Shield Bashing

[Valindria]

I got a chance to use a LR my toon on Lam to test out the shield skills.

I didn't get a lot of testing in but here were my feelings after playing for awhile:

The passive DR was nice. I had things beating on me and I could tell a difference from my normal game play without. I am not sure if the 5% of improved shield mastery is worth the feat in all builds and I have not tested with and without. I know it seems like not enough on paper.

Improved shield bash was a disappointment. 20% chance to trigger did not feel like enough. I did see it go off for non DR breaking damage.

I guess I see it like this:

THF - THF, ITHF, GTHF
TWF - TWF, ITWF, GTWF, OTWF
S&B - SM, ISM, ISB

In all cases you could take partial feats but in most cases taking all should really improve the overall fighting style. The DR of the shields is nice but the "fighting style" did not feel good enough to me. Obviously there are balance issues to deal with.

Full THF gives GBs on 3 out of 4 attacks for 50% of base damage.
Full TWF gives an 80% chance for your offhand to attack (at 1/2 STR modifier)
Full Shield gives DR and a 20% chance to trigger.

I mentioned in previous posts that I thought the shield bash should be like glancing blows in terms of damage. I would still approve a change like that but now I am offering other potential solutions.


- Base: Sames as today. Shift + attack to actively bash.

- Improved Shield Bash now grants a 20% chance to make a secondary shield bash while attacking with a melee weapon. Shield bash (automatic) give the full STR bonus to damage. This is unchanged from u9.

- Shield Mastery's feat benefit has been changed to, "You are now skilled with the use of a shield, and your physical damage vulnerability is decreased by 10% when using a buckler or small shield, 15% when using a large shield, or 20% when using a tower shield. Shield Mastery grants a 5% chance to make a secondary shield bash while attacking with a melee weapon. "

The damage of the shield bash will use 1/2 STR modifier unless they have the Improved Shield Bash feat.

- Improved Shield Mastery's feat has been changed to, "You are exceptionally skilled with the use of a shield, and your physical damage vulnerability is decreased by an additional 5% when using a shield, for a total of 15% when using a buckler or small shield, 20% when using a large shield, or 25% when using a tower shield. Improved Shield Mastery grants a 15% chance to make a secondary shield bash while attacking with a melee weapon. "

The damage of the shield bash will use 1/2 STR modifier unless they have the Improved Shield Bash feat.


So with the full chain you would have a 40% chance to automatically bash using your full STR attack and damage bonus. Bare minimum of shield mastery gives the most DR but the smallest damage gain. Improved shield bash gives no DR but the most damage. Improve shield mastery gives a small DR increase and a medium damage increase.

40% chance to trigger a shield attack (that might not bypass DR) is 1/2 the TWF chance.

[mournbladereigns]

They already made it so shields bypass DR, from latest release notes

Adamantine shields now correctly bypass adamantine damage reduction when shield bashing. Mithral shields now bypass both silver and mithral damage reduction.

Also, they're giving shield bashes full STR bonus

(Lammania Only): Shields now use a player's full strength bonus on a shield bash, and also use a player's enhancement bonus to-hit and damage.

to make S&B a legit fighting style I'd like to see

Shield Proficiency gives a 5% chance to offhand, and 1/2/3% Damage (in)vulnerability, Tower shield gives 5% offhand and 5% damage Invuln, 1/2 str bonus on bashes, you lose shield DR when bashing

Shield Mastery: +5% offhand +4%/+7%/12% +15% for Tower shield Dmg In vuln
ISM: +5% offhand, +5% dmg invuln

ISB gives a +25% offhand, you keep DR/benefits when bashing. full str on bashes, and enhancement bonuses - for 30% base offhand as well 40% with SM line

that would make S&B a full featured fighting line to go along TWF/THF.

[Valindria]

They already made it so shields bypass DR, from latest release notes



Also, they're giving shield bashes full STR bonus

I know. I wasn't saying they wouldn't bypass DR, I was saying mine did not (I didn't have good damage on my shield). I was suggestioning that it only gives full STR bonus if you have the feat.