Two-Weapon Defense

[darkbard]

Since fighting with two weapons while employing the Two-Weapon Defense feat bestows a shield bonus to such practitioners, do any magic enhancements the weapon(s) bear carry over to this bonus? Has there been an official ruling on this?

I suspect the bonus doesn't carry over, but I can't think of a rules-based reason why it shouldn't. After all, two +1 weapons (2000 gp each) cost the same as a +2 shield. And the shield could potentially be used for shield bashes and such, just as the weapons are serving double purposes....

Thanks for any advice!

 

[UltimaGabe]

Since fighting with two weapons while employing the Two-Weapon Defense feat bestows a shield bonus to such practitioners, do any magic enhancements the weapon(s) bear carry over to this bonus? Has there been an official ruling on this?

I suspect the bonus doesn't carry over, but I can't think of a rules-based reason why it shouldn't. After all, two +1 weapons (2000 gp each) cost the same as a +2 shield. And the shield could potentially be used for shield bashes and such, just as the weapons are serving double purposes....

Thanks for any advice!

It doesn't carry over because you haven't paid for it. True, two +1 weapons cost the same as a +2 shield, but it doesn't cost the same as a +2 shield AND two +1 weapons. If that were the case, one feat would not only allow you the versatility of two weapons (and the increased damage output, compared to sword-and-board), but ALSO the AC bonus of using up to a +5 shield. There's no way one feat should potentially grant you a free +6 AC bonus just for doing what you're already doing. Where's the tradeoff for using two weapons if you get all of the benefits of using a shield at the same time?

The +1 shield bonus from Two-Weapon Defense is a small bonus. It's not in any way supposed to completely eliminate the downside to using two weapons.

 

[Darklone]

Since Imp Shield Bash and Imp Buckler defence are so cheesy, I would allow a player to enchant one of his two weapons additionally with a shield bonus that would enhance the TWD bonus. In pretty much the same way as a shield can be enchanted twice as weapon and as armor (with separate enhancement bonuses).

 

[Ranger REG]

Small but appropriate bonus. Can't really see a shortsword have the same effective protection as a large shield.

If you want more defense, get the rest of the TWD feat tree.

Also, the other two-weapon defense benefit that normal shield can't give is a larger bonus when employing Fighting Defensively or Total Defense attacks.

IME, don't recall weapon offering their normal enhancement bonus to AC/defense, unless the weapon has a defending magical property.

 

[glass]

rules-based answer

I suspect the bonus doesn't carry over, but I can't think of a rules-based reason why it shouldn't.

The weapon has an enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls. Shield bonuses are neither attack rolls and damage rolls. Therefore the weapon's enhancement bonus doesn't apply to them.

If you wanted an enhancement bonus to the shield bonus, it would have to be added separately. Letter of the RAW, it probably still isn't allowed because there is no shield bonus to add to when making the weapon but I'd be inclined to allow it.


glass.

 

[darkbard]

If you want more defense, get the rest of the TWD feat tree.

Err, wouldn't the other feats building off TWF be oriented around offensive not defensive abilities?

 

[Cameron]

It doesn't carry over because you haven't paid for it. True, two +1 weapons cost the same as a +2 shield, but it doesn't cost the same as a +2 shield AND two +1 weapons. If that were the case, one feat would not only allow you the versatility of two weapons (and the increased damage output, compared to sword-and-board), but ALSO the AC bonus of using up to a +5 shield. There's no way one feat should potentially grant you a free +6 AC bonus just for doing what you're already doing. Where's the tradeoff for using two weapons if you get all of the benefits of using a shield at the same time?

The +1 shield bonus from Two-Weapon Defense is a small bonus. It's not in any way supposed to completely eliminate the downside to using two weapons.

Just one contradiction: TWF does not have a significantly increased damage output over snb. Not if you take hit-probabilities and survivability into account.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Err, wouldn't the other feats building off TWF be oriented around offensive not defensive abilities?

The TWD feat tree is the Two-Weapon Defense tree, and increases the Shield bonus to AC you receive.

 

[Ranger REG]

Err, wouldn't the other feats building off TWF be oriented around offensive not defensive abilities?

The remaining Two-Weapon Defense feat tree can be found in the Complete Warrior book, not in the Player's Handbook.

 

[Arkhandus]

No, the enhancement does not carry over.

Also, note that shields do not impart their enhancement on attacks (at least in 3.5; I don't remember if it was so in 3.0); you have to enhance them separately for each.

And weapons (besides shields themselves) can't normally be enhanced as shields, so you can't get an enhancement to your shield AC from Two-Weapon Defense.