Shield Master and TWF

[IronJack]

I've searched these forums but I cant find a definitive answer.

Shield Master: Prerequisites: Improved Shield Bash, Shield Proficiency, Shield Slam, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +11.

Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties on attack rolls made with a shield while you are wielding another weapon. Add your shield's enhancement bonus to attacks and damage rolls made with the shield as if it was a weapon enhancement bonus.

This is directly from Paizo's website. I understand that when using this feat I take normal TWF penalties for my main hand attacks but not for my off-hand shield bash attacks.

My question is about the enhancement bonus gained. In my book it indicates
the enhancement bonus is equal to the shield's shield bonus. Which is it?

Also, do I take a TWF penalty whenever I am wielding a sword and a shield or do the TWF penalties apply only when I use the full round attack action?

[Maezer]

IronJack wrote:

My question is about the enhancement bonus gained. In my book it indicates
the enhancement bonus is equal to the shield's shield bonus. Which is it?

It was errata'd to be equal to the enhancement bonus to AC rather than the shield bonus.

Two weapon fighting penalties only apply when taking the full attack option to gaining the additional attack(s).

[Mort the Cleverly Named]

The answer is "you have an older printing of the Core Rulebook." This was errata'd at some point to the version you are seeing on Paizo's website. So you only add the enhancement bonus of the shield, not the total shield bonus.

You only suffer penalties for TWF if you gain extra attacks from it. So, if you only attack with your sword OR shield, there would be no penalties. If your Base Attack Bonus was +6/+1 you could take an attack with the sword at +6 and one with the shield at +1 without penalty (or vice versa). You would only take a penalty if you were gaining extra off-hand attacks with it, for example two attacks with your sword and a third with the shield when your BaB was +6.

[Purplefixer]

-Apparently-, because of the wording of Shield Bash as an 'off hand weapon', you may ONLY two-weapon fight with Shieldbashes. This is borne out by the Shielded Fighter alternate class feature.

IE:

As an 11th level fighter with a strength of 10, you attack with a longsword (not MW, not magic) with a bonus of +5 (11-6 for twf penalty) and with the +5 heavy shield at +13 (11-0 for twf penalty mitigated by Shield master, +2 for being a heavy shield with shield master) and again with the longsword at +0 (iterative), and one final time with the longsword at -5. TWF increases your longsword attacks by +2 each.

You may not, ever, attack with a shield as a primary weapon, unless you have the Shielded Fighter class feature of the Shield Fighter Fighter Archetype from the APG.

With TWF, ITWF, and GTWF, the same regular longsword +5 heavy steel shield wielding 11th level fighter attacks as follows:

+7 Longsword, +13 HSS, +2 Longsword, +8 HSS, -3 Longsword, +3 HSS

The longsword does 1d8, the heavy steel shield does 1d4+2.

You may seriously wish to consider playing the Two-Weapon Warrior archetype with the full build, or specializing in bull-rushing and Viscious Stomp with the Shielded Fighter build.

[Andy Brown]

Purplefixer wrote:

-Apparently-, because of the wording of Shield Bash as an 'off hand weapon', you may ONLY two-weapon fight with Shieldbashes.

The off hand bit got removed in an errata

[Veldebrand]

I thought the +1 Shield Focus bonus would add to the to hit and damage once you got Shield Master, is this wrong?

[Mort the Cleverly Named]

Veldebrand wrote:

I thought the +1 Shield Focus bonus would add to the to hit and damage once you got Shield Master, is this wrong?

Not wrong, just out of date. Adding the "shield" bonus was changed to "enhancement" a while ago (3rd or 4th printing of the CRB, I think?), which caused Shield Focus to no longer add to it (as it is not an enhancement bonus).