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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mr. Gnome" data-source="post: 738600" data-attributes="member: 10554">Allrighty, then.  I was talking with one of the people I game with about this prestige class, and he had a few concerns with it.  Basically he felt that the Shield Charge ability was overpowered for the level you get it at, and that the Supreme Shield Mastery was too overpowered, especially with the high AC you can get with the class.  That and he said I should clarify the improved damage thing to scale with size (which is what I intended, but should have stated explicitly).Personally, I don't think the shield charge is too powerful.  Although I could just raise it in level to be on the safe side.  As for supreme shield mastery, this is the ability that people seem to have the most problems with in general (I posted it on a different messageboard previously), so I don't really have too much of a problem getting rid of it.  Unless of course, I could find a modified version that is balanced.And as for the damage thing...yes, I thought about it.  Yes, I knew I should have posted it.  But I was being lazy.So, anyway, here's a potential revised Shield Fighter class:Shield MasterMost see the shield as an good defensive tool.  Some see it as a decent offensive tool, complementing the wielder's main weapon.  But to the Shield Master, the shield *is* the main weapon--a weapon capable of inflicting great damage while simultaneously protecting the wielder from harm.Shield Masters are most often fighters, who have the easiest time acquiring the large number of feats necessary to enter the class, but other classes can gain much from the class as well.  Barbarians and Rangers can have much to gain from the art of defensive offense, using the shield to bolster their already good combat prowess.  Rogues and Bards may find the defensive and offensive powers this class provides a useful way to increase their combat abilities.  Druids occasionally become Shield Masters, although they are limited to using wooden shields.  Monks rarely become shield masters due to the fact that using armor of any kind (including shields) tends to negate most of their abilities.  Sorcerer and Wizard Shield Masters are rare, since becoming a Shield Master means devoting a good deal of time and effort--time and effort that most would prefer to use to increase their arcane powers.  The most powerful Shield Masters, however, tend to be those Paladins and Clerics who learn to channel divine energy through their shields, turning their shields into most formidable weapons indeed. Hit Die: d10Requirements:To qualify to become a Shield Master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:Base Attack Bonus: +5Feats: Shield Proficiency,Martial Weapon Proficiency (shield),Weapon Focus (large shield or small shield),Power Attack,Improved Shield Bash (from Defenders of the Faith),Shield Charge (from Defenders of the Faith),Shield Expert (from Sword & Fist),Special: The Shield Master must own a masterwork large or small shield.Class Skills:The Shield Master's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis)Skill points at each level: 2 + Int modifierTable: The Shield MasterLvl..BAB...Fort..Ref...Will..Special1st..+1....+2....+0....+0....Improved Weapon Damage, Improved Bull Rush2nd..+2....+3....+0....+0....Off-hand Expert3rd..+3....+3....+1....+1....Superior Weapon Focus4th..+4....+4....+1....+1....Greater Shield Defense +15th..+5....+4....+1....+1....Superior Weapon Specialization6th..+6....+5....+2....+2....Great Shield Parry, Off-hand Master7th..+7....+5....+2....+2....Shield Knock-Down8th..+8....+6....+2....+2....Greater Shield Defense +29th..+9....+6....+3....+3....10th.+10...+7....+3....+3....Supreme Shield ChargeClass Features:Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Shield Master is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all armor and with shields.Improved Weapon Damage: The Shield Master deals more damage with the shield, doing 1d8 damage with a large shield or 1d6 damage with a small shield.  A small character deals 1d6 damage with a large shield or 1d4 damage with a small shield.  For creatures larger than medium or smaller than small, use the standard weapon damage scaling rules (in the DMG or on table 5-1 in Savage Species).Improved Bull Rush: The Shield Master gains the Improved Bull Rush feat.Off-hand Expert: The Shield Master may fight with a shield and another weapon as if he had the feats Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisite dexterity score.Superior Weapon Focus: Stacking on top of any existing Weapon Focus bonus, this ability grants a Shield Master an additional +1 to attack rolls with a shield.Greater Shield Defense: The Shield Master's armor bonus gained from wielding his shield increases by +1 at 4th level, and by another +1 at 8th level.Superior Weapon Specialization: The Shield Master gains a +2 damage bonus with shields.  This bonus stacks with the Weapon Specialization feat.Great Shield Parry: If the Shield Master chooses to fight defensively or use all-out defense in melee combat, he gains an additional +1 armor bonus to her AC for each class level of Shield Master he has advanced. This is an extraordinary ability.Shield Knock-Down: The Shield Master gains the Knock-Down feat (from Sword & Fist) when attacking with a shield, even if he doesn't possess Improved Trip or the prerequisite strength bonus.  Also, if he fails his trip attempt, the Shield Master may not be tripped in response.Off-hand Master: The Shield Master gains the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat as long as he is fighting with his shield.Supreme Shield Charge: The Shield Master deals triple damage on a charge attack when attacking with his shield, as opposed to double. The one problem I have with this version is that while I think the 10th level ability is good, it doesn't have that "wow" factor that I'd like to see in a 10th level ability.Oh, yeah, and one other thing.  Do you think it would be too powerful if I switched the greater shield defense bonus to granting a +1 bonus at levels 3, 6, and 9?  Or do you think it's fine as is?Oh, and perivas, there are two reasons why the class doesn't have the two shield ability.  The main one is that when I asked my DM last week if I could wield two shields (more to see what he'd say than to actually do it), his reply was something along the lines of "Yes, but I would apply ridiculous penalties to such a ridiculous concept."  So in other words, there's no way I'd get that approved in my group.The other reason is balance.  Let's say your character is level...oh...12.  Assuming your group gets equipment at the roughly the same rate as suggested on table 2-24 in the DMG, you'd have 88,000 gp to spend.  You could easily purchase 2 +5 large shields (25,000 each) and a +5 fullplate (25,000 gp), and still have money to spare to buy miscelaneous other stuff.  So you'd get a +7 armor bonus per shield, and a +8 armor bonus from the full plate.  So at level 12, you'd have an armor bonus of 32, and that's without a dex modifier, haste, deflection bonus, expertise, or any other wacky stuff.  Plus you'd be able to attack with both shields too.  Even if you restricted to a large shield and a small shield, that would only bring the AC down by 1.  So in short, there'd be balance problems.  Not impossible to overcome, but it's not something I really want to bother with at this time.</blockquote>

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