Holding vs. Wearing vs. Using a Tower Shield


Rules Questions

Sovereign Court

This is a question I came across recently; the Tower Shield describes the benefit that you can "use" it to gain total cover across one edge for one round.

However, there are special rules about holding versus wearing shields, similar to holding versus wielding weapons. Obviously, just holding rather than wielding a kama does not allow you to use the kama's benefits to trip an opponent.

But I don't know if the same would hold up with Tower Shields. I personally find that Tower Shields are underrepresented in the genre, considering how historically important total cover was in ancient times. As such, I may be biased to give Tower Shields more benefits.

The reason why it matters whether you are holding as opposed to wearing a shield is that the donning time is different. You can drop a weapon that you are wielding as a free action, but you can't drop a shield you are wearing as a free action if it isn't accompanied by a different move action and your BAB isn't +1.

Example; Sorcerer Shmuck is holding, but not wearing a tower shield in a trap-filled dungeon, using a ready action to gain total cover whenever he suspects a dart trap from activating, but with every intention to drop the shield if a different kind of trap is activated.

In this, he wouldn't be donning the shield, just using it. Is that legit? Or would he first have to don the shield and then take a standard action separately to gain total cover?

Bonus question; If I can drop a tower shield I am holding rather than wearing as a free action, does that mean that I can use my skill checks without being penalized by the tower shield immediately upon dropping the tower shield?

Example; Sorcerer Shmuck is holding, but not wearing a tower shield in a trap-filled dungeon. He hears a click under his feet and the DM demands him to make an acrobatics check to jump out of the way of the collapsing ceiling. Can Sorcerer Shmuck drop the shield and then perform the acrobatics check without penalty?

Comparisons: Holding versus wielding weapons and their benefits. Uses and benefits of shields without wearing them, such as throwing shields.


Carrying a tower shield without the heavy arm straps keeping it in place would be like carrying a fridge door around. It's painful enough to use those big things with the appropriate assistance, without those straps (wearing) I'd say you run a much bigger penalty to everything, must use two hands, don't gain the full benefits of the shield, or similar drastic problems from using the shield in that way. Yeah you can drop it much faster, but you have more difficulty carrying it around and it's harder to brace it against an attack effectively.

To be honest it isn't practical in a real world sense, nor is it specifically appropriate by rules standards as I would read them. It's a neat idea, but I just feel like it's one of those "anything I can pick up and swing is a hammer" situations, where some things just don't work for a given task when used a certain way.


First, I don't see the rules you're referring to about "holding" vs. "wearing" shields. (The donning armor table from Ultimate Equipment and the Core Rulebook both say it's a move action. The only thing I can think of is the quickdraw shield from Advanced Players Guide, but that is a specific item and only comes in a light shield.

Second, I don't see any way you could actually "wear" a tower shield without "using" it. From the PRD:"You cannot bash with a tower shield, nor can you use your shield hand for anything else. When employing a tower shield in combat, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield's encumbrance."

It sounds like it's too big to strap to your back (you're basically carrying a door around), and you can't strap it on your arm and use the arm for anything else. I would say that anytime you're carrying a tower shield around, you get the AC benefit and take the penalties. To avoid the penalties (and not get the benefit), you would have to drop it on the ground. Normally, that would probably be a move action, but if you had planted the shield for cover, I'd probably let you drop it completely as a free action (the basic idea being that you're just holding it against the ground and bracing it from behind).

I'm not sure if that answers the question or not.

Sovereign Court

Gwen Smith wrote:

First, I don't see the rules you're referring to about "holding" vs. "wearing" shields. (The donning armor table from Ultimate Equipment and the Core Rulebook both say it's a move action. The only thing I can think of is the quickdraw shield from Advanced Players Guide, but that is a specific item and only comes in a light shield.

Second, I don't see any way you could actually "wear" a tower shield without "using" it. From the PRD:"You cannot bash with a tower shield, nor can you use your shield hand for anything else. When employing a tower shield in combat, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield's encumbrance."

It sounds like it's too big to strap to your back (you're basically carrying a door around), and you can't strap it on your arm and use the arm for anything else. I would say that anytime you're carrying a tower shield around, you get the AC benefit and take the penalties. To avoid the penalties (and not get the benefit), you would have to drop it on the ground. Normally, that would probably be a move action, but if you had planted the shield for cover, I'd probably let you drop it completely as a free action (the basic idea being that you're just holding it against the ground and bracing it from behind).

I'm not sure if that answers the question or not.

Page 187 of the Core Rules about readying and dropping shields;

Ready or Drop a Shield
Strapping a shield to your arm to gain its shield bonus to your AC, or unstrapping and dropping a shield so you can use your shield hand for another purpose, requires a move action. If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you can ready or drop a shield as a free action combined with a regular move.
Dropping a carried (but not worn) shield is a free action.

