So now we can use a buckler hand to cast a spell with somatic!

[Liquidsabre]

What happens when you add the Defending special ability to a shield? Can you then use the enhancement for either attack OR an enhancement to the shield bonus to AC? Oooo neato.

 

[AuraSeer]

Interesting. Does the same apply to armor? I definitely recall having to enchant the spikes separately for armor, at least back in 3.0 - that's why I was wondering if something had changed...

Your original understanding is correct. Enhancing a shield as a shield is is separate from enhancing it as a weapon. Hyp's post was just pointing out to me that the attack enhancements go on the shield rather than explicitly on the spikes.

That is, you can make your shield into a magic weapon regardless of whether there are spikes on it. This is slightly different from the way armor spikes work, since you can't put weapon enhancements on unspiked armor.

 

[Hypersmurf]

What happens when you add the Defending special ability to a shield? Can you then use the enhancement for either attack OR an enhancement to the shield bonus to AC? Oooo neato.

Let's say you have a +2 small shield (4000ish gp) that is also a +4 Defending weapon (50000ish gp).

It gives a +3 shield bonus to your AC. You can also transfer up to +4 from the enhancement bonus to attack and damage, as an unnamed bonus to AC.

-Hyp.

 

[Aesmael]

Sorry to deviate from the discussion...

I thought that in 3.5 if you're using a shield in each hand you're definitely getting the higher bonus only, because they're both shield bonuses. Am I right?

Indeed. I just happen to think that the image of warrior fighting their way to victory with only a shield in each hand is a really cool image.

Of course that provokes the thought of a houseruled feat to let you get an ac bonus from wielding both but. . . feh. That's just the start of a slippery slope that can only end in suits of armour made from a dozen shields welded together.