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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Reaper Steve" data-source="post: 4488114" data-attributes="member: 51528">The spiked shield is an offhand weapon and a light shield that grants +1 AC and Reflex. Two-Weapon Defense gives a +1 AC and reflex when having a melee weapon in each hand. So, using TWD with a Spiked Shield yields +2 to both, which equals a heavy shield.  The question is: at what cost? Is the answer is '3 feats: weapon prof: spiked shield and TWD (and TWF to qual for TWD)?' Rationale: even though a character my be proficient in light shields, one may think they cannot claim the advantage of TWD unless they are proficient in the spiked shield as a weapon.HOWEVER, proficiency is not required to wield a weapon. So I can see the case of the answer being '2 feats: TWD (and TWF).' Even though the character isn't proficient in the spiked shield, he is holding two melee weapons and meets the RAW to claim TWD. Also, the spiked shield does NOT have the 'defensive' property, which specifies the need to be proficient.I don't think the latter is a big deal, as that's the same bonus as lugging a heavy shield, but requires more feats. But where it gets fun is using the Tempest Fighter build previewed.A tempest fighter gets TWD for free, without TWF. So, he could get +2 AC and Ref just by carrying a spiked shield. Naturally, he would want to spend a feat to be proficient in it since this build is supposed to make offhand attacks.The other class features would then give a +1 to hit and (if wearing chainmail or lighter) a +2 to damage with the spiked shield. That seems like a lot of fun!But is it more fun than having a brutal kukri or a high crit katar for that same feat slot? Or for no feats, a short sword with a higher prof bonus? Ahhh... all the wonderful choices!</blockquote>

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