Shield profiency

[TimethiefXVI]

A i recon a lot of balancing problems on the shield side are on the effect of the overall usability of shields, esp tower shields.

How about the following: tower shields must not be equipped unless you have the feat towershield profiency.
They are designed to cover the whole body, and prob should also take away some spell dmg (hide behind from a fb), but without the profiency its just a pice of junk. The actual penalty for untrained usage is just too ineffective.

I recon this would prob cause some griefing, but it would make it at least possible to add some defensive properties (spell dmg absobtion ae).

[sirgog]

It would just make Madstone Shield the new best friend of divines with Shield Mastery.

IMO they need to have the mitigation % scale with your base BAB, not counting short-term buffs (like Divine Power), or alternately have it turn off for 5-10 seconds when you cast a spell.

[voodoogroves]

It would just make Madstone Shield the new best friend of divines with Shield Mastery.

IMO they need to have the mitigation % scale with your base BAB, not counting short-term buffs (like Divine Power), or alternately have it turn off for 5-10 seconds when you cast a spell.

I'd go with a combination and scale it so it isn't as front loaded.

Feat one adds static amount with any shield, plus some based on BAB. This would be the amount for light shields today, similar to how the various armor / shield enhancements are structured.

Normal mastery would be something like ...

... "You gain (some ... 5%?) resistance to physical damage while a shield larger than a buckler is equipped with which you are proficient, and an additional amount equal to (half or quarter) of your BAB"

Improved would be something like ...

... "You gain resistance to physical damage while equipped with which you are proficient equal to (5%?) for small shields, (10%?) for large shields or (15%?) for tower shields, and an additional amount equal to (half) of your BAB"

[Ravoc-DDO]

Or just redesign the Madstone Shield so it doesn't provide the proficiency anymore.

[Xenostrata]

Only if Paladins get proficiency, either at level 1 or as a bonus from the DoS pre.

[Aesop]

For Shield Mitigation

Shield Proficiency should gain a measure of Shield Mitigation

Buckler Mitigation = AC of Buckler (%)

Light Shield Mitigation = AC of Light Shield +1%

Heavy Shield Mitigation = AC of Heavy Shield +2%

Tower Shield Mitigation (which requires Tower Shield Prof) = AC of Tower Shield +4%

Proficiency would also get 10% shield bash chance


Drop Shield Mastery and Improved Shield Mastery and use actual feats from 3.5... Shield Specialization from Players Handbook 2 can be converted just fine.

Original increased Shield AC by 1.

For the DDO version I'd say Shield AC increases by 1 (tower shield by 2), Shield Bash chance increases by 10% and Shield Mitigation by 5%.

so looking at a shield that does not exist currently +10 Tower Shield, this would get with all relevant feat

16 AC (4 + 2(Feat) +10 Enhancement)
25% Mitigation (16 from AC +4 Bonus for tower shield +5 bonus from Shield Spec)


I would also add in some bonuses from the Shield PrEs and while in Combat Expertise stance.


Another option would be to add in your BASE Fortitude save towards Mitigation...


Also the Shield Ward Feat from PH2 could be modified to apply Shield Mitigation to AoE damage...


Aesop