Madu, Klar and Shield spikes


Rules Questions


1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

OK, using a spiked shield is

Shield Spikes wrote:

Benefit: These spikes turn a shield into a martial piercing weapon and increase the damage dealt by a shield bash as if the shield were designed for a creature one size category larger than you (see “spiked shields” on Table: Weapons). You can't put spikes on a buckler or a tower shield. Otherwise, attacking with a spiked shield is like making a shield bash attack.

An enhancement bonus on a spiked shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but a spiked shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.

and using a shield to bash normally means you forfeit the sheild's ac bonus.

Improved Shield Bash (Combat) wrote:

You can protect yourself with your shield, even if you use it to attack.

Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency.

Benefit: When you perform a shield bash, you may still apply the shield's shield bonus to your AC.

Normal: Without this feat, a character that performs a shield bash loses the shield's shield bonus to AC until his next turn (see Equipment).

A Klar is just a fancy version of spiked shield; you still lose your shield benefit when attacking with a Klar

Klar wrote:

Traditionally a Shoanti blade bound to the skull of a horned spirestalker (a breed of Storval Plateau giant gecko), in recent years the armorers of southern Varisia have started crafting these bladed shields from iron.

Benefit: A klar can serve as a weapon or a type of shield.

As a Weapon: An attack with a klar is treated as an attack with shield spikes.

As Armor: The klar functions as a light wooden or light steel shield when used to defend in combat.

Weapon Feature(s): special

A Madu doesn't have the same language, in fact is says

Madu wrote:


The madu is a round, light shield with two animal horns—usually from an antelope—extending from opposite sides of the shield.

Benefit: If you are proficient with the madu, you may use it to fight defensively with a –2 penalty instead of the normal –4, and your attack penalty for using Combat Expertise improves by +1 (minimum –1 penalty). You cannot hold anything else in the hand that bears a madu. If you are not proficient with the madu, treat it as a light spiked shield.

Which suggests that using a Madu is not like using a spiked shield (assuming proficiency). Does this mean that a proficient user of a Madu, gets both to attack and use the Madu`s shield bonus, with only 1 hand occupied ?

*All quote from D20pfsrd.com

Grand Lodge

Huh. That's a weird quirky thing about the Madu, that I did not notice.

My guess, is the fighting defensively bonus is what is lost if you are not proficient. Otherwise, it should work like any other shield, and the bonus is lost if you attack with it.

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