Sundering a Shield? Opposed Attack Roll?

[Artoomis]

I agree - I think the main reason The Sage ruled sundering bows as attacking an object is as described above - with a bow you're probably trying to get the bow out of the way of the attack as opposed to using it to block the attack like melee weapons would probably do. I don't think that this means you shouldn't still use the rules for magic weapons being sundered once the attack hits.

IceBear

Precisely.

There is a reason the FAQ does not represent official rule changes, and this is one of them. Official rule changes tend to be pretty well though out, while the FAQ is sometimes off the cuff. Worse, the FAQ is sometimes just plain wrong!

 

[IceBear]

Well, hopefully, they won't just be putting in the FAQ responses into the Revised Edition without examining them first like I suspect

IceBear

 

[dkilgo]

There is no ambiguity in the text for this argument. I would have to rule on the grounds that one such person is quite possibly a consumate rules lawyer that can not see past the text to even wipe his own behind.

 

[Zaruthustran]

I agree - I think the main reason The Sage ruled sundering bows as attacking an object is as described above - with a bow you're probably trying to get the bow out of the way of the attack as opposed to using it to block the attack like melee weapons would probably do. I don't think that this means you shouldn't still use the rules for magic weapons being sundered once the attack hits.

IceBear

If I had a magic bow (a magic weapon, which can only be sundered by weapons with equal or greater enhancement) I'd sure as hell be using it to block normal attacks. It's better than a shield!

-z

 

[IceBear]

If I had a magic bow (a magic weapon, which can only be sundered by weapons with equal or greater enhancement) I'd sure as hell be using it to block normal attacks. It's better than a shield!

-z

No it's not - unless you're using parrying rules. It doesn't grant you AC bonuses, and if you're busy using it to block you're not using it to attack.

When we say that melee weapons are used to block, we're extrapolating that from what's going on when you make a melee attack - poking and prodding the opponent's defenses.

IceBear

 

[dkilgo]

You still can sunder a shield.

 

[kreynolds]

Hey folks. I finally got a reply from CS about this, and I found it kinda funny cause they took the same standpoint that someone else on this thread did. I then replied back to them and questioned their answer, and they replied back again. I totally forgot I had sent it too. Anyways, here's the reply...

Do you get the benefits of the sunder feat when striking a shield? The Sunder feat only mentions weapons, yet the Strike a Weapon section in the PH also includes shields.

Shields can be used as weapons(shield bash), so why not?

<my reply back to his answer>But bucklers and tower shields can't, so does Sunder still apply?<my reply back to his answer>

OK, so you don't allow Sunder to be used on those 2 types of shields.


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[melkoriii]

By the rules, to sunder a Tower Shield you need to use a Large weapon.

Tho I would allow any Bashing or Slashing weapon to sunder any shield. I would just apply a penality to the damage based on size difference.

Useing a Hand axe to hack away at a Tower Shield is just as posible as useing a Great axe. Just will take longer.

 

[kreynolds]

By the rules, to sunder a Tower Shield you need to use a Large weapon.

That's news to me. What rule is that?

 

[Unseelie]

Strike A Weapon

You can use a melee attack with a slashing weapon to strike a weapon or shield that your opponent is holding. The attacking weapon must be no more than one size category smaller than the weapon attacked. (Treat a buckler as Small, a small shield as Medium-sized, a large shield as Large, and a tower shield as Huge.)...

PHB, page 136

Ergo, you need a large weapon to attack a tower shield.

All the Sunder feat does is get rid of the AoO that would normally be generated.