Current state of using a shield

[Crexis]

I am making a character and I wanted to see how sword and board worked as previously I only used 2 handed weapons.

If I buy a heavy steel shield, it has a hardness of 5. It gives me an AC bonus of 2. I believe I get 2 AC even if I don't use the action 'raise a shield' correct? This way I get +2 AC but my shield can't get dented or broken?

If I do use 'raise a shield' action then when the enemy attacks me and hits. My shield block reaction takes place. If it does 4 damage or less I take 0 damage since the hardness of my heavy steel shield is 5. And my shield takes no dents.

However if the enemy does 5 damage or more, then my shield blocks 5 of that damage and the rest I take. My shield also gets a dent. Currently the shield can only take 1 dent max at a time.

Once my shield takes 2 dents, I believe it can't be used to defend me as it becomes a 'broken' condition shield now.

I can spend 10 minutes to 'repair' my shield OR spend 1 minute to repair the shield if I have the 'quick repair' feat. Does repairing shields cost money, if so, how much?

I can only get a shield block vs damage max once per round so if a second enemy attacks me I can't take advantage of resisting up to 5 damage w my heavy steel shield? But I would get the +2 AC still? I'm unsure bout this.

Do I have a good grasp of how the current shield works? Is there anything else that I missed?

thanks guys!

[Draco18s]

Crexis wrote:

I believe I get 2 AC even if I don't use the action 'raise a shield' correct?

Haha no.

Quote:

If I do use 'raise a shield' action then when the enemy attacks me and hits. If it does 4 damage or less I take 0 damage since the hardness of my heavy steel shield is 5. And my shield takes no dents.

Only if you use your reaction to block. You are not required to do so, against the first hit, or any hit.

Quote:

Once my shield takes 2 dents, I believe it can't be used to defend me as it becomes a 'broken' condition shield now.

Correct. You can no longer perform "raise shield" action, get +2AC, or use Shield Block.

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Does repairing shields cost money, if so, how much?

None as far as I know.

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I can only get a shield block vs damage max once per round so if a second enemy attacks me I can't take advantage of resisting up to 5 damage w my heavy steel shield?

Correct.

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But I would get the +2 AC still? I'm unsure bout this.

Until your next turn starts, you keep the +2 AC.

[Crexis]

Thanks for the reply Draco!

Just clarification on one point, once your shield is dented OR broken, am I able to repair the shield no problem? With quick repair I can repair it in 1 minute so I'd only need 1 shield (i assume magical down the line) and I could repair that 1 shield over and over again even if it's a 'broken' condition?

[Draco18s]

Crexis wrote:

Thanks for the reply Draco!

Just clarification on one point, once your shield is dented OR broken, am I able to repair the shield no problem? With quick repair I can repair it in 1 minute so I'd only need 1 shield (i assume magical down the line) and I could repair that 1 shield over and over again even if it's a 'broken' condition?

There's a skill check involved, at an unlisted DC, that might further damage the item (magic items can't be destroyed, though). But otherwise, presumably, yes.

[Crexis]

The pre-req for quick repair is crafting.

However I took the warrior background which gives me 'quick repair' for free so I didn't need that pre req. I have nothing in crafting but under crafting it says you can perform a check to repair without being trained in it.

I guess I need to put points under crafting to help repair. And the GM sets the DC - I just found it in rulebook how the GM goes about deciding on the DC on page 337!

Is broken the same as destroyed item or different? So I can repair broken shields but not destroyed. How would you get a shield to become destroyed?

On page 148 of rulebook it has a table: crafting progress per day. It has price amounts but this might not have anything to do with repairing.

Seems like crafting might be one of the most important skills to take if you use a shield.

[breithauptclan]

Draco18s wrote:

Quote:

I can only get a shield block vs damage max once per round so if a second enemy attacks me I can't take advantage of resisting up to 5 damage w my heavy steel shield?

Correct.

Yes. Though I think that is a limitation of the character rather than the limitation of a shield. A character typically only has one reaction each combat cycle that they can spend to do a shield block. I think there is a paladin(?) feat that gives you an additional reaction that can only be used for shield block. With that you could also use the regular reaction to shield block twice in a combat cycle.

Though maybe there is a restriction on the shield block reaction itself that says that it can only be used once per combat cycle.

[Draco18s]

breithauptclan wrote:

I think there is a paladin(?) feat that gives you an additional reaction that can only be used for shield block.

Fighter. It's called Quick Shield Block.

[Edge93]

Draco18s wrote:

breithauptclan wrote:

I think there is a paladin(?) feat that gives you an additional reaction that can only be used for shield block.

Fighter. It's called Quick Shield Block.

Paladins got it too in 1.6.

[Edge93]

Draco18s wrote:

Crexis wrote:

Thanks for the reply Draco!

Just clarification on one point, once your shield is dented OR broken, am I able to repair the shield no problem? With quick repair I can repair it in 1 minute so I'd only need 1 shield (i assume magical down the line) and I could repair that 1 shield over and over again even if it's a 'broken' condition?

There's a skill check involved, at an unlisted DC, that might further damage the item (magic items can't be destroyed, though). But otherwise, presumably, yes.

It's not exactly an unlisted DC. I don't recall exactly where it's outlined ATM but it is either the low or medium DC (I think Medium) for whatever level your shield is, with "Magic items using a higher category of difficulty at GM discretion". So if you invest in Crafting at all it's pretty easy as long as your GM doesn't stiff you on the DC if you have a magical shield.

[Edge93]

Crexis wrote:

The pre-req for quick repair is crafting.

However I took the warrior background which gives me 'quick repair' for free so I didn't need that pre req. I have nothing in crafting but under crafting it says you can perform a check to repair without being trained in it.

I guess I need to put points under crafting to help repair. And the GM sets the DC - I just found it in rulebook how the GM goes about deciding on the DC on page 337!

Is broken the same as destroyed item or different? So I can repair broken shields but not destroyed. How would you get a shield to become destroyed?

On page 148 of rulebook it has a table: crafting progress per day. It has price amounts but this might not have anything to do with repairing.

Seems like crafting might be one of the most important skills to take if you use a shield.

An item becomes destroyed when it is already broken and then would take another dent. You cannot destroy a shield by shield blocking since it being broken prevents additional blocking, so another effect would have to harm it. Or you ould have to crit fail a repair check.

As an aside, there are ways to have a shield that can survive more hits. The Sturdy Shield magic items have better Hardness than normal and can take one extra dent, so they don't break until 3 dents instead of 2. Paladins who choose Shield for their Divine Ally get an extra 2 hardness on their attuned shield and it can take a whopping 2 extra dents, requiring 4 dents to break. This stacks with Stury Shield, so a Shield Ally Paladin with a Sturdy Shield not only likely has great Hardness but takes a total of 5 dents to give the shield the broken condition.

[Draco18s]

Edge93 wrote:

Draco18s wrote:

breithauptclan wrote:

I think there is a paladin(?) feat that gives you an additional reaction that can only be used for shield block.

Fighter. It's called Quick Shield Block.

Paladins got it too in 1.6.

You're right, they did. I forgot to look there.