Hi!
As a fighter with tower shield proficiency, can you pick the Heirloom Weapon trait (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/equipment-traits/heirloom-weapon) to give the tower shield a +2 bonus to Bull Rush combat maneuvers?
It seems to me that if you say that you use the tower shield to bull rush opponents, and as shields count as weapons, that you should be able to, but I'm unsure. What do you think?
Please link references and sources.
In other words, that's not in RAW, ask your GM
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Heirloom weapon specifies that you get the "+2 trait bonus on one kind of combat maneuver when using that specific weapon".
Bull rushing opponents by default doesn't use a weapon specifically, and doesn't benefit from any weapon bonuses to attack rolls (enhancement bonus, Weapon Focus, etc) unless there's a specific exception to the default rule, such as a magic weapon quality or class feature (like polearm master's Sweeping Fend ability) that states such. Since the weapon isn't used with the maneuver, it wouldn't work with Heirloom Weapon.
Shield Slam feat would be a specific exception to allow bull rushing with a shield bash, but it also wouldn't work in this case because Shield Slam uses the original attack roll to be compared to the CMD instead of a CMB roll (so it wouldn't benefit from Heirloom Weapon's trait bonus to CMB).
And lastly, tower shields aren't able to be used for shield bashing (CRB Equipment Tower Shield description - "You cannot bash with a tower shield"), it's not listed as a simple or martial weapon (unlike the light and heavy shields and their variants as martial weapons), and if used as a weapon would only count as an improvised one at best. Thus the tower shield wouldn't even be an applicable choice for Heirloom Weapon: "non-masterwork simple or martial weapon".
Thanks for all the great replies! Seems like the tower shield and Heirloom Weapon are not really meant to be used together. I suppose I'll rather look into getting an enhanced weapon with Impact for that extra Bull Rush bonus. Do any of you guys know of any other ways, other than through the Improved and Greater Bull Rush feats, to increase my Bull Rush CMB?
Anyways, thanks again for the help!
Well you found Impact, which seems like the best way to up CMB so far since you get to add your weapon's enhancement bonus, but from the wording of it, nothing else about the weapon.
For specific suggestions, what class are you playing? Also is this for PFS or home game or any restrictions on rules?
For the case of fighters and wearing medium or heavy armor, there's Poised Bearing which increases the size category of targets you can bull rush by one step; and if in heavy armor, Imposing Bearing increases the size category by another step. So if level 8 medium sized fighter, can potentially bull rush a gargantuan creature. Hitting that CMD would be another issue though.
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Thanks for all the great replies! Seems like the tower shield and Heirloom Weapon are not really meant to be used together. I suppose I'll rather look into getting an enhanced weapon with Impact for that extra Bull Rush bonus. Do any of you guys know of any other ways, other than through the Improved and Greater Bull Rush feats, to increase my Bull Rush CMB?
Anyways, thanks again for the help!
The Dwarven Helmet (which is a weapon), from Advanced Race Guide, has bonuses for Bull Rush. The Orc Skull Ram (either melee tactics toolbox or Orcs of Galorion, don't remember which), also gives bonuses to bull rush.
The Dwarf race, also has a race option called "Relentless" which grants a +2 bonus on Bull Rush.
If playing a chained barbarian, they get access to the Strength Surge rage power:
The barbarian adds her barbarian level on one Strength check or combat maneuver check, or to her Combat Maneuver Defense when an opponent attempts a maneuver against her. This power is used as an immediate action. This power can only be used once per rage.
If able to rage cycle (avoid being fatigued), can do that pretty often.
Elephant Shield is a madu, I'm not sure if need to be proficient with it as an exotic weapon to get the following ability: if equipped "the shield provides a +3 circumstance bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush opponents."
Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! Forgot to mention that I play a Dwarf Fighter with the Tower Shield Specialist Archetype. It's a home game, and we get to use whatever Paizo stuff we find online, but like to keep things legal.
Since I'm a Tower Shield Specialist, I'm afraid the Elephant Shield and Shield Bash are out of the question. So is the Barbarian rage power (unless I multiclass, which I'm not planning at the moment). The Dwarven Helmet seems to give too big a penalty (staggered), and the Orc Skull Ram doesn't do what I want. I already have the Relentless alternate racial trait for Dwarves, but thanks for the tip.
