Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SgtHulka 10-02-06, 10:36 AM	If you have a medium spiked shield (1d6 piercing damage), can you choose to make a bludgeoning attack with it (1d4 damage) instead? (for example, against skeletons) If you get the Bashing enchantment on a shield (increases damage size class by two...from 1d4 to 1d8) is the bashing considered a "+1 Magical Weapon" for the purposes of "to-hit" and damage reduction? If you get the Bashing enchantment on a shield, can the bashing part be buffed by "Greater Magic Weapon"? If you have a spiked shield and get the Bashing enchantment, are the spikes increased? (1d6 to 1d10 piercing?) Finally, can a shield only be used as a secondary weapon, even when no other attack is made in a round? In other words, if I attack with no other weapon, do I still receive a two-weapon fighting penalty to my attack roll and only add one-half strength damage? Thanks in advance.
Iswald 10-02-06, 11:05 AM	According to the FAQ, the PHB assumes that you are using a shield as a secondary weapon. There is nothing that prevents you from declaring the shield as your primary weapon. For instance, when you can only make one attack a round and it happens to be your shield bash. You only take penalties for fighting with two weapons if you take an extra attack with one of your weapons. For example, if a PC has +6 BAB, they could make one shield bash and one attack with a sword in the same round without penalties for fighting with two weapons. If the PC wanted to do a shield bash and two sword attacks in the next round, then they would suffer TWF penalties.
SgtHulka 10-02-06, 11:23 AM	Thanks, Iswald, that's great news. I'd always wondered about it because in the Player's Handbook it says specifically you can use a shield as a secondary attack, with no mention of using it as a primary. Not only does the FAQ clarification you mention help out when disarmed or when attacking creatures with DR/Bludgeoning, but also for certain theme builds, like a Hoplite with large shield and shortsword, who can now use the shortsword as secondary attack to reduce the twf penalty (instead of being forced to use the large shield as the secondary attack). I'm still curious about whether you can situationally use bludgeoning damage instead of spiked damage when attacking with a spiked shield, and whether a shield with the "bashing" enchantment can be Greater Magic Weaponed, and whether the "bashing" enchantment also effects spikes.
Iswald 10-02-06, 11:22 PM	I'm still curious about whether you can situationally use bludgeoning damage instead of spiked damage when attacking with a spiked shield, and whether a shield with the "bashing" enchantment can be Greater Magic Weaponed, and whether the "bashing" enchantment also effects spikes. The bashing enchancement effects your spikes as well. I don't see why you couldn't cast greater magic weapon on your spikes, to increase the damage that they do like a normal enchancement bonus. But, I don't see how you could do bludgeoning damage with a shield that has spikes since they do stick out from the bashing surface and you'll always have to hit with the spikes before you could do bludgeoning damage.
SgtHulka 10-02-06, 11:51 PM	The bashing enchancement effects your spikes as well. I don't see why you couldn't cast greater magic weapon on your spikes, to increase the damage that they do like a normal enchancement bonus. But, I don't see how you could do bludgeoning damage with a shield that has spikes since they do stick out from the bashing surface and you'll always have to hit with the spikes before you could do bludgeoning damage. Well, if you look at the old chainmail miniatures, most of the models have spikes sticking out the bottom of their shields. The Player's Handbook picture of the heavy shield has the same thing. But the Player's Handbook picture of the light spiked shield is as you describe. So you're probably right. How certain are you regarding the spikes getting enchanted with the bashing enhancement? That makes a shield a pretty potent one-handed weapon (1d10=equivelant to a bastard sword or dwarven waraxe). I'm curious if I should expect table variation on that. Thanks again for your insights.
Iswald 10-03-06, 08:58 AM	You may want to check out the FAQ yourself. The description of the magical bashing property for shields says it can be added only to light or heavy shields. Does this exclude shields with shield spikes? That is, can you have a +2 spiked light shield of bashing? You can add the bashing property to a spiked shield. If you do, the damage dealt by the shield bash increases from normal by 3 steps (2 for the bashing property and 1 for the shield spikes), and the weapon becomes a martial piercing weapon. The example +1 spiked light shield of bashing, if made for a Medium character, would deal 1d8 points of piercing damage from the bash. (Normally a light shield bash deals 1d3 points of damage, but the spikes improve that to 1d4 and the bashing enhancement increases that to 1d8.)
SgtHulka 10-03-06, 09:29 AM	You rule. All my questions are answered! Thanks. :D Now to go out and find access to a bashing enhancement...