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As I understand it, making a shield a throwing shield costs +50gp above the normal price of the shield, meaning a buckler, a light shield or a heavy shield can be created as one with that price modification.
Throwing Shields are part of the Thrown fighter weapon group. Given that light shields and heavy shields are originally part of the close weapon group (Bucklers aren't), do they drop out of the close weapon group when they become throwing shields or are they in both? (Similar to how other weapons are in multiple groups)
Does "Weapon Focus: Heavy Shield" apply to the thrown attack rolls of a heavy throwing shield? Or would I need "Weapon Focus: Throwing Shield"? If I do need "Weapon Focus: Throwing Shield", does it apply for throwing light shields and heavy shields? (I ask because "Throwing Shield" appears on the weapon table as a single entry, there's no distinction made between light and heavy - And i'm not sure if its really a complete weapon type or just a modification to an existing shield...)
Is a thrown shield attack counted as a shield bash? And do you lose the shield bonus to AC on a round you throw a (Returning/Ricochet Toss) shield?
Can you still choose to make a shield bash with a throwing shield? If yes, do you you suffer any penalty? (On the weapon table it lists throwing shields as ranged weapons)
These are some good questions that I'm unsure of myself. I will offer my best interpretation.
Shield Bash- Martial, One-Handed
Throwing Shield- Exotic, Thrown
1. I would say they are considered as part of the group that relates to the attack you decide to make with it. For example, making a shield bash would be treated as the shield originally would be and be part of the Close weapon group. If you decide to throw it, then treat it as part of the Thrown weapon group.
2. I think that you would have to take Weapon Focus: Shield Bash and Weapon Focus: Throwing Shield separately. This is because they might be the same object but they are considered different weapons when considering their respective attacks. If they were treated as the same then other feats that allowed a Bull Rush on a shield bash would apply to the thrown attack. If you make a Throwing Shield attack then you are not making a Shield Bash attack and vice versa.
3. The wording in the entry for a Shield, Improved Shield Bash and Throwing Shield doesn't offer any clues. Without Ricochet Toss you would obviously lose it but even with the feat, it simply returns to you immediately after the attack is resolved. Throwing Shield's description says that it can be unstrapped (normally a Move action) and thrown as a Free action but says nothing about re-strapping which is a Move action "Ready/Drop Shield". So I think you would lose the shield bonus to AC until you take a Move action to "Ready" your shield by fastening it back to your arm.
4. Yes you can still use it for shield bashing because it's still a shield. No additional penalty, you would just treat it as a normal shield making a shield bash attack. You would not want to make a Throwing Shield attack while threatened as that would provoke an attack of opportunity due to being a thrown weapon.
These are some good questions that I'm unsure of myself. I will offer my best interpretation.
Some interesting interpretations, and I think the first two might be flawed:
1. I would say they are considered as part of the group that relates to the attack you decide to make with it. For example, making a shield bash would be treated as the shield originally would be and be part of the Close weapon group. If you decide to throw it, then treat it as part of the Thrown weapon group.
I don't think a weapon can be only situationally part of a weapon group... daggers don't stop being in the thrown group just because you're stabbing someone with them, for example.
2. I think that you would have to take Weapon Focus: Shield Bash and Weapon Focus: Throwing Shield separately. This is because they might be the same object but they are considered different weapons when considering their respective attacks.
I didn't/don't think you can take Weapon Focus: Shield bash, because shield bash isn't a weapon, isn't it Weapon focus: Heavy Shield? Otherwise we'd all have to take "weapon focus: dagger (melee)" and "weapon focus: dagger (thrown)" (or WF: Piercing / WF: Slashing if you wanted to be really pedantic) because they're different ways to attack with the same weapon...
3. I think you would lose the shield bonus to AC until you take a Move action to "Ready" your shield by fastening it back to your arm.
4. Yes you can still use it for shield bashing because it's still a shield. No additional penalty, you would just treat it as a normal shield making a shield bash attack. You would not want to make a Throwing Shield attack while threatened as that would provoke an attack of opportunity due to being a thrown weapon.
These are reasonable. I just wasn't sure because throwing shields are classified as "ranged" weapons, and ranged weapons usually have to have special text to accommodate attacking with them in melee, like a chakram does.
I think the problem here is there are no RAW to cover this particular conundrum.
Edit: Yep, just double checked other threads. According to them it's "Weapon Focus: Heavy Shield" not "Shield bash" because shield bash isn't a weapon. It's still unclear whether the throwing shield modification actually changes the weapon type entirely though.
I can say at a minimum that the Throwing Shield or the Throwing Shield upgrade is also considered an Exotic weapon. It would most certainly apply when used to make a ranged attack thus imposing the -4 non-proficiency penalty without Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Throwing Shield. If you are suggesting that the weapon's type would change completely from this upgrade, then that -4 would also apply to shield bash attacks. which wouldn't make sense because a shield bash is treated as a Martial weapon.
On Weapon Focus... I am now of the belief that even though they are treated as different weapons, Weapon Focus would apply to both attacks... however, Weapon Focus only applies if you are proficient with a weapon. So if you did not have the Exotic weapon proficiency for the Throwing Shield you would not receive the +1 when using it to make ranged attacks. The Bastard Sword is another example of a weapon that falls into two categories as Exotic, One-Handed or Martial, Two-Handed. The exception there is you can't wield the Bastard Sword one handed with a -4 non-proficiency because it's technically still a two-handed weapon.
Where does it say "a shield bash is treated as a Martial weapon"? A bash can't be considered a weapon, a bash is an attack. The weapon making the attack is the heavy shield. Which is why it's "weapon focus: heavy shield" and not "weapon focus: shield bash". Also we're not talking about proficiency. (We're assuming the character in question has exotic proficiency).
To reiterate, a shield bash isn't "treated as" anything except an attack. Because that's what it is, it's an attack:
Shield Bash Attacks: You can bash an opponent with a heavy shield. See “shield, heavy” on Table: Weapons for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon.
It specifically says the shield is a martial weapon; the attack itself is an attack with a martial bludgeoning weapon, it is not in and of itself a martial weapon. (just like a "sword swing" isn't itself a martial weapon, it's an attack with a martial weapon)
That is basic stuff, the problem of not knowing whether you need "weapon focus: heavy shield" or "weapon focus: throwing shield" (or a variation thereof) remains unanswered. As of right now, i'm leaning towards the throwing shield modification functioning like this:
1: A light/heavy shield is part of both the thrown and close groups.
2: You need "Weapon Focus: Heavy Throwing shield" (despite not being specifically listed on a table, it makes the most sense.)
3: No, it's not counted as a shield bash. / You lose the Shield AC until you re-don the shield as a move action.
4: Shield Bash is a special attack that shields can make that specifically states "Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon", it doesn't say the heavy throwing shield loses this property, nor that you take a penalty for using it. So it makes sense you keep it.