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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 739009" data-attributes="member: 4937">I don't really see the Roman Legionaires shield as a tower shield, since it really wasn't a full body shield - more of a knee to shoulder sort of thing instead of head to toe.   Of course, size of the shield may have varied with period, but Polybius gives its height at 4 feet.   This isn't as short as you think, since the height of the average man was probably just over 5 feet, but it is still clearly not a full body shield.When I think of tower shields I first think of Greek Bronze age 'hour glass' type shields.   This was a real head-to-toe shield.   Users of these shields often had two!  One that they would carry, and another strapped to thier back.  Homer mentions someone running away and his heels beating against his shield.  That is the sort of setup Homer had in mind.I think it would be rather broken to not give tower shields some penalty.   There primary function is to block missile file, which they do quite well, but they generally weren't widely used by melee combatants.Don't think of the shield as hindering your attacks.  Think of it as letting you fight defensively with much greater effectiveness.But I agree that it shouldn't provide a cover bonus, only an equivalent bonus to AC and a bonus to reflex saves vs. area of effect spells.    Immunity to AoO is simply too much, and too hard to arbitrate since it realistically would require us to keep track of facing - something that 3rd edition in theory doesn't do.</blockquote>

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