Bashing Shield and Spikes?

R

Rayston

First Post

• Jun 27, 2002

• #1

I was wondering how and if the enhancement "bashing" from page 181 of the DMG and the armor extra "spikes" stacked?

spikes turn a normal nonmagical large shield from a 1d3 weapon, to a 1d6 weapon. and the "bashing" enhancement makes a large shield into a 1d8 weapon.

so I figured combined they would be a 1d10 weapon.

any comments? anyone know if this has been asked before? or better yet, answered officially?

 

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reapersaurus

First Post

• Jun 27, 2002

• #2

I've asked it before, even made a Smackdown based on it.
Unfortunately, I've never heard an official word on it.

It makes more logical sense to me that it would make it a d10 than the alternative: that the spikes don't up the damage of a super-bashing shield at all...

 

R

Rayston

First Post

• Jun 27, 2002

• #3

Sage Advice

I sent off a email to the sage, well see when/what he responds. Ill post here when I hear something.

 

Tony Vargas

Legend

• Jun 27, 2002

• #4

A bashing, spiked shield wouldn't 'stack' anymore than the spikes on a morningstar 'stack' with it's mace-like damage.

What you'd have is a shield that can pierce for a d6 or bash for a d8. Since some creatures are resistant to some types of damage, that's not exactly useless...

 

R

Rayston

First Post

• Jun 27, 2002

• #5

hmmm?

I kinda see your point EXCEPT

that per the PHB adding spikes to a normal nonmagical shield increases its damage, so why wouldnt those same spikes increase the damage of a magical shield? why should it add to one and not the other?

and where does it say that spikes do piercing damage? I agree thats a logical assumption but I dont believe the description says the damage type changes, just the damage dice.

 

kreynolds

First Post

• Jun 27, 2002

• #6

Re: hmmm?

Rayston said:

and where does it say that spikes do piercing damage?

Click to expand...

Ummm...oh...I don't know...under the description for Shield Spikes maybe?

 

kreynolds

First Post

• Jun 27, 2002

• #7

Re: hmmm?

Rayston said:

I kinda see your point EXCEPT

that per the PHB adding spikes to a normal nonmagical shield increases its damage

Click to expand...

Nope...

Shield Spikes: These spikes turn a shield into a martial piercing weapon that deals 1d6 points of damage (X2 crit) no matter whether the shield is small or large. Buckler or tower shields cannot have shield spikes.

Click to expand...

The spikes don't "add" anything. They "turn" the shield into a martial piercing weapon.

 

Tony Vargas

Legend

• Jun 27, 2002

• #8

Adding spikes to shields does not increase damage, they do thier own damage: d6 (20/x2) piercing, to be exact. Shields do different amounts of damage based on thier size. If spikes added to that damage, they would not always do a d6.

I can think of two reasonable ways to rule a spiked/bashing shield:

1) it can be used either to pierce for a d6 or bash using the bashing enchantment.

or

2) it does the better of the two damage (ie d8 for bashing, IIRC) but becomes bludgeoning/piercing, rather like a morningstar.

 

R

Rayston

First Post

• Jun 27, 2002

• #9

Cool

cool, I agree.

somehow I skipped over the part about "turn a shield into a martial piercing weapon" section of that text.

hmmm

I still think it makes more sense if spikes added to a magical bashing shield increased its damage even more, but if it doesnt by the strict text reading, then I guess it doesnt.

Thanx

Rayston

 

C

Corwin

Explorer

• Jun 27, 2002

• #10

I, too, would simply allow it to do either di of damage (whichever is better) and you can do piercing/bludgeoning with it.

I don't even think I'd wory about whether or not the +1 attack for bashing shields apply to the spikes.

So a large steel bashing shield with spikes is a +1 martial weapon that does 1d8 P/B damage.

Seems reasonable to me.