Goodman Games

So dwarves automatically receive a shield bash if they are using one because the excel at this type of combat. I can already see my players looking at this and going I want to bash with my shield as well. And I have trouble saying no because it makes sense to me that if you have a shield in you hand you would be able to do it. The dwarf uses a d14 for their shield bash. From my reading they always get one shield bash as long as a shield is in hand no matter how many attacks they get.

So I am thinking about allowing the use of a shield and give a shield bash by using the two weapon fighting rules. It would lower their attack die on their main hand to d16 and d14 for the shield with the appropriate agility. Lower agility would of course give more penalties to the die rolled as per two weapon fighting. This would keep the dwarf on top with his ability to use and wield shields but allow a warrior who wanted to do the same thing the ability to do so. This would allow a mighty deed with either sword or shield.

The other option would be to allow them to bash as a mighty deed.

In application if I allowed the mighty deed as a shield bash I would possibly allow the eventually training to go the first route.

It seems to me that at lower level the mighty deed route would be the most effective. It wouldn't happen every round but the player suffers the least drawback. They can't perform a different Deed if they are shield bashing this round.

Later in the game the second option would be better, I think, in that they will have multiple attacks and can perform a mighty deed with both weapon and shield.

Has this come up for anyone else? If not, how would you handle it if it did?

-Stretch

Personally, I would go the route of using the Mighty Deed to pull it off at all levels. IMHO, that's the game mechanic put there to cover things like this, and it keeps things simple.

But doesn't the Bash do damage, whereas the Deed is not intended to do extra damage?

Personally, I'd think the two-weapon fighting is closer to the goal. Or you simply have to choose: "are you going to swing your sword or bash with your shield? Yes, the Halfling can do two attacks, and yes, the Dwarf can Bash with the shield and swing a weapon, but you aren't a Halfling nor a Dwarf. You aren't built that way, you aren't trained that way..." And then when the Warrior has two Action Dice, tah-dah!, they can basically do the sword and board thing, if they want to.

I mean, "Hey! I want to cast spells too! Why not?"...

I had forgotten that the basic rule of mighty deeds are to not do damage, normally. Which leans me to the two-handed weapon fighting. And while as I could give an either you bash or swing, and I might do that as they are training the skill up, I also look at other warriors, like vikings, who would probably use a shield and weapon at times. The drawback of the two-weapon fighting is that if they do not have enough agility they have a lower hit die as well as possibly losing the ability to crit with their main hand and with their shield hand they will never crit. Which is why I was drawn to that mechanic.

It may be possible to let them do one or the other. If they want to bash for no damage but other effects they go mighty deeds. If they want the extra damage they fight as if using two weapons with all rules applying. That way they get to chose what best fits their play style.

And if they really want to cast spells too....why sure you can make an attempt at reading the wizards spell book and casting a spell. I'm sure the whole party will back away and plan for how they are going to tell his mother how he blew himself up. The question is who tells the mage they let the warrior borrow his spell book while he was in the crapper.....

-Stretch

it may be worth implementing that they don't get the AC bonus of the shield following using it to bash. This keeps the Dwarf's ability superior, and steps a little more lightly on his toes thereby.

I like that. Fits the whole "don't say no, say yes, but...." that I like when I am playing.

Surely the most logical answer is that this is covered by 'two weapon' fighting; the off hand weapon in this case being a shield? So the answer is not 'no' it's 'yes; provided you are happy to take the necessary modifiers to attack dice, criticals and so on'

To do anything else is to nerf the Dwarf and/or Halfling, the Warrior is already the best in combat, he can't have it all ways.