Actually, light shields can bash where a buckler cannot.
This gives them extra functionality, as you could conceivably use the light shield to threaten when you lose your weapon, you can two weapon fight with it, and still cast with one where you can't with a heavy shield.
Plus it's harder than a buckler.
Actually, light shields can bash where a buckler cannot.
This gives them extra functionality, as you could conceivably use the light shield to threaten when you lose your weapon, you can two weapon fight with it, and still cast with one where you can't with a heavy shield.
Plus it's harder than a buckler.
By the bolded part, I assume you mean hardness. If so, that is wrong. Bucklers have hardness 10 (they are all metal), while light shields have hardness 5 (if wood) or 10 (if metal). So bucklers are harder than some shields, and as hard as others.
Light shields do have more hit points, however. Light wood shields have 7 hit points, and light steel have 10. Bucklers only have 5.
How important this is varies. It depends on how often the GM targets your equipment. Personally, I have never seen it matter in 15 years of gaming, but groups vary.
A light shield already has an advantage over the heavy shield. You have a free hand - the only caveat being that it cannot wield a weapon. Also, depending on how your GM interprets the relevant rules, you may or may not be allowed to cast spells while using a light shield.
I love my sundering though.
But yeah the clarification is worth it.
Thanks for correcting.
Light shields are the staple for sword-and-board builds. All three shields have their niche.
Need to use your shield hand for two-handing weapons and such? Buckler.
Want to shield bash? Light shield.
Just want more AC? Heavy shield.
As for your suggestion, it doesn't really make light shields more appealing. No one takes Combat Expertise unless they want combat maneuvers. Many combat maneuvers require a free hand.
Plus, you know, having a hand to open doors and things.
I punish clerics and other melee spell casters by enforcing this rule. It's a tough call, drop the magic weapon to cast that spell now, or spend the move action to carefully put it away?
That's how I played my cleric in 3.5, which taught me action economy. We play it loose now.
Quickdraw Shield + the feat Quick Draw lets you get all the benefits of two handing your one hander while still keeping all shield AC. Free action stow, two hand full attack, go back to one handing, free action reequip shield. Of course that's still niche and doesn't work with the core light shield.
Being able to shield bash is a valid point, but that only matters for twf builds, and you can always go heavy shield and light weapon unless youre a caster.
So it seems like a very small niche for this shield, and I've yet to see someone use it (years of gaming). At least you don't seem to think the boost to CE feat is OP, and it gives the shield a slight versatility for the sword and board maneuver oriented fighter.
I had initially planned to let them double the dodge regardless of enchantment, would that be OP? That means you would get +10 dodge from CE at 16th level
Feats normally don't let you do that based on the enhancement of an item. I'm not thrilled with it.
Yeah, let's consider a comparison of what you're proposing.
Fighting defensively -4 hit +2 AC
Combat Expertise -1 hit +1 Dodge AC(1) to -6 hit +6 dodge AC(20 full BAB)
If you double the bonus from combat expertise, you've giving an additional 5-30% miss chance, (meaning a total of 60% miss chance from shield w/ fighting defensively at lvl 20) instead of the 5% RAW difference between the two? What about that seems like a good idea? You've swapped one go-to min-max for another WORSE one; just forget that light shields exist and move on, problem solv-... er, avoided.
And no, limiting the bonus to matching the shield bonus won't work because ENCHANTMENTS. if you don't allow the enchantment bonus, what have you really done? +1 ac situationally?
If you have to do something you could give an additional ONE dodge bonus when using combat expertise with a light shield/buckler. I'll still go with the heavy shield and be awkward at dinner parties.