## Active Shield Defense (Combat) Your expert use of your shield allows you to strike at vulnerable foes even when you forgo your own attacks in favor of defense. **Prerequisite:** [[Shield Proficiency]]s, [[Shield Specialization]] **Benefit:** When fighting defensively and using a shield, you do not take the standard fighting defensively penalties on attacks of opportunity. When using the total defense action and a shield, you still threaten the area around you as normal, and can make attacks of opportunity with a –4 penalty. **Normal:** You take a –4 penalty on all attacks while fighting defensively. You cannot attack while using the total defense action. **Alternate Rules:** When using defensive stance (Elephant in the Room), your penalty to attack rolls is halved.