D&D 5E - Using shields with two-handed weapons (2024)

Apparently it was a historical thing

That video makes it look much more useful to a spear-wielder than a sword-wielder. How would you do this in D&D? Would you add it to the Shield Master feat or make it a Fighting Style or perhaps tweak the Great Weapon Master or Polearm Master feats? A new feat?

And what bonus would you give? I'm thinking a +1 bonus instead of +2.

FWIW, we already house-ruled a few things:

• Taking the Protection Fighting Style or the Shield Master feat allows you to don and doff a shield as a bonus action.
• Tower shields give +3 AC bonus.

When wielding a shield and trying to use a two-handed weapon I would either reduce the AC bonus by 1 or impose disadvantage on the attacks with the two-handed weapon. A feat could remove whatever penalty (reduced AC or disadvantage on attack) you want to impose.

DEFCON 1 said:

Since there's no functional mechanical difference between a shield and +2 magical armor (or +1 armor and the Defense style, or any combo that grants a +2 to your AC)... I would just treat the ability to use a shield while wielding a two-handed weapon to be possible at about whatever the time is you'd make +2 armor available to the PC. If they are proficient with two-handed weapons and proficient with shields... the option to use both simultaneously becomes available at some point in the leveling process and they can choose to go that route if they want. No reason to insist on them spending a feat to get it.

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The difference is said character will have a +4 to AC, not +2. She will have +2 for the magic armor that is now available and +2 more for the shield, unless of course you make the +2 armor not available in your campaign.

I want the buckler, the medium (kite) shield and tower shield (large) back.
I want the buckler to add +1 AC vs One attacker or two with shield mastery.
I want the medium shield to add +2 AC VS 3 or 4 attackers with shield mastery.
I want the Tower Shield (pavise) to add +3 AC vs 3 or 4 attackers with shield mastery.

It would be so fun to finally some good thing happening with shields.

Helldritch said:

I want the buckler, the medium (kite) shield and tower shield (large) back.
I want the buckler to add +1 AC vs One attacker or two with shield mastery.
I want the medium shield to add +2 AC VS 3 or 4 attackers with shield mastery.
I want the Tower Shield (pavise) to add +3 AC vs 3 or 4 attackers with shield mastery.

It would be so fun to finally some good thing happening with shields.

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I agree. Some shield variation would be nice.

Hiya!

Quartz said:

Apparently it was a historical thing;

That video makes it look much more useful to a spear-wielder than a sword-wielder. How would you do this in D&D? Would you add it to the Shield Master feat or make it a Fighting Style or perhaps tweak the Great Weapon Master or Polearm Master feats? A new feat?
And what bonus would you give? I'm thinking a +1 bonus instead of +2.

Click to expand...

We're playing D&D...not Harnmaster or some other "semi-serious focus on medieval combat" type RPG.
I wouldn't let it go as a base "Ok, sure". At BEST I'd allow someone to be able to switch from 'defense' to 'offense' at the cost of their Bonus action... BEFORE they take a full action (like, say, Attack). I'd also require the character to be using a weapon with the Versatile trait (so, 1-h or 2-h use, like a Bastard Sword). If they aren't using their weapon 1-handed, they get no benefit to the shield (including any magical adjustment/abilities it may have).

Effectively, it's a "you don't have to spend a full action to get your shield off your back and strap it to your arm"...but it does use up your Bonus action if you want to switch 'tactics'.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

DM Dave1 said:

I agree. Some shield variation would be nice.

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Something like this?