Shield Bash

Shield Bash

Type of Feat: General
Use: Selected (mode)
Special: All characters receive this feat for free.

Specifics: You can bash an opponent with a shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. Used this way, a shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a shield as a one-handed weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus until your next action. However, a character with the Improved Shield Bash feat can bash with a shield while retaining its shield bonus to Armor Class. Shield size impacts how hard it is to use as an off hand weapon as well as determining the amount of damage it does if it hits. Larger shields tend to be more difficult to bash with but do notably more damage. Shields can have critical hits when used as an off-hand weapon.

The additional attack penalty while Shield Bashing mode is on is: 0 Light, 2 Heavy, 2 Tower. This excludes the default 'to hit' attack penalty for having a tower shield equipped, which adds another 2 to the penalty. The Agile Shield Fighter and Two-Weapon Fighting feats can each negate up 2 from the penalty.

The base damage for every shield type is d3 Light, d4 Heavy, d6 Tower plus the strength modifier of the bashing character. Shield Bash benefits from all the Shield Weapon Focus/Specialization feats as well as Epic Prowess. When Shield Bashing is on, the shield AC on the shield acts as an EB on a weapon - it will increase both AB and damage for the attacks. Bonus Damage on the shield adds damage to the bash attacks. If enabled, Power Attack and Improved Power Attack add extra damage at the appropriate penalty. The shield cannot be made a Keen weapon by spell. No spell or magical effects (e.g. Flame Weapon, Divine Might, etc.) add further damage to a shield bash attack. A shield bash executed during a charge counts as a free charge attack and gains all of the bonuses from Charging including a damage bonus from Powerful Charge.

Shield Bash can get up to 3 attacks per round:

• Improved Two-Weapon Fighting will give 2 attacks/round
• Greater Two-Weapon Fighting will give 3 attacks/round
• Agile Shield Fighter + Shield Weapon Focus or Shield Weapon Specialization will give 2 attacks/round
• Agile Shield Fighter + Shield Weapon Focus + Shield Weapon Specialization feats will give 3 attacks/round

Gameplay Notes

Shield Bash does not give full two weapon fighting penalties on BGTSCC.

To activate the feat, drag the Shield Bash feat icon from the Character Sheet Feats tab onto your hotbar. Click the feat icon on your hotbar to activate it. (You must have a shield equipped.)

Two Weapon Fighting, whether it has been selected as a feat or from an item, negates the -2 AB penalty from Shield Bash.

Shield Bash attacks apply Sneak Attack dice when applicable.

Enhanced Power Attack from the Frenzied Berzerker PrC does not apply to Shield Bash attacks.

Note that Shield Weapon Specialization (+2 damage with the chosen shield) counts toward gaining extra Shield Bash Attacks. Shield Specialization (+1 AC with the chosen shield) does not count toward gaining extra Shield Bash Attacks.

With Improved Shield Bash, Shield AC bonus is not deducted from the character's total armor class.