+1 Mithral Animated Tower Shield

[Fangor the Fierce]

If I werer to purchase this item, which is 10k+gp, would I still take the -2 penalty to attacks? My reason for asking is due to the line in the DMG for Animated and then the description of the Tower Shield.

Animated: Upon command, an animated shield floats within 2 feet of the wielder, protecting her as if she were using it herself but freeing up both her hands. Only one shield can protect a character at a time. A character with an animated shield still takes any penalties associated with shield use, such as armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, and nonproficiency.

Tower Shield: When employing a tower shield in combat, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield’s encumbrance.

So, the Animated part does not specify the penalties due to Encumbrance. That is why I would think a Mithral type of this item should not have the penalty. Please let me know if this has already been answered somewhere else....

 

[moritheil]

This line has what you're looking for:

A character with an animated shield still takes any penalties associated with shield use

Keep in mind that animated shields enable users to do two-handed power attacks and still benefit from a shield.

 

[Goolpsy]

well since you still get arcane spell failure and check penalties due to encombrance.. then you should certainly also get the -2 attack

 

[jodyjohnson]

Tower shields are primarily wood and gain no benefit from mithril.

Steel Tower Shields weigh 100 lbs and the mithril version would weigh 50 lbs (wood is 45 lbs). This would have better Max Dex, ACP, and ASF.

I see no reason to waive the attack penalty for being mithril. Once animated the shield might just be graning cover to the target.

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

Tower shields are primarily wood and gain no benefit from mithril.

Steel Tower Shields weigh 100 lbs and the mithril version would weigh 50 lbs (wood is 45 lbs). This would have better Max Dex, ACP, and ASF.

Can you tell me where you got that weight from for a steel tower shield? It would help a lot actually.

 

[Beckett]

Can you tell me where you got that weight from for a steel tower shield? It would help a lot actually.

Steel Tower Shield shows up in Races of Stone, with a price tag of 75gp.