Shield Bonus to Touch AC

[TarionzCousin]

Why isn't a character's shield (or the Shield spell) counted as part of the Touch AC?

In a fight, don't you want Joe Monster to hit your shield instead of hitting you? I do. I also want Joe Monster to not be rewarded, i.e. damage my body, for only hitting my shield.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Why isn't a character's shield (or the Shield spell) counted as part of the Touch AC?

In a fight, don't you want Joe Monster to hit your shield instead of hitting you? I do. I also want Joe Monster to not be rewarded, i.e. damage my body, for only hitting my shield.

Because Touch AC doesn't represent how hard you are to damage your body, it represents how hard you are to be touched. If it touches your armor, it touches you. Therefore, if it touches your shield, it touches you. By your logic, why doesn't armor add to your touch AC?

That being said, there ARE feats that allow you to add your shield bonus to your touch AC.

 

[Drowbane]

That being said, there ARE feats that allow you to add your shield bonus to your touch AC.

Such as...?

 

[Rhun]

Such as...?

I think it is called Shield Ward, but I could be wrong. Or maybe it is Active SHield Defense. It is one of the PHB2 shield feats, anyway.

 

[backbeat]

It's a tough logical problem. I see what you mean: touching the shield isn't touching you so shield bonus should count to touch AC. However, touching Armor isn't touching you either, so should armor bonus count to touch AC as well?

Most touch attacks make sense in counting armor and shield as part of the target. If you are trying to grapple someone, it doesn't matter if you grab a breastplate, a sandal or a shield, the point is you have them. The same is true for acid splashes, or magical ray attacks.

Taking 2 feats (shield spec. and shield ward IIRC) to get shield to touch AC (and +1 shield bonus) makes sense. I view this as being able parry with a shield rather than just let people hit it.

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

Shield Specialization and Shield Ward (both PHBII) give you a shield bonus to touch AC.

My S&B fighter was crazy effective with those two feats.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Shield Specialization and Shield Ward (both PHBII) give you a shield bonus to touch AC.

Molto grazie!

 

[frankthedm]

Why isn't a character's shield (or the Shield spell) counted as part of the Touch AC?

Because most touch effect just need to contact you OR your stuff. The black life-sucking beam is not stopped by your cloths or your armor, so your shield is of little use either. Whatever mystical connection between you and you stuff that usually protect it while you posses it {why your stuff only gets damaged on reflex saves of a natural 1], also lets those touch attacks get to you by contacting your things.

In a fight, don't you want Joe Monster to hit your shield instead of hitting you? I do. I also want Joe Monster to not be rewarded, i.e. damage my body, for only hitting my shield.

Then Joe Monster wants to damage your shield if he does not get to damage you!

 

[TarionzCousin]

Shield Specialization and Shield Ward (both PHBII) give you a shield bonus to touch AC.

(After looking in the PHB2). Shield Specialization doesn't affect Touch AC. It only improves your Shield bonus, which is not useful vs. Touch Attacks.
"When you are the target of a touch attack, your AC doesn’t include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus." http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#touchAttacks

Because most touch effect just need to contact you OR your stuff. The black life-sucking beam is not stopped by your clothes or your armor, so your shield is of little use either. Whatever mystical connection between you and you stuff that usually protect it while you possess it {why your stuff only gets damaged on reflex saves of a natural 1}, also lets those touch attacks get to you by contacting your things.

Ahhh, once again I am stymied by realism vs. abstractionism. I know that D&D is an abstract fantasy game that resembles realism, but in certain arenas, my real-world experience surges forward to protest and I feel wronged somehow. :\

Note: On most days, I don't usually wear a shield.

Then Joe Monster wants to damage your shield if he does not get to damage you!

That Joe Monster is mean. I wish he would just go play Hackmaster instead.

 

[Azlan]

According to the rules, a shield gives a "shield" bonus to AC, whereas a suit of armor gives an "armor" bonus to AC. Neither bonus to AC is counted vs. a touch attack.

However, I could see a DM house-ruling it that a "shield" bonus counts toward a touch attack, while an "armor" bonus does not, since a shield's function is more to deflect an attack, than it is to absorb it (whereas the function of armor is vice versa).

BTW: In my campaign, to simplify things, I've folded "shield" bonus into "deflection" bonus, thereby getting rid at least one of the named bonuses. So, for example, the AC bonuses for an equipped shield and a Shield of Faith spell do not stack, since both are now considered deflection bonuses. Likewise, a character channot gain the AC bonuses from both his equipped shield and any cover he's positioned behind; instead, he can only gain the higher of the two.