Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sajek 03-05-07, 04:47 PM	I find it kind of unrealistic that bashing is impossible with a tower shield. A very popular (and successful) tactic by Roman soldiers involved whacking your opponent with your shield then nailing him while he was prone. If the Romans could do it, why conceivably couldn't a high level fighter?
Mastel 03-05-07, 04:54 PM	Roman was using large shield not tower
Tharivol_Nailo 03-05-07, 04:58 PM	I thought they used tower shieds in a phalynx.
Leress 03-05-07, 05:01 PM	1. yes it is stupid 2. make a house rule that you can use a shield bash at a die higher than a large shield's shield bash.
Watchman 03-05-07, 05:09 PM	The Scutum isn't a "tower" shield. It is merely a "large" shield. "Tower shields" would be the kinds of big body-shield pavises certain types of defensive infantry tended to use - normally, spearmen whose main job was to form a hopefully unbreakable barrier in front of squishy missile troops (archers or crossbowmen) who took care of the offense. These sorts of shields really were almost as tall as a man, and fully intented to be rested on the ground (written accounts speak of men "leaning on their shields" in this context). The scutum is but about a meter high and somewhat less wide, and meant for aggressively attacking infantry - the main striking force of Roman armies for most of their history. It doesn't really differ too much from the immense variety of shields of roughly similar dimensions used the world over, although it was of noticeably heavy if strong construction. I thought they used tower shieds in a phalynx.That's a no, regardless of whether you mean the Classical Greek hoplite phalanx - a shieldwall of spearmen - or the Macedonian pike phalanx. The former used a round shield called aspis, about a meter in diameter; Large Shield by D&D criteria. The latter had a small pelte buckler (otherwise mainly used by light infantry and cavalry) strapped to the lower arm near the elbow and partially suspended by a thong around the shoulder, as they needed both hands to wield their huge sarissa pikes.
Mastel 03-05-07, 05:10 PM	tower shiel is 6 feet high, i guess you can use it as improvised weapon at best.
Lecen_of_Mitran 03-05-07, 05:16 PM	Roman was using large shield not tower Sorry. They used a short sword (gladius), a pilum, and a tower shield.
Watchman 03-05-07, 05:23 PM	And what pray tell makes the circa meter x little less scutum any more of a "tower shield" than the meter-diameter aspis of the Greek hoplites, the meter x little less Celtic thureos, the similarly proportioned Medieval kite shield and gazillion other general-purpose large shields ? Especially compared to the tall-as-a-man sparas and pavises infantry sometimes used ?
Bhaal006 03-05-07, 06:33 PM	I made a fighter feat that allowed players to bash with a tower shield, it does damage as a spiked heavy shield, also i always let players use it as improvised weapons, but i think the feat balances it out nicely, it also removed the -2 penalty for using a tower shield.
Sajek 03-05-07, 08:56 PM	Now that I really look at it (just Google roman soldier), I can't really decide. It's too big for a large shield and too small for a tower. Watchman, are you a history major or something?
Watchman 03-05-07, 10:21 PM	Nah, hobbyist. I read up on ancient warfare for fun.
Rulebook 03-06-07, 03:35 AM	if it needs to be said... Tower Shield Bash is in Complete Warrior...
Kursk 03-06-07, 10:48 AM	if it needs to be said... Tower Shield Bash is in Complete Warrior... Broadside of a Barn Bash is in the Complete Absurd...
Bhaal006 03-06-07, 11:37 AM	What page, because its not under feats
Rulebook 03-06-07, 08:34 PM	holy cow, i cant belive i misremembered something 3rd party (which has a similar name) to the complete warrior!