grafikie's page

If DEX bonus is capped at +4, the archetype loses about 95% of its appeal.

that is so true,

grafikie wrote:

Tower Shield Training (Ex): At 3rd level, a tower shield

specialist gains armor training as normal, but while he
employs a tower shield, the armor penalty is reduced by 3
and the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor
increases by 2.

Armor Training (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a fighter learns to be more maneuverable while wearing armor. Whenever he is wearing armor, he reduces the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. Every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, and 15th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum –4 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +4 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed.

It seems to me that for a tower shield specialist, while using a tower shield he becomes better at utilizing his armor. Therefore, the benefits do not apply to both the armor and the shield, but just the armor.

then you are limited to the dex mod of the tower shield at +2 which renders the armor training for any other armor. with regular training you are using a non limiting shield (heavy or light) which does not interfear with your dex. hence i beleive it should be applied to both (for book-keeping sake) but take the lowest dex mod (be it from armor or shield) which would benifit the tower shield specialist. since that person is a specialist.

A fighter better be getting some serious bennies to completely forfeit Weapon Training.

Like the best AC in the game.

heck ya, if memory serves me right i think with all the benifits of +5 armor and shield, plus right and NA, a few ion stones, and feats your looking around 60 ac at 20 lv.. which is very nice.. plus you get dr 5/- too im building this as a back up guy for one of my games..

If it didn't apply to both, TSS would be the lamest melee archetype in the game.

thats what im thinking, and you get it normally while carring a tower shield.. if not you get the normal 1 and 1. from what im getting is the armor check pen goes to the over all pen, the max dex goes to both which makes it a good archtype to take for deffencive style game.

I agree that this is confusing and have marked the FAQ button. I have ruled it in out group that the bonus applies equally to both the armor and the tower shield at the same time.

thats makes some sense, one of my guys said that the archtype bonus and normal bonus apply.. i dont think so, since it replaces it just makes it better, and when your not holding a tower you get normal bonus... i built a 3rd lv fighter to see and pretty much a 3 difference on AC and 2 on the pen.. makes haveing a tower shield fighter a little better.. even for a wiz/sor cohort. if you hear any thing else let me know.

this part of the archtype has my confused. i asked my group on thier opion and they seem a little off with it too. im asking weather the bonuses go to both the dex mod and armor check pen, meaning the armor you are wareing and tower shield or are they a combined thing and the dex goes to the "lowest" and builds from there.
Tower Shield Training (Ex): At 3rd level, a tower shield
specialist gains armor training as normal, but while he
employs a tower shield, the armor penalty is reduced by 3
and the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor
increases by 2. The benefit increases every four levels
thereafter as per standard armor training; if the tower
shield specialist is not employing a tower shield, the
benefits to armor training revert to the normal bonuses.