Shield Bash

Shield Bash

Type of Feat: General
Prerequisite: None
Use: Selected (mode)

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. When you perform a shield bash, you may still apply the shield's shield bonus to your AC. 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 EB 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 and Greater 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 + any 1 Shield Weapon (focus or specialization) feat will give 2 attacks/round
• Agile Shield Fighter + any 2 Shield Weapon (focus or specialization) feats will give 3 attacks/round

During the bash attack the Shield AC bonus is not deducted from the character's total armor class. (This is the Improved Shield Bash feat equivalent in PnP Terms)

Gameplay Notes

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

To activate the feat, you drag the icon from the Character Sheet->Feats onto your hotbar. Then you just click on it to activate it (it requires an equipped shield)

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

Shield Bash can sneak attack.

The feat needed for the 2nd or 3rd attack is actually a Shield Weapon Specialization (that one that gives +2 dmg with that shield). Only Shield Specialization (that one that gives +1 AC with Shield) doesnt give a 2nd or 3rd attack, although it´s a prequisite to be able to pick Agile Shield Fighter.