damage, then gain the bonus to AC from elusive attack and still use counter attack? I mean do those 3 attacks stack?

My idea for combat was to charge in, stunning and auto tripping the enemy i hit. Now i dont' know what i can do to make this better aside from picking up a better weapon, which i can not. I bout walked away when i found out that i had to play this character since it's not what i wanted, but i refuse to quit without a fight.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

If you MUST be a character who holds a weapon in one hand and a shield in the other, expected to hit things and the like...

...And Tome of Battle is not one of your options....

I'd suggest you look into:

Duskblade (PHB2)-
Handbook

Psychic Warrior(XPH)-
Handbook #1
Handbook #2

Swift Hunter (Ranger/Scout)-
Handbook

If you're heart is set on the shield build you have above, I believe you can accomplish most of it with the Psychic Warrior class, while still having versatility to do other things.

Reason being, each of these builds are effective at "Hitting Stuff", AND are also interesting for doing other things so one does not get bored. You're never going to shatter reality, but you can still have fun and look good doing it!

 

[Dandu]

You should not play a character you do not wish to play.

Agile Shield Fighter might help you.

 

[jaradaj]

You should not play a character you do not wish to play.

Agile Shield Fighter might help you.

Yea, that's what i was thinking.

As for agile shield fighter, i could use it but i won't get the 2h 1.5xstr for attacking with my shield. I'm guessing i will not be doing many full attacks. Agile shield fighter is nice though, perhaps better than shield sling.

 

[Dandu]

Yeah, the lack of full attacks isn't that great. TWF isn't for melee brutes, it's for people who want to sneak attack.

Have you considered taking levels of Thug Fighter who trades feats for Sneak Attack to grant yourself Sneak Attack? You could also then take the Craven feat (Champions of Ruid) for additional sneak attack damage.

I think I would suggest you go with Psychic Warrior for this one. It's a fun class to play, even if you have to put up with the suboptimal fighting style your DM is inflicting on you.

Take Zen Archery and pick up a dragonbone bow. Learn the Strength of My Enemy power and snipe your opponents from afar before engaging in melee.

Stat priorities: Str, Wis, Con, Dex, Int, Cha

Example of Feats:
1: Shield Bash
1: Shield Specialisation
1: Agile Shield Fighter
2: Zen Archery
3: Combat Expertise
5: Improved Trip
6: Power Attack
8: Knock Down

Powers:
Expansion a big one.

Of course, you could always walk out as I consider being forced to play a class by the DM rather uncool.

 

[jaradaj]

Maybe i can jump into it, you see i'm already at lvl 3 of the build above. Maybe i'll get to fighter 4 then jump into psychic warrior till 20. However as things are i don't know if he'll let me without a fight, hence me trying to beat him at his own game. I want to show him i can still be effective with the rotten apples i've been given;

Combat as i see it;

Charge attack nearest enemy-> Shield charge=tripped enemy, shield slam= stunned enemy, overwhelming attack for double damage at 1.5xstr for being 2h, extra AC from eluding attack, and using counter attack if attacked after my turn (attack with improved trip)

Next turn i'll either bull rush using shock trooper to trip more foes if i can maneuver correctly, fighting defensively without penalties due to active shield defense, further increasing my AC while i'm in the thick of things.

If i find myself able to charge again (full round single attack) i'll use the combo first mentioned of overwhelming attack, eluding attack, counter attack.

Do you know if agile shield fighter reduces the penalties for using a, exotic weapon i'm not skilled at? Say, normally if i use a 1h sword whip (for range) exotic weapon without the ewp i would suffer a -4 for using it. Would agile shield fighter reduce it to a -2?

 

[Dandu]

It only replaces the penalty for fighting with two weapons.

Don't try jumping into Psychic Warrior spontaneously. 3.5e handles this sort of thing very poorly. You will suck if you do not have a high wisdom score for bonus powerpoints.

 

[TheEvil]

If you don't mind me asking, what reason was given for you playing a s/b?
It seems an odd thing to force on someone and knowing the reason makes it easier to meet the intent while giving the player (you) more flexibility.

 

[jaradaj]

If you don't mind me asking, what reason was given for you playing a s/b?
It seems an odd thing to force on someone and knowing the reason makes it easier to meet the intent while giving the player (you) more flexibility.

In all honesty I'm not exactly sure, but i know at one point i pissed him off by asking too many questions and now i'm stuck where i'm at. This is my first d&d game so i don't know the differences, but the more i'm reading (to learn the game) the more i realize the position i'm in. I'm too stubborn to give up.

I know i'm not going to be doing awesome damage, the party has people setup to do that already. A 2h paladin, a scout, warmage, a non healing cleric, and a monk who might be quiting cause he isn't having much fun. If i end up the same i'll follow suit.

So the basic idea for me is to have high AC and just trip/stun/harass the enemy. I can't think of anything else to do with this build and i suppose it's contingent on the magic items i can get.

 

[Dandu]

It doesn't sound like you're having fun *now*.

Does your DM know that you and the monk are not enjoying yourselves?