I'm trying to get a feel for how these things interact if at all for a build I'm contemplating. I just have a few questions
Part 1
Bashing - Impact - Lead Blades - Spiked Shield
I know that both a shield and a spiked shield may be enchanted as a shield and a weapon, so I suspect Bashing would be compatible still with a spiked shield, and Lead Blades on top of that. Does that sound right?
I'm pretty iffy on impact adding onto all of that too, not that that would be a deal breaker by any means.
Part 2
Shield Master - Bashing
Bashing makes the shield act as +1 weapon when bashing. I would assume the bonus from Shield Master overrides Bashing?
And any other thoughts on shield fighting?
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Impact, Lead Blades, and Spiked Shield don't stack.
Bashing: A shield with this special ability is designed to perform a shield bash. A bashing shield deals damage as if it were a weapon of two size categories larger (a Medium light shield thus deals 1d6 points of damage and a Medium heavy shield deals 1d8 points of damage). The shield acts as a +1 weapon when used to bash. Only light and heavy shields can have this ability.
Shield Spikes: These spikes turn a shield into a martial piercing weapon and increase the damage dealt by a shield bash as if the shield were designed for a creature one size category larger than you (see “spiked shields” on Table: Weapons). You can't put spikes on a buckler or a tower shield. Otherwise, attacking with a spiked shield is like making a shield bash attack.[/quote
This special ability can only be placed on melee weapons that are not light weapons. An impact weapon delivers a potent kinetic jolt when it strikes, dealing damage as if the weapon were one size category larger. In addition, any bull rush combat maneuver the wielder attempts while wielding the weapon gains a bonus equal to the weapon's enhancement bonus; this includes all bull rush attempts, not only those in which a weapon is used, such as Bull Rush Strike, Shield Slam, or Unseat.Lead blades increases the momentum and density of your melee weapons just as they strike a foe. All melee weapons you are carrying when the spell is cast deal damage as if one size category larger than they actually are. For instance, a Medium longsword normally deals 1d8 points of damage, but it would instead deal 2d6 points of damage if benefiting from lead blades. Only you can benefit from this spell. If anyone else uses one of your weapons to make an attack it deals damage as normal for its size.
From the bolded sections inside the quotes, we learn that each thing increases the damage 'as if' the weapon were X size larger. In addition, they all "set" the damage to that, instead of adding X damage. So they don't stack at all, sorry! But the best one there is Bashing, even if you enchant the shield seperatly as a weapon later on.
You can use bashing on a spiked shield, but it deals damage as the base shield plus 2 size categories. But thats totally legit.
An example would be a +1 Bashing; +5 flaming, shock, frost, corrosive light shield. All of that is completely legal, everything before the ';' is the shield enchantments and everything after being a weapon enchantment.
I'm not sure how shield master interacts with weapon enchantments placed on the shield. It says "add", so it makes me think that they stack. But at the same time, it says "as if it were a weapon enchantment", which throws me off.
My interpretation is that the shield master feat stacks with whatever is already on your shield, so a +5 bashing shield when used offensively by someone with the shield master feat would be essentially using a +6 impact weapon.
Well, doing some deeper research left more questions than answers, but I think I have an idea.
James Jacobs has said he doesn't think it should stack, but as has been pointed out he's not the final result on rules.
To contradict this, I have been able to find NPC's from two different sources who had spiked shields with the bashing enchantment and the damage stacked. Of course we all know everything that gets through to print is RAW and they never make mistakes.....haha!
So, my idea is to make it bashing spike shield, and if the GM lets it fly with all the facts then its 2d6. If he doesn't its 1d8. Not a huge deal depending on the table I sit at. Obviously he'll have table variation (this is for PFS) but its not really a deal breaker on the build either way.
If those quotes are right, just seems like Spiked Shield and Lead blades would not stack. Both have a reference point. One being "larger than you" (you = your size = fixed), and the other being "larger than they actually are'.
You can argue that the rest would stack with either of the ones above.
A spiked shield is "actually" doing the damage of one size larger. A spiked shield has an actual entry in the equipment table and is not the result of a feat or spell.
Shield Spikes: These spikes turn a shield into a martial piercing weapon and increase the damage dealt by a shield bash
By this definition, the spikes are not the weapon. The way Rules are Written (RAW), the spike increases the damage of the Shield. While they are not a feat or spell, they are a piece of equipment added to the shield.
Besides, LB increases the density of a weapon, spikes create a completely different weapon.
Now you are bring real world physics into the conversation. This is a fantasy game. The rules are there for balance, not necessarily for realizm.
Even if a strict reading prohibits the stacking, it would be silly for them not to stack.
There are a lot of silly things in the game. Or things that logically wouldn't make since, once again, its done that way for balance.
This is my interpretation. I don't believe LB and Spike SHield stack by RAW, but I might be wrong. Go check the FAQ's or do a search using dev's name with spike shield, you might find some official answer.
Well, doing some deeper research left more questions than answers, but I think I have an idea.
James Jacobs has said he doesn't think it should stack, but as has been pointed out he's not the final result on rules.
To contradict this, I have been able to find NPC's from two different sources who had spiked shields with the bashing enchantment and the damage stacked. Of course we all know everything that gets through to print is RAW and they never make mistakes.....haha!
So, my idea is to make it bashing spike shield, and if the GM lets it fly with all the facts then its 2d6. If he doesn't its 1d8. Not a huge deal depending on the table I sit at. Obviously he'll have table variation (this is for PFS) but its not really a deal breaker on the build either way.
Bashing spiked shield does 2d6 damage and already exists in published material.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/npcCodex/core/barbarian.html#_scarred-wa nderer
Lead Blades: "All melee weapons you are carrying when the spell is cast deal damage as if one size category larger than they actually are."
Based on my interpretation, the weapons don't even have to blades. Hell, they don't even have to be metal. This would work on a quarterstaff or a wooden club, if you had one. It's just a misleading spell name, that's all.
Shields are Martial Bludgeoning weapons;
Spiked Shields are Martial Piercing weapons.
No problem. :)
As for Shield Master Feat, I understand that the enhancement bonuses on the shield which reduce it's Armour Check Penalty, now apply to attack and damage rolls as well. If you've enhanced the shield as a weapon, you've wasted your GP, as enchantment bonuses do not stack.
On the bright side, the same Feat also states that "you do not suffer any penalties on attack rolls made with A shield while you are wielding another weapon." If you're a Two-Weapon Fighter with a shield, you've probably been using a Light Shield all this time. Now, you can use a Heavy Shield without any trouble.
:Byronus