Shield Efficiency [Fighter]
You find it a bit wasteful to devote an entire arm to using a shield when your hand is technically free. So you use a weapon and a shield simultaneously.Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, Strength 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Proficiency with the weapon and shield.Benefit: You may use a hand holding a shield to hold a weapon at the same time. You must be proficient with both the shield and the weapon, and cannot use a tower shield with this feat. The arm is treated as a double weapon, giving the shield bonus when shielding, and the weapon attack when attacking (one or the other).
Example: Lorre, a 12th level Fighter, has a Longsword-Heavy Steel Shield and a throwing Dagger. He attacks with sword, throws dagger with other hand, then blocks with shield (+2 bonus to armor until next turn). However, if he did not block with the final attack, or counter an attack of opportunity with the shield, the bonus would not be accounted for.Normal: You can't hold a shield and weapon in the same hand, even though the shield is technically held on your forearm.Special: The shielded arm cannot wield two-handed weapons or use ranged weapons (including throwing), and requires a standard action to arm or disarm (instead of a move).
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