Shell Fighter
Through years of practice and a few good beatings, you’ve learned to make a strong defense your offense.
Pre-req: Fighter, Str 13 or Dex 13
Benefit: When weilding two shields and one of them is a light shield, you gain AC benefits from both.
Is it possible to attack with a shield as a weapon? If not, then what benefit does this give over just going total defence each round (aside from magic item powers)? It *could* work, provided they have some way to attack well (i.e. allow the player to attack with a weapon held in the light shield hand).
The only potential problem I can see other than that, is giving the character an extra magic item slot, which may become overpowered in the long run, though most of the shields seem power rather than property based, so it will be a case of more options rather than necessarily more combat strength. Looking through the compendium, there are a few misc bonuses and minor at will powers though, so be careful.
Yes, I realise shields are worn, rather than held, but the rules on shields state that a hand using a light shield cannot be used to make attacks, and a hand holding a heavy shield cannot hold anything else, so as written, the character has no way to attack.
Did you use to watch Unforgotten Realms by any chance? ("DUAL WIELD SHIELD!")
Is it possible to attack with a shield as a weapon? If not, then what benefit does this give over just going total defence each round (aside from magic item powers)? It *could* work, provided they have some way to attack well (i.e. allow the player to attack with a weapon held in the light shield hand).
The only potential problem I can see other than that, is giving the character an extra magic item slot, which may become overpowered in the long run, though most of the shields seem power rather than property based, so it will be a case of more options rather than necessarily more combat strength. Looking through the compendium, there are a few misc bonuses and minor at will powers though, so be careful.
Yes, I realise shields are worn, rather than held, but the rules on shields state that a hand using a light shield cannot be used to make attacks, and a hand holding a heavy shield cannot hold anything else, so as written, the character has no way to attack.
There is a Lvl 1 magic for the shields called Fighting Shield. Basically, your shield is bladed and becomes a Heavy Blade property with +3 prof and d6 damage. To start, I'd pick that up for the heavy blade.
Then, there is superior Spiked Shield that gains light blade property with a +2 prof and d6 damage. At that poing, there's my weapons. Add a lvl 6 magic for shield called Throwing Shield. Basically, it turns your shield into Captain America's shield gaining 5/10 range, heavy thrown property, d6 damage and +3 prof. I'd put that on the light shield in the off hand.
After that, I'd be finished. This is mainly for role playing purposes. I know this is completely asinine, but my character was only given a shield growing up to learn to fight with. So, now that's all he uses.
Shell Fighter
Through years of practice and a few good beatings, you’ve learned to make a strong defense your offense.
Pre-req: Fighter, Str 13 or Dex 13
Benefit: When you wield two shields, you gain shield benefits from both. When one shield is a light shield, you suffer only half the penalty for using a heavy shield. You take a -1 to speed when using two heavy shields.
I still have the same plan for the shields as before, but this seems to be a bit more balanced.
On the related note, have you seen the Snapping Testudo?
In 3.5, I once ran a Dwarven Ranger dual-wielding shield-axes. Er... axe-shields? Anyhow, some dwarven thing or other.