Shields as Magic Weapons

Herzog

Adventurer
I'm a bit confused by the text on creation magic shields and enhancing them to make them magic weapons.

The text in the DMG(p.217) seems to suggest the attack and damage bonus is tracked seperate from the AC bonus, but doen't list how it would combine with the Bashing property:

A bashing shield already provides the shield with a +1 bonus on attack and damage.
If I decide to add magical attack bonusses to the shield spikes on shield that has the Bashing property, does that:

a. overlap with the attack bonus from shieldbash, which means I have to pay 8000 gp for a +2 on attack and damage
b. stack with the attack bonus from shieldbash, which means I have to pay 2000 gp for a +2 on attack and damage
c. mean an upgrade to the bonus from shieldbash, which means I have to pay the difference (6000 gp) for a +2 on attack and damage.
 

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A set of shield spikes is separate from a shield, and you enchant them separately.
I would use the general rule of bonus stacking and apply it here, bonuses of the same type do not stack.
So if you have +1 Shield Spikes on a Bashing Shield, you total bonus is still +1, because it is the same bonus type (magic).
You would then upgrade the bonus of the Spikes to increase it's to offensive bonus, and upgrade the shield to increase it's defensive capabilities, and you would consider them separate items for this purpose.
 


it really spirals out of control when you don't want to add shield spikes and wish to use a standard shield as a weapon to keep it bludgeoning. To keep it simple if you want to make a shield a weapon, use the weapon rules to do so. If you want a hybrid armor/weapon then you will have to pay both ways to do so. Enchantment costs to make it a better shield don't count for Enchantment costs to make it a better weapon.

For example: if you wanted to make a shield into a +1 Disrupting Shield with+2 armor bonus you would probably be looking at:
$320 (masterwork (weapon) heavy steel shield)
$4000 (+2 shield bonus enhancement)
$18000 (+1 weapon enchancement and disruption)
for a balance of $22,320

You might could argue that you need to add $150 for the Armor Masterwork Price to the shield too.
 

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