So to put this in context, the game world I run has mostly characters from levels 1 to 6. I like to try to keep it real.

In addition to that, bonuses from the big six magic items are handed out as skill bonuses as the character levels. By 6th level, I usually give characters +3 AC an +1 strike and damage. Every character gets these same bonuses, two handed weapons and sword and board alike.

This has lead to a bigger power gap between THF and sword and board, sense the THF gets all that extra damage AND the enhancement bonuses to AC you would normally need a shield to get.

The AC bonus with a shield can be boosted some by feats, but for the most part its only good if you are attacking with it all the time.

To balance things out, I wanted to add something on for the shield guys.

I mostly perceive hit points, and my players agree, as skill, luck and divine favor - the overall ability to protect yourself during a fight(We have odd healing rules as well).

I was thinking that sense THF do about 50% more damage than the sword and shield guy, I could just give the guys with shields 50% more HP, provided they aren't attacking with them.

What do you think?

As an added rule, I could tell them to keep the extra HP in a separate area, and if they ever put down or attack with their shield, they lose access to their shield HP for 3 turns (or something). When their shield HP comes back, its based on their current regular HP.

Shield Health - House Rule

When a character picks up a shield and uses it without attacking or putting it down, he gains a number of temporary HP equal to 50% of his current health. These HP are recorded separately and are not depleted until the character loses all of his other hit points. At that point, damage comes off of his shield HP.

Should the character attack with his shield, put it down, or be disarmed of it without immediately recovering, his shield health total is reset to 50% of his current total.

For example, Fredrick Thornleaf the 2nd level elven fighter has 20 HP. When he goes into battle, he takes a shield and so gains 10 points of shield health. After taking 22 points of damage from a barbarian's 2 handed sword, he is reduced to 0 health in his main pool and 8 health in his secondary.

In a fight later that day, Fredrick finds himself in a fight with a couple skeletons. Finding his sword ineffective, he kills one with his shield. Fredrick had been reduced to 10 HP during that fight, so when he made the decision to attack with his shield, his shield health was reduced from 10 to 5.

Should a character with 0 HP and some remaining shield health be relieved of his shield, he is returned to 1 hp and 0 shield health, even if he picks it back up.

What do you think?

The 50% extra dmg <-> +50% hp reasoning seems over simplified, but I think the general idea to provide hp boosts to those fighting defensively is sound. Heck, 4E is all over the place with temporary hit points, but it usually requires your character to hit things to attain them, not avoid them (cf. the Armiger in Iron Heroes).

Here's a 3.x mechanism (rule variant from Unearthed Arcana) you might want to lean on in developing your idea further:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/vitalityAndWoundPoints.htm

In any case, I'd seriously reconsider the flat 50% allocation in favour of something that's both less generous and more dynamic (i.e. tied into per round allocation of extra hp). And oh, try to keep everyone at ease by not - I repeat, not - ever calling it healing surges or Second Wind.

Hey, thanks for the SRD link. I've always had mixed feelings about UA. Our groups HP system is basically the same as Palladium's: HP post first level is SDC, meaning it comes back with 5 minutes rest provided you didn't take and HP damage. HP damage can only be magically healed after SDC is healed.

The DR vs. AC rules in UA are basically just a way of making two handed weapon users way better.

I know it is an over simplification, but think about it like this:

First level guy with one handed longsword, 18 strength, and power attack deals 1d8+4+2 for an average of 10.5

A first level guy with a two handed sword and the same attributes and feats deals 2d6+6+3 for an average of 16, about 50% more. That extra damage is going to get used way more than the extra health, sense the PCs usually win anyway. On top of that, dead enemies can't deal damage so the two handed guy gets attacked for fewer rounds.

My games only go to level 6, so if it gets wonky after that, I won't run into it.

Eh, I just did a more complicated analysis. I still don't like the shield but my house rule isn't good either. Oh well.

Instead of temp HP, try damage reductions or extra AC bonuses. Damage reductions could be fractional (e.g. one-third off damage) or numerical (e.g. 5 points off damage received). More sensible to have fractional. Or, simply a 1 in 3 chance that any blow struck will glance off the shield (roll d6, 1-2 = save).

Bear in mind that if you add 50% to a number, then you want to reduce that number by a proportion to get it down to the original number, the proportion you reduce it by is one third (NOT 50%).

For instance:-
6 HP + 50% = 9 HP
9 HP - 33% = 6 HP (ish)
9 HP - 50% = 4.5 HP

Quote from: Omnifray;464335Instead of temp HP, try damage reductions or extra AC bonuses. Damage reductions could be fractional (e.g. one-third off damage) or numerical (e.g. 5 points off damage received). More sensible to have fractional. Or, simply a 1 in 3 chance that any blow struck will glance off the shield (roll d6, 1-2 = save).

Bear in mind that if you add 50% to a number, then you want to reduce that number by a proportion to get it down to the original number, the proportion you reduce it by is one third (NOT 50%).

For instance:-
6 HP + 50% = 9 HP
9 HP - 33% = 6 HP (ish)
9 HP - 50% = 4.5 HP

Eh, I decided to leave it alone basically because the shield is really good in certain situations. For example, if a character is going to be hit on an 18 and the shield takes it to 20, he's only going to get 1/3 the damage.