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I have allowed one of my players to build a custom buckler shield. It has a number of features, one of which is the ability to strap a larger shield onto the front of it. You can think of it like a two-piece shield where it acts like a heavy shield with both pieces in place and like a buckler when the larger piece is removed.
When the PC wants to enchantment this item, does the shield bonus apply to the entire item, just the heavy shield part, or just the buckler shield part. I can see arguments for each of those cases!
If the enhancement is to both part, does that mean they have to be used together to be treated as magical?
If the enhancement is just to the buckler, does that mean the magical shield bonus is lost when the heavy shield attachment is added?
Inquiring minds want to know. :)
I would treat it like a double weapon--both parts must be separately enhanced.
Since you're creating an entirely new item, that decision is up to you. If it were me, I'd let the enchantment apply to it in all forms, but require a feat like "Exotic shield proficiency" to use it with any proficiency.
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Great feedback; thanks.
I like the "exotic shield prof" idea. The PCs goal is to be able to vary their shield AC bonus and still use a bow sometimes. (So they go around with the heavy shield normally detached because they like using their bow, but add the heavy shield if they need the AC bonus.)
Having the buckler's bonus not stack with the heavy shield bonus sort of nerfs that idea, though. I'll point the player to this thread and after he reads it perhaps we can look at the issue again.
Since (from what I read) the larger part is not really usable without the buckler part, I don't see much need to enchant both. The buckler is +3, strap on the heavy shield, it's +3.
Now if he *wants* to enchant them both, that's something else. Like having a +3 Buckler, and +1 arrow deflection on the heavy shield part - that's avoiding increased costs. Then it would be whichever is "outside".
Mechanically, he is looking for the benefits of having both a +2 buckler (+3 AC, can use bow) and a +2 heavy shield (+4 AC, can bash, cannot use bow). Using just the core rules, that would be two separate items, worth a little over 8k and it would take 2 move actions to swap between them.
I'm assuming the non-magical version of the custom item cost less than 100 gold. A large shield and a buckler cost at most 50 gold, so in both cases, the cost of the magical enhancements are going to dominate the cost. Likely, he only had to pay the masterwork fee of 150 gold once for the custom item, rather than twice like he would have had to for a shield and buckler combo.
I'm also assuming that it is at most two move actions to attach or detach the large shield from the buckler. I wouldn't be surprised if it was less.
If my assumptions are correct, the custom item has some (small) advantages over a shield and buckler, so it is perfectly reasonable to insist that enchanting them costs the same as enchanting a shield and buckler.
That said, it is an interesting idea and I don't think it would be overpowered to give at least some discount on enchanting. This would be especially true if the large shield had to be modified so that it could only be used with the buckler, to prevent it from being given to another character for use while the PC uses only the buckler.
He is not going to be able to use both effects at the same time, so I could see a 30% reduction. I might also create a new +1 enhancement that allows the enchantments to be shared. That is the equivalent bonus of defending, which allows you to transfer the bonus between AC and to hit. This is doing something similar, in that you can increase the AC while decreasing the size of weapon that can be used.
At that point, I'm not certain why you would want the more complex item, since you can fight with an animated heavy shield and a bow. What would be the advantage in that case?
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Mechanically, he is looking for the benefits of having both a +2 buckler (+3 AC, can use bow) and a +2 heavy shield (+4 AC, can bash, cannot use bow). Using just the core rules, that would be two separate items, worth a little over 8k and it would take 2 move actions to swap between them.
Bingo!
I'm assuming the non-magical version of the custom item cost less than 100 gold.
I believe I charged him the masterwork cost on both items, as the buckler would have to be special purpose to allow it to hold the heavy shield, and the heavy shield would have to be special purpose so that it could fit snuggly over the buckler without the use of hand straps.
I'm also assuming that it is at most two move actions to attach or detach the large shield from the buckler. I wouldn't be surprised if it was less.
I'm not sure what we decided on, but I believe two move actions is entirely reasonable. I can't see either of them being free actions, that's for sure.
If my assumptions are correct, the custom item has some (small) advantages over a shield and buckler, so it is perfectly reasonable to insist that enchanting them costs the same as enchanting a shield and buckler.
Interesting...
That said, it is an interesting idea and I don't think it would be overpowered to give at least some discount on enchanting. This would be especially true if the large shield had to be modified so that it could only be used with the buckler, to prevent it from being given to another character for use while the PC uses only the buckler.
The heavy shield cannot be used separately -- it's a special purpose item meant for this buckler.
He is not going to be able to use both effects at the same time, so I could see a 30% reduction. I might also create a new +1 enhancement that allows the enchantments to be shared. That is the equivalent bonus of defending, which allows you to transfer the bonus between AC and to hit. This is doing something similar, in that you can increase the AC while decreasing the size of weapon that can be used.
This 30% reduction is over the cost of enchanting two separate items, is that correct? What about if he chooses to enchant only a single item? Currently, the PC has had the buckler enhanced to +2 (IIRC) but nothing done to the heavy shield.
There was a weapon property in Complete Adventurer and the Underdark books called "Sizing". In a nutshell it allowed the user to change the effective size of the weapon, useful if you change shape a great deal for example. (The weapon’s size category can be changed as a Standard Action. For example, a Shortsword sized for a Small creature can be chanced to a Shortsword sized for a Medium creature). It was a +1 enhancement to add to the weapon. I would take that and go with it as an armor enhancement. It cuts down on the complications and "special rules" for the item and has the same feel and effect for which you are going for. If you feel it is too expensive at a +1, maybe give the option to go from buckler to heavy shield as well as to kite shield size.
From the MIC:
VARIABLE
Price: +1 bonus
Property: Shield
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation
Activation: Swift (mental)
This shield is made up of many smooth, over-
lapping strips.
A variable shield can change its size,
becoming a buckler, light shield, heavy
shield, or tower shield (sized appropriately
for you) upon activation. All the rules for
carrying items while using shields apply
to the new shield size....