Animated Dancing Shield [Archive] - Wizards Community

Animated Dancing Shield [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Sledged
01-28-07, 05:15 PM Suppose I have a +1 animated medium shield that's also enchanted as a +1 dancing weapon. How would the dancing and animated abilities interact?
WinDReiN
01-28-07, 05:33 PM You can't add dancing special ability to shields, only weapons, the same way you can't add animated special ability to a weapon...
Nezkrul
01-28-07, 05:43 PM a dwarven axe/blade shield can be enchanted as a weapon, but the weapon enchantment is separate from the shield enhancement (aka its lots more expensive than any individual weapon or shield to enhance magically).

I would say if you activate dancing, while it is dancing it is a weapon and not a shield - since it is attacking you wouldn't get the shield's bonus from being animated the same way you dont get a buckler's bonus if you attack with the arm thats holding it.
WinDReiN
01-28-07, 05:51 PM a dwarven axe/blade shield can be enchanted as a weapon, but the weapon enchantment is separate from the shield enhancement (aka its lots more expensive than any individual weapon or shield to enhance magically).

Hmm, interesting :)

I would say if you activate dancing, while it is dancing it is a weapon and not a shield - since it is attacking you wouldn't get the shield's bonus from being animated the same way you dont get a buckler's bonus if you attack with the arm thats holding it.

Agreed
kalstrand
01-28-07, 05:56 PM You can't add dancing special ability to shields, only weapons, the same way you can't add animated special ability to a weapon...

But shields can be enchanted as weapons as well as armor.
WinDReiN
01-28-07, 06:07 PM Then I guess you start dancing really fast when you activate your dancing speed full plate :D.
There is a list of armor and weapon special abilities in DMG.
Sledged
01-28-07, 08:30 PM You can't add dancing special ability to shields, only weapons...Almost. It's not that you can't add it to shields, it's that it can only be added to weapons, and since light and heavy shields (and dwarven buckler-axes) are weapons, they qualify. Where as bucklers and tower shields are not weapons, so they can only receive armor enhancements.... the same way you can't add animated special ability to a weapon...Again, not quite, since some weapons are also shields.I would say if you activate dancing, while it is dancing it is a weapon and not a shield - since it is attacking you wouldn't get the shield's bonus from being animated the same way you dont get a buckler's bonus if you attack with the arm thats holding it.Sounds reasonable.

So what if the wielder has Improved Buckler Defense, or with the heavy shield, the wielder has Improved Shield Bash?
jaelis
01-28-07, 10:33 PM I don't see why it wouldn't all work together. If the user had Improved Shield Bash, he should be able to have the shield attack and defend at the same time.

The more troubling one to me is a non-animated shield with the dancing weapon ability. If the user has ISB, then the shield should be able to attack and still grant it's shield bonus. So you'd be getting the animated ability for free, in a sense.
Nezkrul
01-28-07, 11:43 PM if he has improved shield bash, I'd allow it to still add its shiled bonus to his ac - but only if the shield remains in his space. If it dances out of his space to attack, he no longer benefits from the shield's defenses.
jaelis
01-28-07, 11:47 PM A dancing weapon can't leave your space anyways.
Sledged
01-29-07, 12:06 AM The more troubling one to me is a non-animated shield with the dancing weapon ability. If the user has ISB, then the shield should be able to attack and still grant it's shield bonus. So you'd be getting the animated ability for free, in a sense.Except, of course, the shield drops to the ground after four rounds, or, if the wielder grasps it before the dancing ends, has to wait four rounds before it can be loosed again.

So with both abilities, does the shield continue to hover after four rounds, or does it still drop to the ground? If it continues to hover, can the wielder use a standard action to immediately "loose" it again to dance even though she's not physically touching it?
jaelis
01-29-07, 12:24 AM So with both abilities, does the shield continue to hover after four rounds, or does it still drop to the ground? If it continues to hover, can the wielder use a standard action to immediately "loose" it again to dance even though she's not physically touching it?

