Tower Shield Proficiency

[DonTadow]

I need two clarifications.

1st,. It is my understanding that the tower shield profiency negates the skill check penalities but does not negate the attack penalities. The wording in the description is a little ackward as it states
"You can use a tower sheid and suffer only the standard penalties, " but does not define what standard penalties are.

2 is there an improved tower shield penalty in any WOTC book that negates the attack penalty. I've seen versions online but I do not use non-published material in my campaign.


3. If there is not one, should i just make one up as a feat or is that making the tower shield broken?

 

[Jack Simth]

1) It negates the more widespread skill check penalties from the Tower Shield's Armor Check Penalty:

Armor Check Penalty: Any armor heavier than leather hurts a character’s ability to use some skills. An armor check penalty number is the penalty that applies to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble checks by a character wearing a certain kind of armor. Double the normal armor check penalty is applied to Swim checks. A character’s encumbrance (the amount of gear carried, including armor) may also apply an armor check penalty.

Shields: If a character is wearing armor and using a shield, both armor check penalties apply.

Nonproficient with Armor Worn: A character who wears armor and/or uses a shield with which he or she is not proficient takes the armor’s (and/or shield’s) armor check penalty on attack rolls and on all Strength-based and Dexterity-based ability and skill checks. The penalty for nonproficiency with armor stacks with the penalty for nonproficiency with shields.

- so a critter not proficient with Tower Shields would take the ACP to Ride (as it's dex based), and to attack rolls, while a character who is proficient would not take the ACP to Ride or attack rolls (although both would take the penalty to Swim, Hide, et cetera)

The -2 to attack rolls is special for the tower shield, and is unaffected by proficiency.

2) No idea - I'm not too terribly widely read on WOTC books - they have a lot of them.... and they cost money....

3) Oh... a feat that gets rid of a -2 penalty to attacks under some circumstances? The Two-Weapon Fighting feat removes more penalty than that, and is a base feat - not particularly unbalanced to include one that does so for Tower Shields if you already have Tower Shield proficiency.

 

[ARandomGod]

3) Oh... a feat that gets rid of a -2 penalty to attacks under some circumstances? The Two-Weapon Fighting feat removes more penalty than that, and is a base feat - not particularly unbalanced to include one that does so for Tower Shields if you already have Tower Shield proficiency.

True, sounds like a perfectly balanced feat. I don't know of one currently written however.

Note, of course, that in general you'll be doing a LOT better taking a level of fighter to get the proficiency rather than spending a feat on it... I'm sure there is some circumstance somewhere that it's not better to take the level of fighter, but I find it hard to imagine.