Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 intently Jun 01, 2015 8:13:05	Currently the only ways to get shield proficiency are: Start with it Multiclass into a class that gives it Take Moderately Armored feat As far as I can see, there's no way to gain shield proficiency without getting medium armor proficiency, which also requires light armor proficiency. However, it might be nice to give lightly armored and unarmored characters a way to gain shield proficiency *only* at a lesser cost than a feat.   Here are some ideas for how this might go. Some ideas are better than others, and I'm not suggesting that ALL of these be incorperated. First level "Deflection" spell, duration 1 hour, no concentration, occupies one hand, behaves just like a physical shield except that only the caster can use it and she has automatic proficiency. Up-casting: level 2, 8 hours; level 3+, 24 hours. Weapon Master feat can include shield proficiency as one of the four weapons. Including the +1 Str/Dex, this might actualy get used. Skilled feat can be used to gain shield proficiency as one of the three skills or tools Shield Master feat automatically grants shield proficiency Lightly Armored: forego ability increase to gain shield proficiency with light armor proficiency. Or just include shield proficiency on top of the existing abilities. Allow downtime training as per languages and tools. (iserith) ​Thoughts?
#2 iserith Jun 01, 2015 8:25:34	Train to use a shield as part of the Training downtime activity, if the DM allows for additional training options outside of languages and tools.
#3 Horwath Jun 01, 2015 9:21:56	iserith wrote:
#4 intently Jun 01, 2015 10:55:46	iserith wrote:
#5 iserith Jun 01, 2015 12:01:27	Horwath wrote:
#6 Mad_Jack Jun 01, 2015 12:29:58	I personally vary training times based on what the character is training for - something like a shield that can be trained as part of something else or while doing something else, or that isn't as technically complicated or precise as (say, for instance) learning to use a set of tools, shouldn't take as long.   Since there's likely to be at least one if not more people in the party who are already proficient with a shield, it probably shouldn't require taking time off to specifically do so or require the learner to find a tutor.
#7 intently Jun 01, 2015 13:09:57	Mad_Jack wrote:
#8 Mad_Jack Jun 01, 2015 14:10:18	I might. I'm very much a story-over-mechanics kind of guy. I also judge everything on an individual case-by-case basis any time a question comes up, taking into consideration all the specific facters that apply in that one case.   Combat-related things are a bit more difficult to make a judgement on and require greater consideration simply because they tend to have a greater effect on the game mechanically.   I tend to give more leeway when characters want to learn things A) outside of their classes' areas of expertise or B) when doing so doesn't necessarily impact their main "schtick" greatly or C) There's not much mechanical benefit to doing so or they won't benefit from it very often or it actually impairs them in some minor way - so a wizard wanting to use a shield might have less hoops to go through than a rogue wanting to do so, simply because overall the wizard will find himself using it less often and face greater inconvenience in doing so than the rogue who's spending the majority of his time in melee combat will... If the wizard's found himself in a position where he's actually using the shield to defend himself (remember that it occupies a hand he usually needs for spellcastingsomething's most likely gone horribly wrong.    If the fighter wants to learn a single cantrip because it's in line with his character's personality and motivations, sure. Particularly if it's not something with a combat use, such as Light. If it's the only spell he's ever going to want to cast, chances are it's not going to increase his combat ability in any way, shape or form - the fighter is always going to have better choices for his actions in combat than to pop off a catrip... If he wants to start learning more magic, then he'd have to take a feat or multiclass.   I'd also let a wizard or other spellcaster learn an additional single cantrip, if they're willing to roleplay putting in the time to study and practice it above and beyond the normal amount of time they put into gaining their regular spells.   Cantrips are a bit of a unique situation, though, in that they're magic. For most mundane skills and tools, though, I've always tended to play fast and loose with the narrative requirements (training) and sometimes with the mechanical ones (character resources such as feats or skill points) - in the past editions I've occasionally handed out free skills or feats based on what the characters have been doing during their adventures, i.e., without the characters needing to spend resources on them.
#9 Greenstone.Walker Jun 01, 2015 18:49:00	intently wrote: