Covering Defense (Combat)
You are skilled at protecting yourself and your allies with your shield.Prerequisites: Shield Focus, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: When you use the total defense action while using a light, heavy, or tower shield, you can provide a cover bonus to AC against all attacks to an adjacent ally your size or smaller. This cover bonus is equal to your shield’s shield bonus and lasts until the beginning of your next turn. your shield does not provide a cover bonus to reflex saves.
I am wondering what all is included in determining your shield bonus? Initially I had thought it was limited to the base AC value of the shield in question. e.g. A heavy shield would grant a +2 cover regardless of the enhancements it possessed or the feats of the wielder.
However, my friend told me that the bonus is actually quite a bit larger.
Bonus (Shield)
A shield bonus improves Armor Class and is granted by a shield or by a spell or magic effect that mimics a shield. Shield bonuses stack with all other bonuses to AC except other shield bonuses. A magic shield typically grants an enhancement bonus to the shield's shield bonus, which has the effect of increasing the shield's overall bonus to AC. A shield bonus granted by a spell or magic item typically takes the form of an invisible, tangible field of force that protects the recipient. A shield bonus doesn't apply against touch attacks.
The definition of shield bonus seems to suggest that the shield's magical enhancement bonus would also apply? I then wondered if the +1 bonus from the Shield Focus feat would also apply as it also increases the AC bonus of the shield in question? e.g. A fighter using s +2 heavy shield with Shield Focus would be able to grant a +5 total cover bonus to an adjacent ally.
Can anyone tell me what applies and what doesn't to the cover bonus granted by Covering Defense?
By RAW I think the enhancement bonus should apply, but i seriously doubt it is RAI.
EDIT: It is a paradox that a character with a +1 tower shield grants better cover to his allies, than he does to himself.
That's not really true, the cover bonus granted by the feat is a combination of the shield being used and the total defense action. So really the character with the shield is getting +9 AC with the +1 tower shield while granting +5 to an ally.
Well your shield's shield bonus is the total bonus to AC it grants, including enhancement bonuses. Enhancement bonus increases the bonus of what it enhances. I know, it can get confusing, but there you have it.
That's not really true, the cover bonus granted by the feat is a combination of the shield being used and the total defense action. So really the character with the shield is getting +9 AC with the +1 tower shield while granting +5 to an ally.
Let me refrase then:
It is a paradox that a character with a +1 tower shield grants better cover bonus to his allies, than he does to himself.The importance in distinctioning between cover bonuses and shield bonuses is, that a cover bonus applies against touch attacks and negates AoO in that opponents do not threaten you if you have cover.
Thanks guys, that means this is way more powerful than I had thought.
So does the bonus from shield focus also apply?
Thanks guys, that means this is way more powerful than I had thought.
So does the bonus from shield focus also apply?
Yep!
by RAW i am actually not sure u guys are correct. Covering defence specifically states shield bonus, which means the shield bonus to ac.
On page 461 of the corebook describing magic armors, it states that armor enhancement bonuses to AC stack with regular armor bonuses to AC, this means that when youu calculate your ac you will recieve the regular bonus to AC, this is what i interpret as the shield bonus, and the enhancement bonus, which is a different bonus that just stacks.
I would therefore interpret shield bonus in the feat description to mean the regular shield bonus to AC, becouse the enhencement bonus is a completely different bonus. Therefore i dont think that the magic weapons improve the feat.
Now if we talk about shield focus and the greater shield focus feat, this would get transfered by covering defence, becouse shield focus "Increase the AC bonus granted by any shield you are using by 1.", meaning the regular shield bonus to ac would be increased by 1.
if you guys disagree, and it seems like u do, i would love to discuss this further.
The main difference to yours and mine interpretation seems to be whether or not your shields shield bonus, is the regular shield bonus, or the total bonus to ac it grants.
and on page 179 it states that enhancement bonusses directly add to your shield or amor bonus, so you guys are correct.