I guess there's no good way to further increase my Bull Rush CMB, then. So unless y'all can find some hidden feat or item somewhere, I'll just wait for higher BAB and DEX (I have Agile Maneuvers) and more gold to further enhance my Dwarven Waraxe of Impact. Anyway, thanks for all the help!
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The Dwarven Helmet seems to give too big a penalty (staggered)
If you are already a dwarven fighter, remember that the dwarven weapon familiarity makes this a martial weapon and that even if you don't use it as a weapon it passively adds +2 AC for critical confirmations against you. Every dwarf fighter that I create has one of these, even if they don't use it for the bull rush.
And I agree, the staggered is certainly a high drawback. I'd still take one as a dwarf fighter, and consider using it in situations where the bull rush would have spectacular results.
As a weapon, it's a bludgeoning weapon that's always equipped. Very practical when you have a tower shield in one hand and a P/S weapon in the other hand, and you need Bludgeoning to beat DR of your target. Doesn't allow you to dual wield with a tower shield, but you can freely alternate without dropping weapons and that does have merit.
There are also some neat helmet related feats in that ARG.
As an aside, the main drawback of the dwarven helmet is that it has arcane spell failure when equipped, but doesn't qualify as actual armor, so abilities that reduce arcane failure usually don't apply. It would actually be a pretty awesome weapon for dwarven casters, if not for that arcane failure issue. Certainly not a fighter issue, though.
EDIT: Oh, and don't forget that because dwarven weapon familiarity makes it a martial weapon, it does mean that a dwarven helmet can be an heirloom weapon (which would make it +4 bull rush, but staggered afterwards).
Ooh, now the Dwarven Boulder Helmet does seem tempting, especially with the extra +2 from Heirloom Weapon! And if I can still take a 5-foot step along with the Standard action while Staggered, it might not be that much of a problem. Is there any way through feats, traits or something similar to negate the Staggered effect?
Also, the roleplaying flavor of a Dwarf headbutting his opponents to knock them back is just awesome!
Well that narrows down the search somewhat.
Crimson Thorny Ioun Stone = +2 competence on bull rush attempts.
Gauntlet of Skilled Maneuver = Specify Bull Rush for +2 untyped bonus on bull rush CMB checks.
Pelt of the Beast = Pick Boar for +2 competence bonus to bull rush. More expensive than Crimson Thorny ioun stone though and takes up shoulder slot, but also grants bite attack and change shape into the animal specified (boar) 3/day.
Breaker of Barriers = Worship Rovagug and +2 bonus on Strength checks to break down doors, walls, dams, and other barriers and on combat maneuver checks to bull rush and overrun opponents. You ignore the first 5 points of hardness when you deal damage to doors, walls, dams, and other barriers. I dunno who you plan on worshipping for your dwarf, but probably not Rovagug.
Tribal Scars = Pick Greattusk and gain a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks to make bull rush or overrun maneuvers and a +2 bonus on Ride checks. On top of +6 HP.
Snowstride = regional trait (assuming your GM allows your dwarf to be from under a cold mountain?) can bull rush things two size categories larger than you. Would allow you to bull rush up to colossal with Poised and Imposing Bearing feats.
Brings up new question(s) though:
Why do you have Agile Maneuvers? Is your dexterity higher than your strength? If so are you finessing the dwarven waraxe somehow or are you using your lower strength for attack modifiers? Why not Weapon Finesse a finessable weapon instead?
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Damn, you've really been digging! Thanks a lot for the great help! Those gauntlets look like just the right fit for my dwarf.
About Agile Maneuvers, I do indeed have higher Dex than Str, because the Tower Shield Specialist raises your Max Dex bonus to AC by 2 in addition to the normal Fighter Armor Training. I have built my character around two main themes: high AC and Bull Rushing. My combat tactic revolves around maneuvering around the battlefield, soaking up enemies' attacks of opportunities so my allies can pass, and then Bull Rushing enemies with the Greater Bull Rush feat to give my allies attacks of opportunity. Basically, I let my allies deal damage for me, so I don't need to focus that much on my own weapon. This works especially well since one of my allies uses a Reach weapon, so he threatens a larger area.
Anyway, thanks again for all the help! I'm really looking forward to continue playing my Dwarf now.