I read tower shields as any shield you would see in military service which would be able to cover the surface of your torso and head. Norman kite shields are the typical example. They can be strapped to the arm with enarmes, but there are also variations where it gripped in the boss. And it could be carried on the back with a strap called the guige strap.

They are also not heavy; they are made to be light. What you are thinking of are dueling shields, which are made with the express intent to have the weight be a factor of challenge.

Is my shield-fanaticism shining through? I do admit, I play my elf as though he's carrying around a fridge-door. Much cooler to talk about how he casually carries around something that supposedly weighs a ton.


You cannot use armor or a weapon you do not have equipped.

If you want to use a tower shield as a portable wall instead of as a piece of armor, that is up to your GM to adjudicate.


Fascinating. I didn't see that text because I was looking for "don" a shield (the wording used in the table), not "ready."

So the distinction seems to be that if you are "carrying" the shield, you don't get any benefits from it,but you can drop it as a free action. Good to know.

It also sounds like you don't get the shield bonus when you use a tower shield as cover, which confirms my thought that you could then drop it as a free action.

(According to the equipment tables and descriptions, the game's version of a tower shield is "nearly as big as you are" and weighs 45 pounds. They also only come in wood, it looks like.)


There are several instances of metal tower shields in the game. There isn't a cost listed for metal but it's easy to extrapolate from the other shields [x3 cost for metal]. So a metal tower shield would be 90 gp. Weight is listed as the same, 45 lbs, under the magic items and as 1/2 for mithral [22 and 23 lbs].

The Equalizer Shield is a "+1 mithral tower shield".
The Force Tower is a "+1 arrow deflection ghost touch mithral tower shield".
The Guard of Man is a "metal bulwark".
The Spellbane Shield is a "massive iron-covered +2 tower shield".


If you're just "carrying" or "holding" a tower shield, it gives you no mechanical benefits.

If you have it "equipped", "worn", or "wielded" you can either gain the +4 bonus to AC or use it for cover instead. (following its normal rules)

The words in quotes are not important. What is, is whether you are actively using it in the proper way or whether you are merely lugging it around. If you are using it as a shield, it must be strapped to your arm as described. If you're just porting it around, you can drop it as a free action if it's in your hand, but gain no benefits from it being there.

Grand Lodge

Hmmm, it sounds like what you're looking for is a mantlet.

wiki

Have mantlets even been introduced into Pathfinder yet?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Mantlets are cool, and should be part of Pathfinder.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Me, I wish lantern shields would be introduced.


Kahel Stormbender wrote:
Me, I wish lantern shields would be introduced.

Does a shield sconce count?

Shield Sconce wrote:
This metal frame holds a torch and straps to the front of a light, heavy, or tower shield.

Its from the adventures armory according to d20pfsrd.


Somewhere I saw a picture of a Mantlet with a Scorpio built into it.


Byakko wrote:

If you're just "carrying" or "holding" a tower shield, it gives you no mechanical benefits.

If you have it "equipped", "worn", or "wielded" you can either gain the +4 bonus to AC or use it for cover instead. (following its normal rules)

The words in quotes are not important. What is, is whether you are actively using it in the proper way or whether you are merely lugging it around. If you are using it as a shield, it must be strapped to your arm as described. If you're just porting it around, you can drop it as a free action if it's in your hand, but gain no benefits from it being there.

/this.

Sovereign Court

EvilTwinSkippy wrote:

Hmmm, it sounds like what you're looking for is a mantlet.

wiki

Have mantlets even been introduced into Pathfinder yet?

I also want mantlets, but mostly, I was just curious towards how the rules interact. :P

I want a mantlet for my bard; he's a puppeteer, so if he could lug around a puppet theater to shoot from, that would be hilarious!


Found a picture of a Scorpio/Mantlet.

Scarab Sages

So basically, when the shield is not equiped, it confers no mechanical benfit as a shield. It also doesn't give armor check, arcane failure, or affect max dex. The towershield would still have weight (30lbs base), which is often enough to make spellcasters reconsider any towershield uses.

That said, it is still an object and could be positioned to block LOS, which would make it qualify for cover or concealment (depending on positioning). Totally up to the GM, of course, and you'd have to role play how you were positioning it (like why it was free standing, or if you were leaning against it).

As for holding a shield, yes, you can hold a shield, but it requires actually holding onto the edges like a frisbee. It doesn't provide shield benefits, but you could use it as an improvised weapon (or throw it, as per the various rules regarding thrown shields). Using it as an improvised weapon would not be a shield bash, but it's own profile and is up to the GM. I did have a GM once that allowed the tower shield to be used as a giant fly swatter to attack and damage spider swarms...

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Holding vs. Wearing vs. Using a Tower Shield All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.