Fighting with a Shield +1

RigaMortus

Explorer
If I have a Shield +1, and make an off-hand attack with it, do I add the +1 to hit and damage, or is the +1 strickly for Armor Class?

Where can I find the rule on this?
 

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In the SRD, in the Magic Items/Armor section:

Shields: Shield enhancement bonuses stack with armor enhancement bonuses. Shield enhancement bonuses do not act as attack or damage bonuses when the shield is used in a bash. The bashing shield enchantment, however, does grant a +1 bonus to attacks and damage (see the item description). You could, in fact, build a shield that also acted as a magic weapon, but the magic offensive bonus cost would need to be added into the defensive bonus cost of the shield.

The information is also in the DMG; I can't cite a page #, but it's at the beginning of the section on magic armor.
 

If you want an enhancement bonus to attacks and damage, you have to magicify your shield as a weapon, at twice the cost of the normal shield enhancement.

You can have a Shield +2 which is also a +1 blunt weapon, for example, which will cost you 4000 for the +2 AC, and 2000 for the +1 attack/damage, or a Shield +1 which is also a +2 blunt weapon, which will cost you 1000 for the +1 AC, and 8000 for the +2 attack/damage, or whatever up to +5/+5 for 25k/50k respectively.

-Hyp.
 

Re: Re: Fighting with a Shield +1

Hypersmurf said:
If you want an enhancement bonus to attacks and damage, you have to magicify your shield as a weapon, at twice the cost of the normal shield enhancement.

You can have a Shield +2 which is also a +1 blunt weapon, for example, which will cost you 4000 for the +2 AC, and 2000 for the +1 attack/damage, or a Shield +1 which is also a +2 blunt weapon, which will cost you 1000 for the +1 AC, and 8000 for the +2 attack/damage, or whatever up to +5/+5 for 25k/50k respectively.

-Hyp.

I have to disagree. Because there is a specific "bashing" enchantment, and because a magic item with multiple uses rarely simply adds the price of the two enchantments. I would imagine it would more along the lines of an item with a second, different use (double cost of less expensive power).

If you know a specific ruling on this, let me know.
 

Re: Re: Re: Fighting with a Shield +1

If you know a specific ruling on this, let me know.

More specific than "but the magic offensive bonus cost would need to be added into the defensive bonus cost of the shield"?

-Hyp.
 

If you wanted a shield with magical attacking abilities, I would go this route:

enchanted shield spikes

I love the armour and shield spikes in 3E. They are a weapon and can be enchanted as such. I gave an gnoll captain a +1 shield with +2 shocking shield spikes. He was quite the scary packages, but didn't look all that tough just walking up to him. A character in my campaign just lost a suit of masterwork full plate with masterwork armour spikes in a bet.
 

SheepLord said:
If you wanted a shield with magical attacking abilities, I would go this route:

enchanted shield spikes

I love the armour and shield spikes in 3E. They are a weapon and can be enchanted as such. I gave an gnoll captain a +1 shield with +2 shocking shield spikes. He was quite the scary packages, but didn't look all that tough just walking up to him. A character in my campaign just lost a suit of masterwork full plate with masterwork armour spikes in a bet.

You can enchant armor spikes, but you can't enchant shield spikes.

You enchant the shield itself, the shield spikes are considered part of the shield, they just change the type of damage it does.
 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Fighting with a Shield +1

Hypersmurf said:


More specific than "but the magic offensive bonus cost would need to be added into the defensive bonus cost of the shield"?

-Hyp.
Yes, like bashing. A specific enhancement (costs a lot more than just a +1 weapon). Is there a printed example of enhancing a shield as a weapon.

I don't argue that you can't do it. I just don't agree with the cost you listed.
 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Fighting with a Shield +1

LokiDR said:

Yes, like bashing. A specific enhancement (costs a lot more than just a +1 weapon). Is there a printed example of enhancing a shield as a weapon.

I don't argue that you can't do it. I just don't agree with the cost you listed.

The bashing enchancement is a shield ability and is priced like an armor ability, not weapon ability.

The DMG specifically states that you can enchant a shield as a weapon, which makes sense because a shield is treated as both armor and a weapon. It can receive either type of enhancement, and they are priced seperately.

I personally think that a shield is limited to a total of +10 in enhancements, wether they are offensive or defensive enhancements. But it's not clearly stated in the rules, so that's just my opinion on how it should be balanced.
 
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Fighting with a Shield +1

Caliban said:


The bashing enchancement is a shield ability and is priced like an armor ability, not weapon ability.

The DMG specifically states that you can enchant a shield as a weapon, which makes sense because a shield is treated as both armor and a weapon. It can receive either type of enhancement, and they are priced seperately.

I personally think that a shield is limited to a total of +10 in enhancements, wether they are offensive or defensive enhancements. But it's not clearly stated in the rules, so that's just my opinion on how it should be balanced.

You say that they are priced separately, as stated in the DMG. Do you have a page? I believe I remember the passage where it says they can be enchanted, but I don't recal what the pricing was. I am begining to doubt my memory.

Interestingly enough, would "defending" be a usefull thing to put on your shield? :D Who says you can't get AC from a second shield :)
 

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