Using it to grant cover (the only reason one would use a tower shield in the first place) is a standard action each round. This means that all you can do is move. It does not allow you to grant anyone else cover, nor to cast spells or even attack those who don't have cover against you.
Maybe I am missing something, but In what situation would this be useful?
Is there any way to cast a spell (other than a quickened spell) while using a tower shield for cover? (Perhaps a spell, feat or other ability?)
It does not just grant cover - it grants total cover.
If you don't have line of effect to your target (that is, you cannot draw any line from your square to your target's square without crossing a solid barrier), he is considered to have total cover from you. You can't make an attack against a target that has total cover.
If you choose the edge of the square between you and your foe, and they cannot get to a place where they have line of sight through a different edge of your square, they cannot attack you. Casters can still use targeted spells against you, but it's mostly useful against archers; you use your standard action to keep your 'total cover' between the archer and you, and advance using your move action until you're within melee range.
I think it can also count as partial cover, or something like that, for people hiding behind you.
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The best use I've got from a Tower Shield wasn't mine. Instead, the big burly Fighter in my party carried a tower shield and a throwing javalin. When a fray began he would throw his javalin, set down his tower shield, and draw his great sword. The my caster hid behind the stationary Tower Shield, using it as Cover or Total Cover. It's an excellent team tactic.
The best use I've got from a Tower Shield wasn't mine. Instead, the big burly Fighter in my party carried a tower shield and a throwing javalin. When a fray began he would throw his javalin, set down his tower shield, and draw his great sword. The my caster hid behind the stationary Tower Shield, using it as Cover or Total Cover. It's an excellent team tactic.
Sounds like a group of archers used by the Persians that would carry these enormous shields, and standing them up with a large stick. they would then kneel down behind them and shoot.
I'm not sure if either yours or my example are actually possible using pathfinder rules. :(
Or, you could play a character who doesn't care about attack rolls.
Would there be a feat reducing the standard action of making total cover of your Tower Shield, into an move equivalent action?????? That way you may even make a single attack in addition to the total cover. It doesn't sound very unrealistically as improved feint does the same for feint????
There's always that one Fighter Archetype that focuses on the Tower Shield...
Would there be a feat reducing the standard action of making total cover of your Tower Shield, into an move equivalent action?????? ..
You compare apples and pears. What are the similarities between an attack against a flatfooted enemy and an attack following total cover?
Best use is to convince the enemy to have it.
Instead of having -2 to hit and +2to AC, the enemy has it. Which means your to hit and your enemy's to hit is the same as if you carry the shield. But you save the gold, have less ACP, carry less encumbrance, and don't limit yourself to max dex +2
Using it to grant cover (the only reason one would use a tower shield in the first place)Any item is useless if you exclude all its uses.
People pay -2 to their attack bonus to dual wield all the time; you get the same penalty with your tower shield. The max Dex bonus cap isn't affected by Armor training, but if you get a Mithral tower shield, you'd have to have a Dex of 22 to was out the benefit of the Tower (at +6 Dex, it's the same AC as a mithral, but with no attack penalty). That's pretty high for a fighter, even a defensive one.
you can't have mithril tower shields. It is not made of metal
Using it to grant cover (the only reason one would use a tower shield in the first place)Any item is useless if you exclude all its uses.
People pay -2 to their attack bonus to dual wield all the time; you get the same penalty with your tower shield. The max Dex bonus cap isn't affected by Armor training, but if you get a Mithral tower shield, you'd have to have a Dex of 22 to was out the benefit of the Tower (at +6 Dex, it's the same AC as a mithral, but with no attack penalty). That's pretty high for a fighter, even a defensive one.
You can't do that, tower shields are made of wood, not metal.
You can't do that, tower shields are made of wood, not metal.
Really? Paizo doesn't seem to have noticed.
Force Tower, a mithral tower shield amongst other things.
Collapsible Tower, which is a steel shield that becomes a tower shield.
Fortress Shield, a shield that transforms into a metal cube.
You can't do that, tower shields are made of wood, not metal.Really? Paizo doesn't seem to have noticed.
Force Tower, a mithral tower shield amongst other things.
Collapsible Tower, which is a steel shield that becomes a tower shield.
Fortress Shield, a shield that transforms into a metal cube.
they could make a magic tower shield that transform itself into a cube of cheddar cheese, and that wouldn't change the fact that tower shields are made of wood. Both in real life and in the CRB
You can't do that, tower shields are made of wood, not metal.Really? Paizo doesn't seem to have noticed.
Force Tower, a mithral tower shield amongst other things.
Collapsible Tower, which is a steel shield that becomes a tower shield.
Fortress Shield, a shield that transforms into a metal cube.
Doesn't change the fact that the CRB says tower shields are made of wood, not metal.
Unique magic items don't always follow the standard item rules. That's one of the perks of being a unique magic item.
The best use I've got from a Tower Shield wasn't mine. Instead, the big burly Fighter in my party carried a tower shield and a throwing javalin. When a fray began he would throw his javalin, set down his tower shield, and draw his great sword. The my caster hid behind the stationary Tower Shield, using it as Cover or Total Cover. It's an excellent team tactic.Pretty sure that doesn't work. First the fighter cannot throw the javelin and set the shield down in one round. And if he does it in separate rounds the total cover is specifically only for him, lasts only until his next turn and is not simply stationary after used in that way (it's still strapped to the fighters arm)
Is it possible to plant it, then unstrap it so it stays there?
It used by rogues to grand yourself cover then move into stealth.
P.S. I rule that you can make tower shield out of metal, because it looks cool.
Aura strong transmutation; CL 12th; Weight —; Price +2 Bonus
DESCRIPTION
As a move action, an animated shield can be loosed to defend its wielder on its own. For the following 4 rounds, the shield grants its bonus to the one who loosed it and then drops. While animated, the shield provides its shield bonus and the bonuses from all of the other shield special abilities it possesses, but it cannot take actions on its own, such as those provided by the bashing and blinding abilities. It can, however, use special abilities that do not require an action to function, such as arrow deflection and reflecting. While animated, a shield shares the same space as the activating character and accompanies the character who activated it, even if the character moves by magical means. A character with an animated shield still takes any penalties associated with shield use, such as armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, and nonproficiency. If the wielder who loosed it has an unoccupied hand, she can grasp it to end its animation as a free action. Once a shield has been retrieved, it cannot be animated again for at least 4 rounds. This special ability cannot be added to a tower shield.
just saying...
Except for that clause at the end:
"This special ability cannot be added to a tower shield."
shame, that would be pretty neat.
@ Korthis. Look at the very last sentence.
This special ability cannot be added to a tower shield.
a wizard with a glove of storing (or shrink object if you're poor/low-level) can make GREAT use of a tower shield during defensive/retreat actions.
I'll have to keep Titania's ideas in mind...
A Phalynx fighter with a tower shield in one hand and a polearm in the other can still get attacks of opportunity. With the right feats, you can make a good build that utilizes attacks of opportunity.
A witch focused on hexing and non -somatic spells can wear platemail and a towershield to great effect.
A bard can sing behind a towershield.
Too bad the list of non-somatic Witch spells sucks. I looked into it for a Fighter/Witch combo, but I don't think it's worth it.
Although the image of a bard Inspiring Courage while cowering behind a tower shield himself is pretty funny.
A Phalynx fighter with a tower shield in one hand and a polearm in the other can still get attacks of opportunity. With the right feats, you can make a good build that utilizes attacks of opportunity.
Yup. Was going to post this. My brother is running a PFS character with that build right now. Tower Shield while one-handing a reach weapon. Can be pretty effective.
