I'm playing a sword and shield wielding Slayer in WotR and primarily want the shield as a weapon. My understanding is that you treat a shield as two separate items when it comes to AC and when it comes to weapon enhancements.
So I feel like I could enhance my shield as a +1 Holy Evil Outsider Bane weapon (+4 bonus, 32,000gp) and then enhance it as a +5 Bashing Shield (+6,36,000gp). After I get Shield Master, I effectively have a +8 weapon for 68,000gp. Does this sound right? That's around half the cost if I just had a sword.
On top of this, could I continue enhancing it so the combined bonus goes over +10, say with Evil Outsider Defiant? Or would I be stuck right there?
Only the highest bonus applies.
Let me quote 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 attack and damage rolls made with the shield as if it were a weapon enhancement bonus.
You would attack with +5 bonus on attack and damage, instead of +1, but yeah, the other effects would apply normally.
A GM, to prevent abuse, could rule that if you use shield master to get a higher effect, the normal attack effects arent applied to that attack.
The classic standard Uber Shield made for defense and attack is a +5 Bashing, +5 Defending Spiked Shield. 36k for +6 AC, 72k for +6 Weapon, weighing in at 108k for a Shield that is 2-12 20/x2, +12 to AC. Note that adding Bane can up the Defender benefit against a foe while keeping the +damage dice, and Defiant can up the AC bonus, and thus the Attacking power. Combined, you can easily get to a +15 AC, +7/+7 +2d6 damage against a specific foe.
300k is a lot to invest in an item, but you can do that and more with a shield.
Yes, the Uber Shield is a great toy. I strongly suggest, however, that you rule Shield Master to give your PRIMARY weapon no penalty when shield bashing. It makes no sense that a swordsman is more effective with his shield then his sword. Shield Master would thus allow shield bashing not to interfere with his main attack.
==Aelryinth
All right, I'll have to talk to my GM and see what he thinks. Shield Master just became a much more fun toy. Thank you Ranger combat styles.
