I'm interested in making a martial character using tiger head shields (a kung fu weapon/shield), simply because it looks cool.
Given a typical tiger head shield might be a little more than a foot wide and a little more than two feet long, plus a pair of sharp wedges, weigh roughly 20-25 lbs, and have a handle plus loop for the forearm, what do people think would be the best match to a pathfinder shield rules wise?
As a reference, you can look here.
I haven't come across any specific dimensions on light and heavy shields, although from pictures I'm guessing its closer in size to a light shield with shield spikes, but in weight to the heavy with shield spikes. Are there official dimensions on these shields anywhere?
Or are the wedges closer to being the blade on a Klar? Although, I admit the animal skull portion doesn't really match.
Thanks.
So it has a handle you have to firmly grip while using it? Sounds like a heavy shield. With spikes of course.
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Klar is the closest. Appearance of items can be changed.
It's a heavy shield that deals slashing damage. Sounds spot on for what you want.
The only reason an animal skull wouldn't match would be if you were trying to say a tiger isn't an animal.
A Tiger Head Shield using the Skull of a Tiger with fangs protruding the bottom certainly sounds like a fancy looking Klar to me.
Well the actual shield doesn't have a tiger head, or skull of any kind. It's just a shield with blades.
Well the actual shield doesn't have a tiger head, or skull of any kind. It's just a shield with blades.
Obviously, but I prefer to add some authenticity to the item in question.
"You know why it's called a Tiger's Head Shield? Because it's a shield I created from the head of a tiger."
Is a much cooler and interesting backstory and history to the shield than...
"You know why it's called a Tiger's Head Shield? Because I painted it to look like one even though my painting skills aren't really intimidating or have great potential behind them."
**EDIT** This just gave me a good idea for creating a customized shield.
Way to make fun of the Chinese there.
What does that have to do with anything?
All I said was that it's more convincing to call it a Tiger's Head Shield when it's an actual Tiger's Head comprising the shield than it is to just paint a visage on there.
It's no different than using a picture-taken view of a person's eyes in comparison to drawing eyes on your eyelids.
**EDIT** Fixed the analogy.
Except what he wants isn't a shield made from a tiger's head.
He wants a Tiger's Head Shield.
Which is a very different thing with a very different shape.
Even an unpainted one looks different.
The tiger drawing is a stylistic choice, the squared + prongs design is part of how it WORKS.
So it has a handle you have to firmly grip while using it? Sounds like a heavy shield. With spikes of course.
I had been thinking in terms of size, but you're right, you can't really use your hands for anything else while using them, so it would have to be a Klar or Heavy Shield with spikes.
Klar is the closest. Appearance of items can be changed.
It's a heavy shield that deals slashing damage. Sounds spot on for what you want.
In real life, I think its clear they in principle can be used for bludgeoning ("backhand" bash), piercing (stab) and slashing (as the prongs seem like they could be sharpened and utilize swinging motions), so piercing or slashing could work.
I agree though that the prongs seem more like the blade in klar than a traditional shield spike.
I guess the only question would be if there are any problems in Golarion (Pathfinder society) with having a Tien-Shu unrelated to the Shoanti dual wielding reskinned Klar or if I'd get fewer questions with just spiked heavy shields.
Given the one-handed status of the shields and a purely martial character, I'll probably need to go be going Slayer with "Weapon and Shield" ranger feats.
Ah, for PFS you're s&%+ outta luck. They don't allow re-fluffing of any kind. SO you can have a Klar, or a Spiked Shield, but not a Tiger's Head Shield, because one isn't statted.
Ah, for PFS you're s~#% outta luck. They don't allow re-fluffing of any kind. SO you can have a Klar, or a Spiked Shield, but not a Tiger's Head Shield, because one isn't statted.
That is a pity. I didn't realize descriptive re-fluffing wasn't allowed in pathfinder society.
I guess in that case a Spiked Heavy Shield is my best bet. As far as I can tell, the rules don't specify where the spikes are attached or the precise number, nor does it specify the orientation of the hand grip. So my hand grip is oriented towards the traditional bottom, where two shield spikes, pointing downward, are attached.
Thanks very much for the help.
Well, that's just because Shield bonuses don't stack, PFS or no.
You should be able to wield both as weapons, but only one as a shield.
You won't get a Shield Bonus to AC from both, but you can absolutely wield two of them.
There's also the minor problem that there is such a thing as a "Shield" slot, so you won't benefit from the enhancements on one shield at all.
You mean, like Arrow Deflection, or like Flaming?
When a shield turns off because of multiple items occupying the shield slot, Arrow Deflection or something similar on that shield definitely won't work, just like wearing two amulets would deprive you of the (magical) benefits of one of the amulets.
Flaming I am not so sure about. I would hope that an item that is both a magically enhanced weapon and a slotted item doesn't completely turn off just because the slotted part turns off.
Even weirder is when you throw in Shield Master. You are using it's properties as a shield, so it should turn off I guess, but you are using it's shield enhancements as if they are weapon enhancements, so...I don't know?
In practice, no one really cares about refluffing in PFS. Might depend on your local lodge, though.
I think the second shield should be interpreted purely as a weapon. So you would only benefit from one shield as a shield, and thus only that one would provide shield specific enhancement bonuses to AC along with special properties, like fortification.
The second is being wielded as a weapon and not worn as a shield, and thus only gets weapon enhancements and weapon special properties. Since Shield Master treats a shield enhancement bonus like a weapon enhancement, you'd benefit from it as a weapon enhancement.
Carrying two +5 shields doesn't make one stop being +5 and suddenly have its hardness and hit points drop (otherwise I've got an easy way of destroying artifacts...), so even if you're not benefiting from the shield enhancement bonus or special properties on the second shield, the bonus still exists to be modified by the Shield Master feat.
Edit: Actually, everyone I've met in the local lodge has been pretty cool and very reasonable. My family and I have been having a great time. I doubt we'd have any problems at the local level with RP fluff descriptions. Still, if we do make it to a convention its nice to know things stay compatible.