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So, the concept I threw together here is actually one that has interested me for a while. I'd like to make a warrior of some kind that only uses a shield—sometimes offensively, but really focuses on defense, being a bastion that doesn't break.
What's the closest we can get to that in 2E, do you think? Even a warrior with the shield who can also heal her allies would be cool.
I imagine playing a champion could work very well. Ultimately, being solely defensive can make combat a little difficult, but being a combat medic using Lay on Hands and using a shield to defend allies could work very easily. Your milage may very
I didn't see: do we have any idea whether there are any abilities or items to make shields into Captain America-style bashing and throwing offense?
I am not sure but I think that any fighter feat that works with a one handed weapon can be used with a shield and by shield I mean attacking with the shield.
In the defensive, in the play test at least, they could get more reactions to block and had one stance that made them always having the shield up and give the shield benefits to reflex saves.
I imagine playing a champion could work very well. Ultimately, being solely defensive can make combat a little difficult, but being a combat medic using Lay on Hands and using a shield to defend allies could work very easily. Your milage may very
I think fighter gets a bonus to shields so redeemer champion for armor mutliclassed into Fighter for the best probably. You could boost con and dex too
Champion multiclass Fighter should work great for this. Those are the two classes with the best shield feats and Champion's Divine Ally can make your shield super durable.
I'm looking at a Captain America monk/fighter or monk/champion for one of my first builds, and I know I've seen a number of folks who are also interested in shield based builds. So you're not alone in wanting to investigate this stuff.
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You could do it in the playtest, really. Shield boss or shield spikes could be attached to a shield to make it a d6 martial weapon. That's admittedly not great damage and it seems a little risky if your shield gets broken because you have then lost your weapon maybe. So not optimal, but doable.
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I think the character, Brea, would be on a quest to find an unbreakable shield so that she could defend the entire world! Bonus points if it looks like the Hylian Shield.
Well unbreakable shields were also a thing in the playtest, and a 20th level Champion's shield would be restored to them each morning even if it was completely destroyed. So seems good on that front?
I would say fighter that multiclasses into the Champion could work. You could probably use one handed weapon feats or maybe use the twohanded weapon track/feat for bigger shield.
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You could add runes to a shield boss/spike, and there is a "returning clasp", but you need the quick draw feat from some non champion class. No clue as to thrown properties
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In the playtest, one of my players main character (as in, for adventures 1, 4 and 7) was a Paladin of Irori who fought using a shield, and unarmed strikes with their empty hand. It's not exactly what you're going for here but it was pretty darn awesome as a character concept and worked well with the playtest rules :)
If we ever get a brawler remake. They worked really well for that in PF1.
I would actually put Naofumi as a Witch with the shield as his familiar and some Barbarian multiclassing for his durability and Wrath powers.
A lot of the Shield abilities could map as hexes and he isn't exactly a martial type. He more gets in the way of the enemy while his companions brawl, though he is good at that.
Of course, as a mythic type almost unique in the world hero the shield probably gives him feats as event rewards as well as leveling, so he is a special case.
The other wrinkle is that he cannot use any weapon other than his shield, so some allowances might need to be made.
Totally didn't homebrew some feats specifically for this idea... ~glances at other thread~ :P
Yeah, Fighter out of the box can fight single shield very effectively by combining free hand feats with shield feats, especially multiclassed with Monk. I think the only things you'd need to complete the Captain America feel is a way to throw your shield and a way to flurry with it. ~glances at other thread again~ ;)
But while I don't think gonzo shield hurling is likely to be in the core rules, all other evidence indicates that "single weapon shield bash" is a very solid Fighter build.