Planning a human devotion paladin that only uses a massive shield for both defense and offense. Going to take tavern brawler as the free feat on human, protection style on paladin, and shield master at level 4. I know I'll be sacrificing damage for this, but I've always wanted the concept of a pc that fights and defends with a massive towering shield.
1. Using the 2024 rules on tavern brawler could I use the shield as an improvised weapon?
2. Could the improvised weapon/shield count as a melee weapon for things like divine smite and sacred weapon RAW to help increase the damage of the improvised weapon?
Theoretically, looking to imbue the shield with radiant damage from sacred weapon, make my attack with it, then use shield master to bash and knock a target prone while leaving my bonus action free for offensive spells like divine smite or support spells to buff allies and guard them with protection fighting style.
1. Yes, you can use the Improvised Weapon rules with a shield in 5e. I believe there is a Crawford tweet about it somewhere, but I don't mess with "X.com" anymore, so you'll have to look that up yourself. Using Tavern Brawler, you can add your Prof bonus to attack rolls, and it'll do 1d4 + STR damage.
2. I am sure there might be some debate on the RAW of this. I'm sure some people will say "No, it isn't a Melee Weapon because it is an Improvised Weapon, and that is different." I can see the argument, but honestly for this as a DM I would allow it. With Tavern Brawler you are proficient with it as a weapon and you are using it as a melee weapon. Honestly, you are taking a hit in the damage output by not taking a weapon that deals more damage, so I don't see there being any harm in allowing it to be a melee weapon. If it were something that is specifically described as a Ranged Weapon but you are using it in a melee fashion, I could see being more of a stickler about it ("The spell specifies Melee Weapon...") but I'd still probably allow it, since you are sacrificing damage anyway.
I actually made a character called Shieldy McShieldface that used the Tavern Brawler and Dual Wielder feat to dual wield shields as his only weapons. Pretty fun character, if not optimized.
Using Tavern Brawler, you can add your Prof bonus to attack rolls, and it'll do 1d4 + STR damage.
No it won't because Enhanced Unarmed Strike works when you hit with your Unarmed Strike and deal damage, you can deal Bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 plus your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage of an Unarmed Strike.
Attacking with a Shield isn't an Unarmed Strike. So RAW Damage Rerolls and Push also don't apply.
Using Tavern Brawler, you can add your Prof bonus to attack rolls, and it'll do 1d4 + STR damage.
No it won't because Enhanced Unarmed Strike works when you hit with your Unarmed Strike and deal damage, you can deal Bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 plus your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage of an Unarmed Strike.
Attacking with a Shield isn't an Unarmed Strike. So RAW Damage Rerolls and Push also don't apply.
What? Attacking with a shield is using it as an Improvised Weapon. All improvised weapons do 1d4 damage (type up to the DM) unless they resemble an actual weapon (like a chair leg being used as a club).
As with all weapon attacks, you add your modifier, STR for melee and DEX for ranged (and I don't think we're assuming the Shield is a fineness weapon). I don't know where anything about Damage Rerolls or Push came from either.
It's worth noting this bit of the rules on Improvised Weapons:
Weapon Equivalents. If an improvised weapon resembles a Simple or Martial weapon, the DM may say it functions as that weapon and uses that weapon’s rules. For example, the DM could treat a table leg as a Club.
I don't think it's unreasonable to treat a shield as something similar to an existing weapon (maybe a mace?) especially if that's the character's whole Thing™, in which case it would be eligible for use with things like Divine Smite because we're pretending it's a weapon. It's a question for your DM to answer in the context of their particular table.
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Planning a human devotion paladin that only uses a massive shield for both defense and offense. Going to take tavern brawler as the free feat on human, protection style on paladin, and shield master at level 4. I know I'll be sacrificing damage for this, but I've always wanted the concept of a pc that fights and defends with a massive towering shield.
1. Using the 2024 rules on tavern brawler could I use the shield as an improvised weapon?
2. Could the improvised weapon/shield count as a melee weapon for things like divine smite and sacred weapon RAW to help increase the damage of the improvised weapon?
Theoretically, looking to imbue the shield with radiant damage from sacred weapon, make my attack with it, then use shield master to bash and knock a target prone while leaving my bonus action free for offensive spells like divine smite or support spells to buff allies and guard them with protection fighting style.
1. Yes, you can use the Improvised Weapon rules with a shield in 5e. I believe there is a Crawford tweet about it somewhere, but I don't mess with "X.com" anymore, so you'll have to look that up yourself. Using Tavern Brawler, you can add your Prof bonus to attack rolls, and it'll do 1d4 + STR damage.
2. I am sure there might be some debate on the RAW of this. I'm sure some people will say "No, it isn't a Melee Weapon because it is an Improvised Weapon, and that is different." I can see the argument, but honestly for this as a DM I would allow it. With Tavern Brawler you are proficient with it as a weapon and you are using it as a melee weapon. Honestly, you are taking a hit in the damage output by not taking a weapon that deals more damage, so I don't see there being any harm in allowing it to be a melee weapon. If it were something that is specifically described as a Ranged Weapon but you are using it in a melee fashion, I could see being more of a stickler about it ("The spell specifies Melee Weapon...") but I'd still probably allow it, since you are sacrificing damage anyway.
I actually made a character called Shieldy McShieldface that used the Tavern Brawler and Dual Wielder feat to dual wield shields as his only weapons. Pretty fun character, if not optimized.
1. While you can use a Shield as an Improvised Weapons, most of Tavern Brawler's benefits won't apply besides Improvised Weaponry.
2. No because a Shield is not a weapon.
No it won't because Enhanced Unarmed Strike works when you hit with your Unarmed Strike and deal damage, you can deal Bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 plus your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage of an Unarmed Strike.
Attacking with a Shield isn't an Unarmed Strike. So RAW Damage Rerolls and Push also don't apply.
What? Attacking with a shield is using it as an Improvised Weapon. All improvised weapons do 1d4 damage (type up to the DM) unless they resemble an actual weapon (like a chair leg being used as a club).
As with all weapon attacks, you add your modifier, STR for melee and DEX for ranged (and I don't think we're assuming the Shield is a fineness weapon). I don't know where anything about Damage Rerolls or Push came from either.
It's worth noting this bit of the rules on Improvised Weapons:
I don't think it's unreasonable to treat a shield as something similar to an existing weapon (maybe a mace?) especially if that's the character's whole Thing™, in which case it would be eligible for use with things like Divine Smite because we're pretending it's a weapon. It's a question for your DM to answer in the context of their particular table.
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