New Feat: Shielded Archery

[Tsidkenu]

Based on this intriguing article I was reading today about ancient Greek & Scythian archery, I was wondering if this could be incorporated in the NWN2 engine and/or BGTSCC specifically? The idea is to give underutilised shortbows a unique niche of specialisation.

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Shielded Archery

Type of Feat: General
Prerequisites: BAB +4, STR 13, Weapon Focus Shortbow & Shield Proficiency

While utilising a shortbow, you have now received sufficient training and combat experience to simultaneously equip a buckler (rimless pelte) or heavy shield (hoplon) on your bow arm. Equipping a heavy shield will effect a -4 attack penalty due to the fatigue involved with having both shield and weapon on the one arm. This attack penalty is reduced to -2 if a buckler is used instead.

This feat will not work with longbows, crossbows or tower shields.

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Agile Shield Fighter

Type of Feat: General
Prerequisites: Shield Bash OR Shielded Archery, DEX 13, Shield Specialisation.

When making a shield bash and armed strike attack as part of a full attack action, your attack penalty is reduced by 2.

This feat will also reduce the penalties of heavy shield and buckler usage with Shielded Archery to -2 and 0 respectively.

[Lockonnow]

we want more more more

[Tsidkenu]

Such a shame. That would have been an interesting feat steeped in real-world history.

Perhaps a modified version could eliminate ranged weapon penalties from firing arrows from behind allies blocking your vision while simultaneously leeching Shield AC from that same ally?

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Shielded Archery

Type of Feat: General
Prerequisites: BAB +4, DEX 17, Weapon Focus Shortbow & Shield Proficiency

While utilising a shortbow, you have now received sufficient training and combat experience to position yourself perfectly to fire from behind an ally's shield.

This feat negates all shortbow range and obstruction penalties whilst attacking from behind a shielded ally, and grants 1/2 their total shield AC to you. For example, a Fighter using a regular Tower Shield (+4 Shield AC) would grant you +2 Shield AC whilst also eliminating penalties for attacking from behind that ally. You must be within 5 feet of your ally for the bonuses to apply.

[Aeb Ankor]

Or a shortbow and shield visual that requires both bows proficiency and shield use, but just adds shield (or other) AC as a modifier to a line of otherwise normal/magical shortbows. So it is technically not a shield needed to be held in off-hand slot.

[metaquad4]

I'm not sure how shield bash would work, but. . .


Would it be possible to create a feat that acts as a "clickie". You use this clickie on a shield, then gain shield AC equal to how much that shield would give (as an enhancement bonus). You'd also gain the malnus described in the feat (and other feats would affect this malnus, as described).