Are these two homebrew shields balanced?

Question

I remember being impressed with this question, although it was closed as too broad for asking about too many things in one go. I left a comment at the time about asking less, and coming back to this later, I've decided to have a go at asking this. Note that I've also taken a look at this question about a homebrew tower shield.

This is partly based on NWN2, a video game that uses 3.5e rules, so I assume shields were broken up similarly in 3.5e, but I only know that game. In that game, there were "light shields" (i.e. "bucklers"), "heavy shields" and "tower shields".

In short, I wanted to introduce a "light shield" and "tower shield", keeping the RAW 5e shield as a "heavy shield". See below for the table comparing AC and pricing, similar to the official table and the above linked question about a tower shield.

\$\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline \textbf{Armor Name} & \textbf{Cost} & \textbf{Armor Class} & \textbf{Strength} & \textbf{Stealth} & \textbf{Weight} \\ \hline \text{Light shield} & 5\,\text{gp} & +1 & \text{N/A} & \text{N/A} & 2\,\text{lb.} \\ \hline \text{Heavy shield} & 10\,\text{gp} & +2 & \text{N/A} & \text{N/A} & 6\,\text{lb.} \\ \hline \text{Tower shield} & 50\,\text{gp} & +3 & 15 & \text{Disadvantage} & 45\,\text{lb.} \\ \hline \end{array} \$

In addition to the above table:

• I wanted it to be possible for the light shield to be donned and doffed as a bonus action (since otherwise why would anyone want it over a heavy shield?)

• I wanted the tower shield to have the restriction that you needed to be proficient with heavy armor and shields, otherwise you cannot benefit from it and trying to use it imposes the same penalties as with not having proficiency with armor (from Armor Proficiency):

  Armor Proficiency. Anyone can put on a suit of armor or strap a shield to an arm. Only those proficient in the armor's use know how to wear it effectively, however. Your class gives you proficiency with certain types of armor. If you wear armor that you lack proficiency with, you have disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity, and you can't cast spells.

So, my question is, are my new light shield and tower shield balanced? Meaning, are there any problems from having a light shield that you can don with a bonus action for the cost of -1 AC compared to a RAW shield (what I'm now calling the heavy shield)? Are my restrictions on the tower shield enough to justify basically being able to buy a +1 shield (albeit a nonmagical one), or is it still too strong even so?

(I also considered adding a Strength requirement to the "heavy shield", like 13 or even just 10, but that kinda screws over Dexterity based medium armor wearing shield users, so I decided against it, but I could be easily swayed into reconsidering it; possibly a separate question to this one, though.)

Answer 1

Light shields interact strangely with ranged characters

If you have shield proficiency and primarily attack with a ranged weapon - say, a longbow fighter - you should usually spend your first turn's bonus action donning a light shield. You can then start your second turn by doffing it, granting you +1 to AC between your first and second turns. Alternatively, you could always walk around with a light shield and doff it as soon as your first turn comes around.

This feels weird narratively, but probably isn't too unbalanced in a game with feats. Optimal ranged characters typically take the Crossbow Expert feat, which also uses your bonus action. Therefore, the strange shoot-don-doff-shoot sequence will probably only happen before level 4, when Crossbow Expert is typically taken (for every race but variant humans).

Suggested fix

If this interaction is undesirable, it could mostly be resolved with a sentence or two:

You may use a bonus action on your turn to don or doff a light shield, provided that you don't attack with a two-handed weapon (or a versatile weapon used with two hands) during the same turn.

This does prevent characters from doffing their shield, dropping their melee weapon, drawing a bow, and shooting something. Though, they could do so with a hand crossbow.

Tower shields are strictly better in typical games

Heavy armor shield-users will almost always want a tower shield, assuming they can carry and afford it. A heavy armor character with 16 Strength can carry 240 pounds by the standard lifting and carrying rules. Plate plus a tower shield is only 110 pounds, leaving plenty of headroom for other gear.

Affording a tower shield is also unlikely to be a problem in most games. They cost the same as a potion of healing, and I'd definitely prefer +1 AC forever over 2d4+2 healing once.

Suggested fix

Tower shields likely need some significant drawback to make up for their AC bonus. For example:

While wielding a tower shield, your speed is reduced by 10 feet. This reduction in speed cannot be prevented by non-magical means. Additionally, you cannot wield a tower shield while mounted.

The second sentence is primarily there to make it clear that dwarves still suffer a speed reduction. You could also consider half-movement, but I believe that a 10-foot speed reduction is enough. I have never seen a character wear armor if they didn't meet the Strength requirement, so trading +1 AC for 10 feet of movement speed is clearly a significant drawback.

Additionally, tower shields should probably be slightly more expensive. Upgrading from chain mail (typical starting heavy armor) to splint costs 200 gp, and grants +1 to AC. That cost is reduced to 162.5 gp if you can sell your chain mail. Given the additional movement drawback, I would price a tower shield at 150 gp.

I believe that these adjustments would provide significant-enough drawbacks to reduce tower shields from "must pick" to "sometimes pick".

Answer 2

Light shields look balanced, Tower shields do not

The light shield is an interesting option and I think that may be balanced. You're trading One AC for the ability to more quickly don/doff the shield. That makes some narrative sense and gives an option for a build that doesn't want to be beholden to wearing their shield at all times or losing action economy to don/doff it.

The Tower shield is where things get tricky. I can't really come up with a case where any heavy Plate Armor wearing, shield using character would ever pick the Heavy Shield over the Tower Shield. Its a free +1 AC. In order to make this a decision that needs to be made, you need a trade-off. Given the size of the shield, reducing speed seems plausible (I think half is probably reasonable), or you can make it take an action or bonus action maybe to "plant" the shield for the +1. I don't love the latter because it's more to track. THese are just some ideas, but you can think more about what you think is a reasonable and real trade-off that needs to be made for that extra AC.

Magic Shields

It gets a bit trickier as Magic Shields are treated more like magic weapons in their Rarity. By providing a magic Light/Tower shield, that also fundamentally changes how powerful they are. I'd recommend treating shield rarity more like armor rarity. The +X variations for magic shields should be the same rarity level as the +X variations for armor.