I'd rule it as continuing to hover, but then being unable to attack for 4 rounds. (As if the wielder had grabbed it again just at the end of it's dancing routine.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sledged 01-28-07, 05:15 PM	Suppose I have a +1 animated medium shield that's also enchanted as a +1 dancing weapon. How would the dancing and animated abilities interact?
WinDReiN 01-28-07, 05:33 PM	You can't add dancing special ability to shields, only weapons, the same way you can't add animated special ability to a weapon...
Nezkrul 01-28-07, 05:43 PM	a dwarven axe/blade shield can be enchanted as a weapon, but the weapon enchantment is separate from the shield enhancement (aka its lots more expensive than any individual weapon or shield to enhance magically). I would say if you activate dancing, while it is dancing it is a weapon and not a shield - since it is attacking you wouldn't get the shield's bonus from being animated the same way you dont get a buckler's bonus if you attack with the arm thats holding it.
WinDReiN 01-28-07, 05:51 PM	a dwarven axe/blade shield can be enchanted as a weapon, but the weapon enchantment is separate from the shield enhancement (aka its lots more expensive than any individual weapon or shield to enhance magically). Hmm, interesting :) I would say if you activate dancing, while it is dancing it is a weapon and not a shield - since it is attacking you wouldn't get the shield's bonus from being animated the same way you dont get a buckler's bonus if you attack with the arm thats holding it. Agreed
kalstrand 01-28-07, 05:56 PM	You can't add dancing special ability to shields, only weapons, the same way you can't add animated special ability to a weapon... But shields can be enchanted as weapons as well as armor.
WinDReiN 01-28-07, 06:07 PM	Then I guess you start dancing really fast when you activate your dancing speed full plate :D. There is a list of armor and weapon special abilities in DMG.
Sledged 01-28-07, 08:30 PM	You can't add dancing special ability to shields, only weapons...Almost. It's not that you can't add it to shields, it's that it can only be added to weapons, and since light and heavy shields (and dwarven buckler-axes) are weapons, they qualify. Where as bucklers and tower shields are not weapons, so they can only receive armor enhancements.... the same way you can't add animated special ability to a weapon...Again, not quite, since some weapons are also shields.I would say if you activate dancing, while it is dancing it is a weapon and not a shield - since it is attacking you wouldn't get the shield's bonus from being animated the same way you dont get a buckler's bonus if you attack with the arm thats holding it.Sounds reasonable. So what if the wielder has Improved Buckler Defense, or with the heavy shield, the wielder has Improved Shield Bash?
jaelis 01-28-07, 10:33 PM	I don't see why it wouldn't all work together. If the user had Improved Shield Bash, he should be able to have the shield attack and defend at the same time. The more troubling one to me is a non-animated shield with the dancing weapon ability. If the user has ISB, then the shield should be able to attack and still grant it's shield bonus. So you'd be getting the animated ability for free, in a sense.
Nezkrul 01-28-07, 11:43 PM	if he has improved shield bash, I'd allow it to still add its shiled bonus to his ac - but only if the shield remains in his space. If it dances out of his space to attack, he no longer benefits from the shield's defenses.
jaelis 01-28-07, 11:47 PM	A dancing weapon can't leave your space anyways.
Sledged 01-29-07, 12:06 AM	The more troubling one to me is a non-animated shield with the dancing weapon ability. If the user has ISB, then the shield should be able to attack and still grant it's shield bonus. So you'd be getting the animated ability for free, in a sense.Except, of course, the shield drops to the ground after four rounds, or, if the wielder grasps it before the dancing ends, has to wait four rounds before it can be loosed again. So with both abilities, does the shield continue to hover after four rounds, or does it still drop to the ground? If it continues to hover, can the wielder use a standard action to immediately "loose" it again to dance even though she's not physically touching it?
jaelis 01-29-07, 12:24 AM	So with both abilities, does the shield continue to hover after four rounds, or does it still drop to the ground? If it continues to hover, can the wielder use a standard action to immediately "loose" it again to dance even though she's not physically touching it? I'd rule it as continuing to hover, but then being unable to attack for 4 rounds. (As if the wielder had grabbed it again just at the end of it's dancing routine.)