Two-Weapon Defense

[Al'Kelhar]

That's how armor spikes worked in 3E, but not shield spikes.

Y'see, you don't need spikes to add weapon enhancements to a shield. But you do pay for different enhancements separately.

To add a +1 enhancement bonus to a shield's armor bonus (or shield bonus in 3.5) costs 1000gp, and the shield must be a masterwork shield (150gp on top of the base price). To add a +1 enhancement bonus to a shield's attack and damage rolls costs 2000gp, and the shield must be a masterwork weapon (300gp on top of base price).

A +5 Shield of Heavy Fortification which is also a +5 Ghost Touch Flaming Burst weapon with the Throwing and Returning abilities costs 10gp (base) + 150gp (masterwork shield) + 100,000gp (+10 shield MPM) + 300gp (masterwork weapon) + 200,000gp (+10 weapon MPM), for 300,460gp total, and acts as a +5 martial bludgeoning weapon.

If you build it with spikes, it's a spiked shield, that acts as a +5 martial piercing weapon. You don't add any special abilities to the spikes; you add them to the spiked shield.

In 3E, and in 3.5.

Armor spikes in 3E were treated as a separate item. In 3.5, I'm not certain yet... "spiked armor" is an entry on the weapons table, not "armor spikes". I'd need to look into it more closely.

-Hyp.

Hyp., I think on the fundamental question - the defensive and offensive capabilities of armour and shield are treated separately for the purposes of enhancements (mundane and magical) - we are in violent agreement, although you have undoubtedly put it into the technically correct formula.

Here's an interesting one, tho' - is my adamantine shield an adamantine weapon for the purposes of overcoming DR/adamantine or hardness? If so, how much should it cost, seeing as I gain both the benefits of being an adamantine shield and adamantine weapon.

[I note the SRD says that "only weapons, armour and shields normally made of metal can be made of adamantine", but then does not provide costing or DR values for shields made of the stuff...].

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Hypersmurf]

Here's an interesting one, tho' - is my adamantine shield an adamantine weapon for the purposes of overcoming DR/adamantine or hardness? If so, how much should it cost, seeing as I gain both the benefits of being an adamantine shield and adamantine weapon.

You know, I hadn't thought about it...

... and it leads to the oddity that a shield (bludgeoning weapon) can be used to Sunder, but a spiked shield (piercing weapon) cannot.

I think I'd be inclined to house-rule that a shield cannot be used to Sunder, which sidesteps the issue of overcoming hardness.

But regardless - as you point out, the entries on the table are for ammunition, light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, and weapons.

Shields are not ammunition, light armor, medium armor, or heavy armor; shields are weapons. Therefore, +3000gp to make an adamantine shield, which (by the rules) can be used to Sunder, ignores hardness less than 20, and beats DR/adamantine.

As for a buckler or a tower shield... DM would have to use judgement, I suppose, since they're not weapons...

-Hyp.

 

[Zaruthustran]

You can rule it like you want (==> House Rules?) but by the rules, this feat gives a shield bonus while you wield two weapons. Wielding two weapons means to have two weapons ready for combat in your hands (if not, all those English majors out there correct me).

Here's a correction: wielding two weapons means having two weapons ready for combat. There's no requirement that they have to be hand-held weapons.

For example: armor spikes and a sword. Or armor spikes and a longspear. Or armor spikes and a spiked gauntlet.

-z