Throwing Shields / Shield Bash with Weapon Focus and Other Abilities

[pluvia33]

I'm currently building a Captain America-style character for a campaign set on Earth during World War II in which a plainer rift brings the races and creatures of fantasy into our world. As part of my character's story, he actually becomes the inspiration for the Captain America comics. He'll be using a Light Mithral Quickdraw Throwing Shield and a Blinkback Belt to pull off being a good shield thrower.

The question that I'm coming up with while putting together the build is this: What is my weapon's type when interacting with feats like Weapon Focus and abilities that rely specific weapon types or weapon groups?

If I take Weapon Focus (throwing shield), will that also give a +1 to attack with my shield bash with the throwing shield? If I take Weapon Focus (light shield), will that give a +1 to attack when I'm throwing the shield? If the answer to these questions is No, can I take Weapon Focus (light throwing shield) to get the bonus to both?

Similarly, if I get benefits from weapons in the Close weapon group which includes light shields, would those benefits also apply when I'm throwing the shield? If I get benefits from weapons in the Thrown weapon group which includes throwing shields, would those benefits also apply to shield bash attacks?

I can see this ruled either way. On one hand, throwing shield is an add-on feature, adding +50 gp to the cost of whatever shield you're adding it to, so it is essentially the same weapon. On the other hand, it has its own proficiency level and the text specifically calls out that shield spikes do not apply to thrown attacks, supporting that the throw and the bash are separate weapons, almost like a strange double weapon that isn't quite a double weapon. I'm really hoping the shield bash and the throw would not need to be enchanted separately....

Any thoughts or rules support one way or the other on this issue?

[Captain Morgan]

pluvia33 wrote:

I'm currently building a Captain America-style character for a campaign set on Earth during World War II in which a plainer rift brings the races and creatures of fantasy into our world. As part of my character's story, he actually becomes the inspiration for the Captain America comics. He'll be using a Light Mithral Quickdraw Throwing Shield and a Blinkback Belt to pull off being a good shield thrower.

The question that I'm coming up with while putting together the build is this: What is my weapon's type when interacting with feats like Weapon Focus and abilities that rely specific weapon types or weapon groups?

If I take Weapon Focus (throwing shield), will that also give a +1 to attack with my shield bash with the throwing shield? If I take Weapon Focus (light shield), will that give a +1 to attack when I'm throwing the shield? If the answer to these questions is No, can I take Weapon Focus (light throwing shield) to get the bonus to both?

Similarly, if I get benefits from weapons in the Close weapon group which includes light shields, would those benefits also apply when I'm throwing the shield? If I get benefits from weapons in the Thrown weapon group which includes throwing shields, would those benefits also apply to shield bash attacks?

I can see this ruled either way. On one hand, throwing shield is an add-on feature, adding +50 gp to the cost of whatever shield you're adding it to, so it is essentially the same weapon. On the other hand, it has its own proficiency level and the text specifically calls out that shield spikes do not apply to thrown attacks, supporting that the throw and the bash are separate weapons, almost like a strange double weapon that isn't quite a double weapon. I'm really hoping the shield bash and the throw would not need to be enchanted separately....

Any thoughts or rules support one way or the other on this issue?

I'm curious on this as well.

[Archaeik]

This is indeed a unique entry.

Best I can tell, "Throwing" is added to an existing shield, but requires an exotic proficiency not to require an Equipment Trick(which incidentally treats the throw as improvised).

Now, the thing is that making a MW shield seem to only be able to affect the item as armor, but the throwing portion seems to be more analogous to spikes, which could be crafted as MW weapons independently of the shield. (I have no evidence to support this other than "Throwing Shield" not having an entry under "Armor" in UE.)
Also, I imagine this means they can be enchanted separately (to maximize use appropriate enchants), but do not have to be (as shields can be enchanted as weapons w/o attaching spikes). (One thing I am unclear about on this point though, is whether "shield", "spikes", and "throwing" have separate, discrete 200k gold caps, or if the combined item has a single cap)

Further, given the separate proficiency for "throwing", it's very likely that it is intended to require separate WF, et al.

As to weapon groups: by and large, bonuses that are intended to apply to a specific mode of attack should be restricted to that mode.
Exceptions exist, but I don't think this is one of them since the functionality is an add-on and not built in to the core item.