This came up on the GitP forums, but I thought I'd have fun with it. The idea here is a series of houserules that make Sword and Board viable. Currently, only shield only is viable, and only when using very specific abilities (Shield Counter, Shield Block, Shield Slam, Shield Charge). The idea is for sword and board to be roughly on par with TWF and THF, at least enough that it's worth building characters around this idea. I'm a big fan of shields protecting allies and debuffing enemies, as a way of them being different from TWF and THF while still being useful. Note also that I generally roll TWF, ITWF, and GTWF into one feat anyway.
1) Shield Ward is simply a basic rule of shields, not a feat. Shield bonuses to AC are always bonuses to touch AC, in addition to giving a bonus to resisting Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, Overrun, and Trip attempts. Furthermore, the shield bonus increases reflex saves against area effects. This also applies to feats that increase said bonus (so Shield Specialization also boosts everything else).
2) The base bonus for all shields other than bucklers is increased by one (so Light shields give +2 to AC and Heavy give +3, for example).
New Feats:
Shield Ally [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Proficiency with Light and Heavy Shields, BAB +1
When you wield a shield, all allies within the area you threaten normally (without reach weapons) gain a bonus to their touch AC, reflex saves against area effects, and checks to resist Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, Overrun and Trip attempts equal to your shield bonus. Note that this bonus does not stack with itself, so if two characters with Shield Ally are next to a third character, that character will take the better of the two bonuses only. This bonus explicitly stacks with the bonus given by the Shield Block maneuver.
Shield and Pike Style [Fighter, Weapon Style] (note: this is a combination of the existing Shield and Pike style feat with the Phallanx Fighting feat)
Prerequisites: Proficiency with Light and Heavy Shields, Proficiency with Simple and Martial Weapons, Base Attack Bonus +1, Shield Ally
You may wield a Piercing Two Handed Polearm with Reach with which you have proficiency in one hand if you are wielding a light, heavy, or exotic shield in the other hand.
If you are fighting with a polearm in one hand and a shield in the other and are adjacent to an ally who is also doing so, you may form a Shield Wall with all allies who are doing so. All members of the shield wall gain a bonus to their touch AC, reflex saves against area effects, and checks to resist Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, Overrun and Trip attempts equal to the number of members of the shield wall adjacent to them. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Shield Ally where applicable.
Agile Shield Fighter [Fighter] (Note: update of the existing feat)
Prerequisites: Proficiency in Light and Heavy Shields, Improved Shield Bash
Your penalty for fighting with two weapons simultaneously when one of those weapons is a shield bash is -2. As part of a full round attack, you may make a single attack with your shield bash in addition to your mainhand attacks. If your BAB is +6 or higher, you make a second attack with your shield bash at an additional -5 to hit. If your BAB is +11 or higher, you may make a third attack with your shield bash at an additional -10 to hit.
Sword and Board Style [Fighter, Tactical, Style]
Prerequisites: Proficiency with Light and Heavy Shields, Improved Shield Bash, Agile Shield Fighter, proficiency with simple and martial weapons, BAB +6
You may use the following 3 tactical maneuvers
Followup Slam: When you critically hit an opponent with a weapon other than your shield while also wielding a shield, you may make a shield bash as a free action. If this attack hits, your opponent is stunned for one round (Fortitude Save Negates, DC is strength based).
Implacable Advance: When fighting defensively or using Combat Expertise while wielding a shield, your shield bonus is doubled.
Relentless Assault: When your stun, daze, slow, or trip an opponent as a result of a shield slam attack, you gain a bonus to hit equal to you're shield's bonus on all attacks you make with melee weapons other than your shield for one round.
Shielded Collision [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Improved Shield Bash, Power Attack, Shield Charge, Shield Slam, Improved Bull Rush, BAB +6
When you hit an opponent with a Shield Bash while using Power Attack, you may make a free Bull Rush, with a bonus equal to your Power Attack damage bonus. You do not provoke an attack of Opportunity, nor may you move with the enemy you knock backwards. If the enemy cannot move back the full distance (due to an obstacle, usually) they are slowed for one round (as the spell, Fortitude negates, DC is strength based). A character with the Knockback feat may not use that feat with any attack where this feat is used.
It's a little clunky, but it might make shields into a valid style (and I'm hoping both Sword and Board style and Shield and Spear style will be somewhat useful). You've got a nice combination of mobility, debuffing, and ally protection... not as much damage as THF, and you can't be quite as much of a crit monkey as TWF, but it's got its own place I think. Thoughts?
JaronK