Shield + Defender = cheese?

[Quartz]

I've not seen it mentioned often, but shields have to be seperately enchanted for defence and attack - be it bash or spikes. Would it be uber-cheesy for your +5 shield to have a +5 Defender attack?

 

[hong]

Not really, because you still have to attack with the shield to get the defender benefit.

 

[Thanee]

And this is seriously expensive!

For 72,000 gp you can surely get something better than +5 to AC.

You can always get an amulet of natural armor +5 or ring of protection +5 for 50,000 gp.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Evilhalfling]

Not really, because you still have to attack with the shield to get the defender benefit.

Do you have to attack every round with a defending weapon to gain the AC bonus?

SRD
As a free action, the wielder chooses how to allocate the weapon’s enhancement bonus at the start of his turn before using the weapon, and the effect to AC lasts until his next turn.

or can you choose not to- IMC a +3 defending dagger was recently found - If you dont have TWF can it merely be held in the off hand, while only the primary weapon is used?
or can a spell caster hold it, gaining the AC bonus while attacking with magic.

 

[kjenks]

Do you have to attack every round with a defending weapon to gain the AC bonus?

Not in 3.5e. In the old 3e FAQ, there was an entry saying that you must attack with a defending weapon to get its AC benefit, but that entry wasn't incorporated in the 3.5e rules.

And yes, you can wield the defending dagger in your off-hand, with no attack penalties on the weapon in your other hand (following the PH rules for TWF and the example of the 3.5e FAQ entry about a longspear and armor spikes to see that there is no TWF penalty unless you actually attack with the off-hand weapon). But this isn't very cost-effective; you're better off using a shield in your off-hand.

Try this shield: +1 animated heavy steel shield with +1 defending shield spikes. Have your cleric buddy cast Magic Vestments and Greater Magic Weapon to improved the enhancement bonuses.

 

[Hypersmurf]

In the old 3e FAQ, there was an entry saying that you must attack with a defending weapon to get its AC benefit, but that entry wasn't incorporated in the 3.5e rules.

Almost the opposite - it specifically referenced gaining the bonus to AC from an off-hand Defending weapon whether you attacked with it or not.

What it did say was that you needed to take the attack or full attack action to benefit from the AC bonus, comparing it to the Expertise feat.

And yes, you can wield the defending dagger in your off-hand, with no attack penalties on the weapon in your other hand (following the PH rules for TWF and the example of the 3.5e FAQ entry about a longspear and armor spikes to see that there is no TWF penalty unless you actually attack with the off-hand weapon).

I still can't find the entry you're talking about. The only FAQ entry about a longspear and armor spikes makes no mention either way of the presence or absence of TWF penalties.

Try this shield: +1 animated heavy steel shield with +1 defending shield spikes.

Strictly, a +1 animated heavy steel spiked shield, crafted as a +1 defending weapon in its own right.

The weapon is not the spikes; the weapon is the spiked shield.

-Hyp.

 

[Fortain]

Unfortunately, unless it was changed in 3.5 & I haven't seen it yet, the "Defending spiked shield" idea won't quite work. According to the 3E FAQ:

"You can’t use the weapon like a shield; if you hold the weapon in your off hand and claim an Armor Class bonus for it, you take all the penalties for fighting with two weapons, even if you don’t actually attack with the weapon."

This leads me to believe that, if you use the Defending ability of the spiked shield, not only do you suffer the penalty for using two weapons, but you also lose your shield bonus to AC, since you're technically "using the shield as a weapon" to gain the Defending AC bonus.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

That just means you need Improved Shield Bash, as well.

 

[Hypersmurf]

This leads me to believe that, if you use the Defending ability of the spiked shield, not only do you suffer the penalty for using two weapons, but you also lose your shield bonus to AC, since you're technically "using the shield as a weapon" to gain the Defending AC bonus.

That's what the Improved Shield Bash feat is for.

Edit - Gah. Snap.

-Hyp.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Okay - well, does any later rule disagree with the 3.0 FAQ on defending?
It makes the +3 defending dagger extraodinarily useless for the party, and even a TWF figher would find it medicore - I guess he will take the logical course and just sell it off.