RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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So, I've been thinking about playing a Bard with the Arcane Duelist archetype for Pathfinder Society games. I also think it would be fun to have her use a light or heavy shield as her only weapon. This would be a strange, more martial and highly defensive bard.
For stats, I'm thinking Str>Cha>Con=Dex>Int>Wis.
The feat progression would look something like this:
1: Improved Shield Bash, Arcane Strike-B
2: Combat Casting-B
3: Shield Focus
5: Step Up
6: Disruptive-B
7: Missile Shield
10: Spellbreaker-B
11: Ray Shield
13: Weapon Focus (Heavy Shield)
14: Penetrating Strike (Heavy Shield)-B
Does this seem like it could work out? I'm not really sure what to take for spells, or traits. Maybe this is too martially focused for a bard (even a more martial archetype). Maybe it's just too goofy. What recommendations could y'all offer for this sort of build?
Yeah, I've considered such a build in the past, and Imbicatus is correct that you need a separate weapon proficiency to use a shield as a weapon. If you're willing to delay Arcane Strike until 3rd level and lose a point of AC that shouldn't be a problem. I'd also consider multiclassing into Fighter or Barbarian for a level or two save a feat and augment your abilities.
Since Bards get flat bonuses to damage from Inspire Courage Arcane Strike you could consider Two Weapon Fighting with a heavy shield and a light weapon. If you're not going to do that the Arcane Duelist archetype is a little less compelling since you won't need the feature where it can cast while holding the bonded weapon. In PFS you also wouldn't get the free crafting for the bonded weapon. This doesn't make the archetype bad, just less appealing than it might be in a home game or for a PC with TWF.
If you're using just the heavy shield remember that since it is a one-handed weapon you can wield it with two hands for extra Str damage and better Power Attack.
EDIT: I just recalled that the Skald is proficient with all martial weapons, so that could work too.
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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@ Imbicatus: Hm. The existence of the Shield-Trained trait does seem to imply that one normally needs to have martial proficiency to use shield bashes as weapons (without penalty). However, I can't seem to find where it is explicitly stated that having shield proficiency (as being listed with the armor proficiencies) isn't enough. It seems like a gray area--can anyone shed some light on this? Rulebook quotations, dev. forum posts?
@ Devilkiller: 1) Arcane Strike is a bonus feat for the Arcane Duelist archetype. 2) Actually, since the Arcane Duelist functions as having the wizard's Arcane Bonded Item, they totally get treated as having the relevant crafting feat, which is neat. 3) TWF still poses the problem of whether I'm proficient in shield bashes or not...although I suppose a fighter dip or being human could get me TWF without having to give up so much of my shield focus.
Hmmm. Honestly, I could probably get away with just going for a regular sword-and-board style with the same feats (minus the shield bash I suppose). I like the shield idea for style reasons, and for the fact that a shield can't be disarmed (important for the arcane bond), but maybe I should just go for a locked gauntlet or something?
Ok, I wasn't aware that there was a special exception for bonded items. In that case Arcane Duelist seems absolutely great for PFS. I wonder if you can upgrade the AC boosting aspect of the shield as well as the weapon aspect. If so you seem like you're making a very fun choice.
A more unusual option which nets you the martial weapon proficiency along with some other benefits would be taking a level or two as a Sohei Monk and maybe going for the Crane Style feats. After all, if you're fighting with just a shield you probably have a hand free. Such a PC would face a really long path on the way to Shield Slam, but when you got there it would be pretty cool since enemies you push away would potentially just come back to attack you once but end up getting blocked and pushed away again.
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Shield proficiency is listed after the armor proficiency, which means it's proficient as armor. Bards are proficient in all simple weapons and a list of specific martial and exotic weapons, which does not include shields. Shields as are listed in the weapon table as a martial weapon.
Bards, Clerics, Druids, Oracles, and even Shield Champion Brawlers are all in the same boat of being able to use shields as armor but not as weapons without gaining proficiency from other means.
On the flip side, Brawlers without an archetype are proficient with shields as weapons, but not as armor.