Two Shields?

[reapersaurus]

I'm quite serious. Both of your approaches make shields used as offensive weapons less expensive than comparable weapons.

What I meant was, what were you getting at with your first comment? It was ambiguous.

If you're saying that the 2 methods I posted are cheaper than a seperate offensive weapon, you're right.

Both my methods are not 'my methods".... I read (and quoted) the relevant rule from the DMG, and wrote the likely interpretation of that passage.

What do YOU guys think that passage says?

 

[Caliban]

So that leads us to the same place, interpreting what Wizards means by 2 ways it could be (to me):

1) if you made it a Holy Shield (+2 magic offensive bonus cost), it would be added into the defensive cost. So a +1 Large Steel Holy Shield would be a +3 defensive bonus cost total (+9,000 gp).

2) the gp cost of the offensive bonus is added to the gp cost of the defensive bonus cost.
So the +2 from being a Holy weapon (+8000 gp) is added to the +1 Large Steel Shield (1,170 gp) for a grand total of 9,170 gp's.

This has never been resolved/answered, as far as I'm aware.

The correct answer is Option 3)

The cost of the offensive bonus is added to the cost of the defensive bonus, but you still need an offensive +1 enhancement bonus to add weapon abilities. A +1 armor enhancement only allows you to add armor abilities.

So: +1 Holy Weapon enhancement = 18,000 gp
+1 Large Steel shield = 1,170 gp

Total cost: 19,170 gp.

What is unclear is whether or not the shield can exceed +10 in effective enhancement bonuses if they come from both weapon and armor enhancements.

 

[jontherev]

Well, since the other thread died out, and da Reaper's over here anyway...

I'd like to know what the consensus is on using a Dancing Shield (gives a cover bonus) with another shield simultaneously. First of all, Reaper, realize that this item is not in the core rules. Before S&F came out, there was no reason for the core rules to have a ruling on this. Actually, come to think of it, perhaps there is? Can one have an Animated Tower Shield? If so, could one also use a normal shield with it? Of course you can't legally use two normal shields at once, because they are the same bonus.

The only rule that I can find that disallows this is a passage from the Animated shield enhancement: "Only one shield can protect a character at a time."

You might say this is only referring to animated shields (even though it says 'shield', not 'animated shield'). Remember, rules are found in unlikely places sometimes (ex: TWF is for melee only, found in Heavy Xbow description). Balance-wise, I think only one shield should benefit any character. The one exception is perhaps some odd PrC, like the one posted above. I'd like to hear others' thoughts on this, and I am also curious if there is an 'official' ruling or clarification.

 

[Fisk]

This is one of those topics when sitting as a DM and people are presenting their characters and some guy comes along and lays out his reasoning for his two shield carrying, discounted sheilds purchased out of the back of a cart at from some wizard named Tony who wheeled up his cart to him as the character was trying to find a place to park his horse at the bazzare, sheild spike enchanted, weapon focused, weapons speacialized offensive/defensive speacialist..... blah blah blah....

...... you just take it all in and then go.

"Ya nice.. who else do you got?"

 

[reapersaurus]

You might say this is only referring to animated shields.

I say it's only referring to Animated Shields.

If it was referring to all shields, it would be in the PHB where it details shields and armor bonuses.

Just because Wizards was on crack and snuck in that stupid clarification about TWF hidden in the Crossbow description, doesn't mean they did it in this case - or in any other case.

The hidden-clarification for crossbows is the exception (thank God), not the rule.