Tower Shield Rules

[nikolai]

How do Tower Shields work in 3.5e?

Shield, Tower: This massive wooden shield is nearly as tall as you are. In most situations, it provides the indicated shield bonus to your AC. However, you can instead use it as total cover, though you must give up your attacks to do so. The shield does not, however, provide cover against targeted spells; a spellcaster can cast a spell on you by targeting the shield you are holding. You cannot bash with a tower shield, nor can you use your shield hand for anything else.

Total Cover: If you don’t have line of effect to your target he is considered to have total cover from you. You can’t make an attack against a target that has total cover.

This seems to imply they can be used to give immunity to attacks - so long as you don't attack - and to AoOs at will. Or at least until the shield is destroyed (Hardness 5 HP 20, can't be done with piercing weapons). Tower shield were complicated in 3e, but has 3.5e broken them?

 

[CRGreathouse]

This seems to imply they can be used to give immunity to attacks - so long as you don't attack - and to AoOs at will. Or at least until the shield is destroyed (Hardness 5 HP 20, can't be done with piercing weapons). Tower shield were complicated in 3e, but has 3.5e broken them?

Using a tower shield like this is like casting sanctuary, except you're less useful and can have your shield attacked.

Frankly, even after making some tower shield feats to make them more appealing to players, no one's used one yet -- not even for a round.

The -2 attack penalty really hurts.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Of course, after they finally removed the vestiges of facing from 3.5 (all-around cover from shield spell and tower shield, no more long-facings on Large (Long) creatures, etc...

... Skip tried to reintroduce facing for tower shields in the 3.5 FAQ...

-Hyp.