Pulling away a shield

[Tharkon]

I'd still use Disarm. It isn't limited to weapons.

I'd give the defender a bonus, similar to what a Locking Gauntlet gives, since the shield isn't simply held in the hand, but is instead both held in the hand and strapped to the arm.

So counting the -4 for the item not being a melee weapon, and the +10 for the Locking Gauntlet effect, I'd say shields can be disarmed at -6.

That sound about right to you?

The maneuver is not ment to actually remove the shield from it's arm but rather to pull the shield, including the arm away from the user. The fact it's strapped to the arm actually makes it worse for the shield user. If the user was using a neckstrap it gets even more annoying.

That would mean the shield user could just readjust his grip and spend his move action to 'fix' the shield on his turn. Then stab you with his sword that you aren't paying enough attention to.

You shouldn't be looking at your opponent's weapons anyway.

I dispute the claim that axes are 'well-suited' to grabbing shields, just because of their shape. They are meant to be swing in an arc, not pushed in/out.

I speak out of real-life combat experience in these situations, although not real combat. I know that it does not transition into D&D easily in many ways, but I was thinking of a way to implement such a maneuver. In real life you would also have to consider the possibility of the axe hitting the arm if it happens to be near the top edge of the shield. And a shield could be used to protect the person behind you. Things that are hard to implement in D&D.

In line with real life progress in the axe used as a weapon I am considering making a new weapon, called the bearded axe. It's a battleaxe but with a x2 critical modifier instead of x3 and with a +2 bonus on disarm attempts when pulling away a shield.

Although perhaps in D&D there isn't really a need for pulling away shields since all they do is give +2 AC.

 

[Dandu]

And special abilities.

 

[Hassassin]

Normal disarm without bonuses or penalties except the normal ones for size and two-handed weapon. Success takes away the shield bonus for a round, critical success actually disarms the shield. Simple enough.

 

[Tharkon]

Normal disarm without bonuses or penalties except the normal ones for size and two-handed weapon. Success takes away the shield bonus for a round, critical success actually disarms the shield. Simple enough.

That sounds like it could be useful, but I didn't really consider in the fact that a shield only gives +2 AC, when I came up with the idea. Perhaps this is because combatants are assumed to be using maneuvers like this in normal combat, not sure.

Thanks everyone for their inputs.

 

[frankthedm]

Aid Another

In melee combat, you can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a standard action. You make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains either a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent or a +2 bonus to AC against that opponent’s next attack (your choice), as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.

You can also use this standard action to help a friend in other ways, such as when he is affected by a spell, or to assist another character’s skill check.

See also: Aid Another during a skill check.

 

[Rhun]

That sounds like it could be useful, but I didn't really consider in the fact that a shield only gives +2 AC, when I came up with the idea. Perhaps this is because combatants are assumed to be using maneuvers like this in normal combat, not sure.

While a heavy shield only gives +2 to AC by itself, with the use of feats and magic enhancements to the shield, this can increase quite a bit.

 

[the Jester]

Okay, was the shield bearer using his shield as a melee weapon this round? If so, then he's better able to resist the Disarm attempt.

Unnecessary complication alert!

Yeah, if you're pulling it out of the way, I like "aid another" as the answer, vs. if you're actually attempting to disarm the shield.

 

[Tharkon]

Aid Another

In melee combat, you can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a standard action. You make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains either a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent or a +2 bonus to AC against that opponent’s next attack (your choice), as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.

You can also use this standard action to help a friend in other ways, such as when he is affected by a spell, or to assist another character’s skill check.

See also: Aid Another during a skill check.

This sounds like the best option indeed, except for the halberd variant, but the halberd variant might require a feat anyway to pull-off. Maybe one of those tactical feats that give multiple different effects.
For an axe fighter aiding a spearfighter aid another matches as it negates the shield bonus and the axefighter can't take advantage of it anyway since his axes is pulling the shield. Disarm attempts would have the same result but get more complicated than it should be, with attacks of opportunity and stuff, and the shield not actually being disarmed.

 

[Greenfield]

Unnecessary complication alert!

Yeah, if you're pulling it out of the way, I like "aid another" as the answer, vs. if you're actually attempting to disarm the shield.

According to the SRD:

Shield Bash Attacks: You can bash an opponent with a heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right

So the "unnecessary complication" is already in play in this exact situation. You already have to keep track of how the shield was used, making this neither unnecessary, nor complicated.