Dual-wielding tower shields?

[TheSalletSlayer]

I want to create a character that is basically the ultimate team aegis. Heavily armored with a tower shield in each hand to block large areas and shield bash anything that tries to get close.
Could it be possible to play a fighter in the Border Defender and Tower Shield Specialist archetypes? Would i be able to reasonably have a tower shield equipped on each arm or would the penalties be just too much to handle?

[blahpers]

Both archetypes modify armor training, so stacking them is a no-go unless your GM is okay with it.

Normally you can't bash with a tower shield. Is there some way around this?

[TheSalletSlayer]

Another concept I had that I could use some help on is a character that is like a mechanical tinkerer that uses large sized articulated mechanical gauntlets.
They would work by a system of pulleys inside the gauntlet fingers and strings/wires attached to the inside ends of the gauntlet fingers running down to his fingertips to allow him to articulate the hands movements.
Keeping in mind they will still be large, one gauntlet being about the size of the torso or at least the chest region.

[TheSalletSlayer]

blahpers wrote:

Both archetypes modify armor training, so stacking them is a no-go unless your GM is okay with it.

Normally you can't bash with a tower shield. Is there some way around this?

Huh, You'd think that those would be stackable since BD does replace armor training, but TSS just adds tower shields to armor training/proficiency, and replaces weapon training instead. I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like there must be some way around it and the no bashing thing. Like maybe the improved shield bash feat, or weapon proficiency/specialization or something.

[Meirril]

2 tower shields would let you...set up cover in a direction while you retain the +4 AC bonus from the other shield. Not exactly ideal, especially since shield bonus won't stack with other shield bonus.

Since tower shields can't be used to shield bash (for good reason) you wouldn't have any kind of offense. Why would anything pay attention to you? Any intelligent monster would just ignore you.

Also the gauntlets you're describing would be the size of a light shield. A heavy shield should cover your body from slightly above the shoulder to your thighs so its easy to move it a little to protect your head or feat. Tower shields normally are the height of the person wielding it and wider than the wielder so they can easily hide behind it.

If you wanted to tinker something you might consider some sort of portable barrier that you could quickly set up to provide cover for others. Watch a Rainbow 6 Siege video or two to get an idea of what I mean. Imagine one of the wall reinforcing devices, without using it to reinforce a wall. Or more to make a portable wall that you could set up anywhere.

Just make sure you have some sort of offense. Like maybe an engineering tool that doubles as a war hammer?

[TheSalletSlayer]

Meirril wrote:

2 tower shields would let you...set up cover in a direction while you retain the +4 AC bonus from the other shield. Not exactly ideal, especially since shield bonus won't stack with other shield bonus.

Since tower shields can't be used to shield bash (for good reason) you wouldn't have any kind of offense. Why would anything pay attention to you? Any intelligent monster would just ignore you.

Also the gauntlets you're describing would be the size of a light shield. A heavy shield should cover your body from slightly above the shoulder to your thighs so its easy to move it a little to protect your head or feat. Tower shields normally are the height of the person wielding it and wider than the wielder so they can easily hide behind it.

If you wanted to tinker something you might consider some sort of portable barrier that you could quickly set up to provide cover for others. Watch a Rainbow 6 Siege video or two to get an idea of what I mean. Imagine one of the wall reinforcing devices, without using it to reinforce a wall. Or more to make a portable wall that you could set up anywhere.

Just make sure you have some sort of offense. Like maybe an engineering tool that doubles as a war hammer?

Oh the Tower shield character is different from the gauntlet character, my bad I should have clarified, although I like the idea you gave. It seems to me that the dual tower shield character isn't happening, but the gauntlet character could have his gauntlets (or at least one), they still serve as actual gauntlets for the purpose of combat but maybe make the plating on the back of the hand extendable/retractable or just longer to work as a heavy shield, or add a long blade to the pinky side of the hand to work kind of like built-in bladed tonfa.

[Wonderstell]

Around what levels do you usually play?

If this build is meant to played lv 10+, it's absolutely possible to make a highly effective shield-basher who uses a Tower Shield.

Regardless of level range, you're gonna want the Mobile Bulwark Style feats.

[blahpers]

Even the mobile bulwark style feat chain doesn't actually let you bash. It just lets you bull rush and overrun with your shield and makes you more agile in general at using it to protect yourself and your allies.

Re: the mechanical fists, a GM might allow you to design your own weapon that has those properties.

[Wonderstell]

I'm so vague I shouldn't be allowed to post without supervision.

I was thinking more along the lines of a Tower Shield/Heavy Shield combo, but it's pretty clear that wasn't what I wrote.

[Lady Platypus]

If you really want to be "a wall" for your party, you should look into Golden Legionnaire. You can build around a reach weapon and preventing enemies from passing you at all. Even with low dmg output, they couldn't ignore you because you wouldn't let them to reach the rest of the party (as long as they are melee).

[Slim Jim]

Just for the novelty of drowning anyway after rolling a 20 Swim check....

[blahpers]

Wonderstell wrote:

I'm so vague I shouldn't be allowed to post without supervision.

I was thinking more along the lines of a Tower Shield/Heavy Shield combo, but it's pretty clear that wasn't what I wrote.

Ack, didn't think of that given the thread title. That would certainly be viable, though it might not meet OP's requirements.

[Emo Duck]

Can a tower shield be used as an improvised weapon, rather than using the shield bash rules? The Catch Off-Guard feat chain, the Surprise Weapon trait and the Gloves of Improvised Might might at least put it on par with an actual weapon.

[Volkard Abendroth]

Emo Duck wrote:

Can a tower shield be used as an improvised weapon, rather than using the shield bash rules? The Catch Off-Guard feat chain, the Surprise Weapon trait and the Gloves of Improvised Might might at least put it on par with an actual weapon.

Anything can be used as an improvised weapon. But you won't be using it as a shield in the same turn.