how does a tower shield work?

[niteshade6]

Regaring using a tower shield to hold off a dragon for a round,

If the dragon was smart, he'd just 5' step around the tower shield and attack from an unshielded side. It's really easy to get around those things unless your part of a shield wall or something.

 

[AuraSeer]

I think mseds99 was using the shield to hide from the breath weapon. When granting full cover, it fully protects against area effects. At 9/10 cover, it effectively grants Improved Evasion, in addition to the +4 Reflex save bonus.

 

[LokiDR]

I think mseds99 was using the shield to hide from the breath weapon. When granting full cover, it fully protects against area effects. At 9/10 cover, it effectively grants Improved Evasion, in addition to the +4 Reflex save bonus.

Where do you get the improved evasion part from?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Where do you get the improved evasion part from?

If I had to make a guess, I'd say from the PHB section on Cover, where it says "For nine-tenths cover, you also effectively have improved evasion".

-Hyp.

 

[AuraSeer]

It doesn't actually say "Improved Evasion"-- at least the SRD doesn't. But if you check the Cover table, you'll see an asterisk next to the 9/10 line. The note says: "Half damage if save is failed; no damage if successful."

That's the same thing as Improved Evasion, no?

 

[LokiDR]

Ok, I was just missing the specifics of cover. Thanks.

 

[Mahali]

My question about tower shields is what about enchanted shields? What is the effective AC from a +1 tower shield?

Does it increase the cover bonus? Provide a deflection bonus? Or provide an enhanced armor bonus (shield)?

Bizzarly enough it provides a +1 Enhancement bonus to AC. I don't get it either but that's what the Sage says.

 

[niteshade6]

I suppose a tower shield might protect you from a line breath weapon, but a cone would just flow around the shield. It might still give you some cover, but certainly not 9/10.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

I suppose a tower shield might protect you from a line breath weapon, but a cone would just flow around the shield. It might still give you some cover, but certainly not 9/10.

That depends on weather or not you consider a breath weapon to be an Emenation...

My Dwarven Cleric does this very tactic. Keeps him safe in a fight, and prevents most AoOs when it's time to heal in combat.

My two coppers would be,

3/4's for bows, providing the shield had support.

9/10's for a crossbow.

For crossbows, at least light ones, are small weapons, and can be used one handed just fine. The penalty comes from using two at once. Even barring this, I would think that you could steady it on the edge of the shield and take no penalty.

Loading and firing each round might be a problem, but you could always say you are using a foot stirrup.

Good point on the moving around the shield. I'd also add that cover might be relative to the field. If your surrounded, your taking cover vs the opponent of your choice. The rest fall some where in between. Like the Dodge feat.

As far as the AC bonus for +1 and more, I never would have thought that. The bonus HP would be nice, make it a +1 for the incresed shelf life, then stack on Fortification and Invulnerability! I could see maybe giving you an additional cover bonus. A +1 shield gives you 3/4 when you only take 1/2, making you better in a fight by not taking the same penalties that you give. Not saying that it's balanced, just an idea that is more in line with how it already works.

If it's supposed to give you an AC bonus as normal, Full-Plate + Tower Shield just got scarier than it already was.

 

[0-hr]

If you strike at an enemy and miss you do damage to the cover instead.

Well, if you miss due to cover, then there is a chance that you strike the cover. You still need to hit the AC of the covering object blah blah blah...

I have house rules for that so don't know off the top of my head what the by-the-book rules would be for actually hitting a wielded tower shield compared to the guy behind the shield.