Return to Answer

There are no rules for specifically attacking with a shield.

You could model it by using the improvised weapon rules, and say that a shield does 1d4+STR bludgeoning damage. You would then have to rule on whether it is a light weapon or a finesse weapon, and so on, to answer questions like "does a rogue get sneak attack damage when attacking with a shield?" and "does two-weapon fighting apply to attacking with a shield?" and "can an Eldritch Knight bond with a shield?".

In my game, however, a shield bash is covered by the unarmed rules. The reason I did this is to separate things you pick up and drop (improvised weapons) from things you wear (gauntlets, boots, helm, shield). It also meant I didn't have to worry about the questions in the previous paragraph. :-)

I rule that unarmed attacks do 1+STR damage for no armour and light armour, 2+STR damage for medium armour and/or shield, 3+STR for heavy armour. I figure that a headbutt or elbow strike while wearing plate should hurt more.

Unarmed strikes (including my rule of shield bashing) are not weapons, so they don't trigger some feats and features.

Note that the game does have a rule called "shield bash". It is not an attack, however, it is a shove contest granted by the Shield Mastery feat.

There are no rules for specifically attacking with a shield.

There are two options you could use: improvised weapon and unarmed attack.

Improvised Weapon

You could say that a shield is an improvised weapon doing, say, 1d4+STR bludgeoning damage. 

You would then have to rule on whether it is a light weapon or a finesse weapon, and so on, to answer questions like "does a rogue get sneak attack damage when attacking with a shield?" and "does two-weapon fighting apply to attacking with a shield?" and "can an Eldritch Knight bond with a shield?".

You should also think about helms and gauntlets and boots and so on. If a shield is an improvised weapon then what about a helm (you can head butt a foe with it)? Does this mean an Eldritch Knight can weapon-bond with their magical helm?

Unarmed combat

You could say a shield bash is covered by the unarmed rules (my personal ruling).

This separates things you pick up and drop (improvised weapons) from things you wear (gauntlets, boots, helm, shield). This means that attacking someone with a shield is mechanically the same as attacking them with a helm (head butt) or armour (elbow strike, knee strike) or gauntlets (punch) or boots (kick). It means you can say "no" straight away when the player of an eldritch knight asks to weapon-bond with their magical gauntlets that they use to punch people.

I rule that unarmed attacks do 1+STR damage for no armour and light armour, 2+STR damage for medium armour and/or shield, 3+STR for heavy armour. I figure that a headbutt or elbow strike while wearing plate should hurt more.

Unarmed strikes are not weapons, so they don't trigger some feats and features.

Notes

The game does have a rule called "shield bash". It is not an attack, however. It is a shove granted by the Shield Mastery feat.

There are no rules for specifically attacking with a shield.

You could model it by using the improvised weapon rules, and say that a shield does 1d4+STR bludgeoning damage.

In my game, however, a shield bash is covered by the unarmed rules.

  The reason I did this is to separate things you pick up and drop (improvised weapons) from things you wear (gauntlets, boots, helm, shield).

I rule that unarmed attacks do 1+STR damage for no armour and light armour, 2+STR damage for medium armour and/or shield, 3+STR for heavy armour. I figure that a headbutt or elbow strike while wearing plate should hurt more.

Unarmed strikes (including my rule of shield bashing) are not weapons, so they don't trigger some feats and features.

Note that the game does have a rule called "shield bash". It is not an attack, however, it is a shove contest granted by the Shield Mastery feat.

There are no rules for specifically attacking with a shield.

You could model it by using the improvised weapon rules, and say that a shield does 1d4+STR bludgeoning damage. You would then have to rule on whether it is a light weapon or a finesse weapon, and so on, to answer questions like "does a rogue get sneak attack damage when attacking with a shield?" and "does two-weapon fighting apply to attacking with a shield?" and "can an Eldritch Knight bond with a shield?".

In my game, however, a shield bash is covered by the unarmed rules. The reason I did this is to separate things you pick up and drop (improvised weapons) from things you wear (gauntlets, boots, helm, shield). It also meant I didn't have to worry about the questions in the previous paragraph. :-)

I rule that unarmed attacks do 1+STR damage for no armour and light armour, 2+STR damage for medium armour and/or shield, 3+STR for heavy armour. I figure that a headbutt or elbow strike while wearing plate should hurt more.

Unarmed strikes (including my rule of shield bashing) are not weapons, so they don't trigger some feats and features.

Note that the game does have a rule called "shield bash". It is not an attack, however, it is a shove contest granted by the Shield Mastery feat.

In my game, I have ruled that a shield bash is covered by the unarmed rules. An unarmed attack is a punch or kick or elbow strike or head butt or shield bash or whatever.

I rule that unarmed attacks do 1+STR damage for no armour and light armour, 2+STR damage for medium armour and/or shield, 3+STR for heavy armour. I figure that a headbutt or elbow strike while wearing plate should hurt more.

Unarmed strikes (including my rule of shield bashing) are not weapons, so they don't trigger some feats and features.

There are no rules for specifically attacking with a shield.

You could model it by using the improvised weapon rules, and say that a shield does 1d4+STR bludgeoning damage.

In my game, however, a shield bash is covered by the unarmed rules.

The reason I did this is to separate things you pick up and drop (improvised weapons) from things you wear (gauntlets, boots, helm, shield).

I rule that unarmed attacks do 1+STR damage for no armour and light armour, 2+STR damage for medium armour and/or shield, 3+STR for heavy armour. I figure that a headbutt or elbow strike while wearing plate should hurt more.

Unarmed strikes (including my rule of shield bashing) are not weapons, so they don't trigger some feats and features.

Note that the game does have a rule called "shield bash". It is not an attack, however, it is a shove contest granted by the Shield Mastery feat.