Shield Use: Tower Shield (Feat)

You are trained in how to properly use a Tower Shield.

Prerequisites: Level 1, <Shield Proficiency (Feat), -OR- a character class that begins play proficient with a buckler or any shield>

Benefit: When you use a Tower Shield, the shield's armor check penalty only applies to Strength- and Dexterity-based skills. With this feat, a Tower Shield is considered to fulfill the requirement for a heavy shield for all other feats, effects, and abilities which require a heavy shield. However, Tower Shields may never be used to perform a shield bash.

Normal: When you are using a shield with which you are not proficient, you take a -4 non-proficiency penalty to skill checks and to-hit rolls, or the shield's armor check penalty on attack rolls and on all skill checks that involve moving, whichever is larger.