+1/+1 Spiked Light Steel Shield of Bashing

[Rae ArdGaoth]

I'm purchasing a rather complicated shield for my two-weapon fighting dwarf. It's a Spiked Light Steel Shield of Bashing +1 Armor/+1 Weapon. The description of the Bashing ability says...

Bashing

A shield with this special ability is designed to perform a shield bash. A bashing shield deals damage as if it were a weapon of two size categories larger (a Medium light shield thus deals 1d6 points of damage and a Medium heavy shield deals 1d8 points of damage). The shield acts as a +1 weapon when used to bash. (Only light and heavy shields can have this ability.)

Moderate transmutation; CL 8th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bull’s strength; Price +1 bonus.

A spiked light steel shield deals 1d6 damage on a bash and gives a +1 shield bonus to AC. A +1 spiked light steel shield deals 1d6 damage on a bash and gives a +2 shield bonus. A +1 spiked light steel shield deals 1d8 damage on a bash, acts as a +1 weapon, and gives a +1 shield bonus.

My question is this: Since the shield acts as a +1 weapon, what does that mean if I want to upgrade it by adding more magical weapon enhancement? I want +1 Weapon, so...

A) It doesn't stack, I know that. So it's not just a +2 Weapon.
B) Does it mean that the +1 Weapon portion of Bashing doesn't apply, only the increased damage die? This makes some sense, because Bashing gives it +1 Weapon Enhancement and Weapon gives it +1 Weapon Enhancement, which simply don't stack, leaving just a plain ol' +1 Weapon.
C) Or does it mean that the shield has a +1 weapon bonus already, and to get a +2 weapon bonus I must pay the 6000gp difference? This would make the most sense, but the costs don't add up. Well, actually... You pay 3000gp for Bashing, so maybe that is the same as getting a 2000gp +1 Weapon Enhancement, plus a 1000gp damage die increase.

I'm tempted to choose the third option, but I'm not sure.

 

[Nail]

The real issue is the phrase "The shield acts as a +1 weapon when used to bash."

That implies that even if you enhance it to +5 (enhanced as a weapon, yada, yada), it still acts as a +1 weapon when used to bash.

That sucks.

 

[shilsen]

The real issue is the phrase "The shield acts as a +1 weapon when used to bash."

That implies that even if you enhance it to +5 (enhanced as a weapon, yada, yada), it still acts as a +1 weapon when used to bash.

That sucks.

Personally, I think it implies that the wroding applies to shields which aren't enhanced as a weapon and that the writers didn't think of that possibility.

 

[Nail]

Personally, I think it implies that the wroding applies to shields which aren't enhanced as a weapon and that the writers didn't think of that possibility.

It's clear the wording (wroding) is funky. No doubt.

...but written as it is, the result is clear: Even if the sheild is enhanced as a weapon to a +5 bonus, it will act as a +1 weapon when used to bash.

 

[Nail]

If you are able to ignore the funky phrase (for sanity sake, I hope you do), then I'd say:

You must still purchase the +1 weapon enhancement, then the +2 weapon enhancement. Otherwise you are getting a +1 effective ability plus another +1 weapon enhancement for the low, low price of just one +1 bonus.

In fact, probably the better fix is to make this ability a weapon enhancement only available to shields, rather than a shield bonus enhancement. That way you must have already bought the +1 weapon enhancement before you get the bashing effective enhancement.