Small Size Heavy Shield for a Medium Character

[Fidelacchius]

Question:
Is it possible for a medium size character to wield a small size shield for the purposes of shield bashing? Would it offer a shield bonus to AC?

Color:
The character I'm conceiving would have a small sized heavy shield for off hand attacks and a heavy shield in the main hand until they pick up shield master at level 11. This allows them to take advantage of weapon specific feats (focus, specialization) without giving a -4 to the main hand attack.

I know the off-hand shield bonus won't apply unless the main hand shield was sundered or otherwise incapacitated.

[Nefreet]

There are no rules for using inappropriately sized armor or shields, so in an arena like PFS, you would be unable to gain an armor or shield bonus from such items.

There are rules for inappropriately sized weapons, though. A medium character can use a small-sized Shield to bash with, applying the -2 penalty for it being the wrong size.

[Quantum Steve]

Wouldn't you have to be wearing a shield to bash with it? Would simply holding the shield suffice?

[Nefreet]

You'd be "wielding" the shield (as a weapon), as opposed to "donning" it (as armor), I suppose.

[Quantum Steve]

The same question could be asked of the boot blade. Do you have to be wearing the boot to use the weapon?

After some thought, I would argue that if a weapon is meant to be worn, you have to be wearing it in order to use it properly. Although, you could use a held shield as an improvised weapon.

[Eridan]

What Nefreet says :)

For non PFS games you can solve this answer with the following houserule for inappropriately sized shield as shields:

There are four categories of shields: Buckler <> small shields <> heavy shields <> tower shields.

A medium creature has no problems with medium shields.

A medium creature can use large shields by moving he categories to the right. A large bucklers can be used as a medium small shield, a large small shield as a heavy shield and a large heavy shield can be used as a medium tower shield. Large tower shields cannot be used by a medium creature.

A medium creature can use small shields by moving the categories to the left. A small small shield can be used as a medium buckler, a small large shield as a medium small shield and a small tower shield can be used as a medium heavy shield. Small buckler cannot be used by a medium creature.

[Elbedor]

For a medium character, a small Buckler is just a drink coaster and a large Tower shield is a bathtub.

[Fidelacchius]

Thanks for the clarification folks.

[Gingerbreadman]

Quantum Steve wrote:

The same question could be asked of the boot blade. Do you have to be wearing the boot to use the weapon?

After some thought, I would argue that if a weapon is meant to be worn, you have to be wearing it in order to use it properly. Although, you could use a held shield as an improvised weapon.

Apart from the fact that you can't wield undersized light weapons, what would keep you from having a weapon made that combines a medium sized frame to a small/large sized weapon?

I see no rule that forbids to add large sized armor spikes to a medium sized armor, for example.