Shillelagh and a Magic Quarterstaff


Rules Questions

Silver Crusade

Quick question:

The Shillelagh spell says it must be cast on a non magical club or quarterstaff. Can it be cast on the non-magical end of a quarterstaff with only one end enchanted?


RAW: no. "Non-magical" means "non-magical". Unfortunately, as a unified single piece, being magical is a magical item (the whole item seems to benefit from the hardness and hit points increase, for example, even though only one end gains the attack/damage benefit).

RAI: ... maybe. What are you trying to get from it?

Silver Crusade

Nothing special. I have a plan to use a +1 merciful staff, but non-lethal damage doesn't work on a lot of things out there. I was just looking for options. I think the answer to this is to carry around a simple club on my belt.


That would probably be best. It's free, so you don't have to go far to find it! :)
Ultimately, though, you could ask your GM for a special dispensation, but I'm pretty sure it would fall into house-rule territory. Also, you probably shouldn't be able to use the staff as a double weapon if s/he let's you have that anyway. Good gaming!


If you enchant a spiked darkwood shield with +1 bashing (shield enchantment) and +1 merciful (weapon enchantment) it does d10+d6+1 damage when you shield bash with it. It would cost 4,000 extra gold to make but if you took the shield bash feat it would also add +3 shield bonus to your AC for no ACP. In addition it also leaves your off hand open to cast spells.

Shillelagh club would do 2d6+1, this does d10+1, 2 damage on average difference, but this does give you +3 AC.


A spiked shield increases the damage of Bashing from 1d8 to 1d10?
I get that both increase the damage by one or two size cathegories, but i dont see any indications that these increases stack.

Also, keep in mind that shield spikes are martial weapons, which druids arent normally proficient.

Dark Archive

Use a normal quarterstaff for shillelagh purposes only. Alternatively, pick up the Bludgeoner feat and you won't need merciful.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
DeVega wrote:

Quick question:

The Shillelagh spell says it must be cast on a non magical club or quarterstaff. Can it be cast on the non-magical end of a quarterstaff with only one end enchanted?

No. it is still a magical staff, so not a valid target.


Bashing increase a shield's damage by 2 steps. A spiked shield does d6. d6>d8>d10.

Druids are totally proficient with shields as weapons.

Quote:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.

That may be a loose interpretation of the rule.....


Not if they are used as martial weapons, which is the description of "spiked":

Quote:

Shield Bash Attacks

You can bash an opponent with a shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. Used this way, a shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon.

Shield proficiency says:

Quote:


Benefit You can use a shield and take only the standard penalties.

Normal When you are using a shield with which you are not proficient, you take the shield’s armor check penalty on attack rolls and on all skill checks that involve moving, including Ride checks.

The FAQ also says "Regardless of whether or not you are proficient in wearing a shield for defense, attacking with a shield is using a martial weapon and you take appropriate penalties if you are not proficient in martial weapons (for example, if you are a cleric, you take a –4 nonproficiency penalty when making shield bash attacks because you are not proficient in martial weapons)."

Unless stated otherwise, they are not proficient with it.

Quote:
Bashing increase a shield's damage by 2 steps. A spiked shield does d6. d6>d8>d10.

Yes, but it does state the final damage in the description (1d6 light, 1d8 heavy shields), meaning they didnt take shield spikes into consideration (as shield spikes are actually a weapon, not part of the shield).

So i wouldnt allow Bashing to stack with Spikes, because bashing enhances the shield damage, not the spikes damage.
The spikes use weapon enhancement bonuses instead.

You are trying to apply a SHIELD enhancement on a WEAPON.


Though, i would allow the damage type and weapon enhancements to stack with bashing. A +1 Flaming Spiked Heavy Steel Shield would do 1d8+1(Piercing)+1d6(Fire) damage.

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