It says in the Weapon Focus feat, "it's effects do not stack," so you'd only benefit from a Weapon Focus feat for the weapon you're actually attacking with. You can't get stack bonuses from two Weapon Focus feats simultaneously.
My interpretation of the feat is that it changes nothing about your shortbow use except that it allows you to make a melee attack with it that doesn't count as an improvised weapon and it does damage as a heavy mace for your PC's size. So you'd apply strength instead of dexterity to attack and damage rolls when you whack someone with your shortbow.
Prerequisite(s): Weapon Focus with the chosen weapon.
Benefit(s): While using this style, you can make melee attacks with the chosen weapon as if it were a heavy mace (or a light mace for melee attack made with a hand crossbow or one-handed firearm), though you don’t automatically threaten the area around you as if you were wielding a melee weapon.
You can switch between melee and ranged attacks with this weapon without penalty, even during the same round. In addition, you ignore the elf prerequisite for the Stabbing Shot feat.
If you have the Stabbing Shot feat, you can use it with a crossbow or firearm, substituting a loaded bolt or firearm ammunition for an arrow.
The damage for the shortbow is already given in the feat description (bolded by me).
And since you are attacking with a bow, the weapon focus of that weapon is used. You only deal damage as a mace, but are not attacking with a mace.
It says in the Weapon Focus feat, "it's effects do not stack," so you'd only benefit from a Weapon Focus feat for the weapon you're actually attacking with. You can't get stack bonuses from two Weapon Focus feats simultaneously.That is a shame, I had hoped empty quiver flexibility might overrule that. Do you need empty quiver flexibility to benefit from weapon focus: shortbow or weapon specialisation: shortbow on melee attacks?
You think it should be treated as a shortbow for attack rolls (even though it says specifically for attacks its treated as a mace) but a mace for damage rolls (even though it does not mention being treated as a mace for damage)?Prerequisite(s): Weapon Focus with the chosen weapon.
Benefit(s): While using this style, you can make melee attacks with the chosen weapon as if it were a heavy mace (or a light mace for melee attack made with a hand crossbow or one-handed firearm), though you don’t automatically threaten the area around you as if you were wielding a melee weapon.
You can switch between melee and ranged attacks with this weapon without penalty, even during the same round. In addition, you ignore the elf prerequisite for the Stabbing Shot feat.
If you have the Stabbing Shot feat, you can use it with a crossbow or firearm, substituting a loaded bolt or firearm ammunition for an arrow.
The damage for the shortbow is already given in the feat description (bolded by me).
And since you are attacking with a bow, the weapon focus of that weapon is used. You only deal damage as a mace, but are not attacking with a mace.
There is no difference in melee attack rolls, regardless what weapon you use (i.e. D20+BAB+STR+misc). If you attack with a greatsword, a rapier, or with a heavy mace, the attack roll is the same.
The bow you use for the melee attacks doesn't macigally change into a mace, hence the weapon focus tree for the shortbow is applied. The damage output, however, is explicitly stated to be as if it were a heavy mace.
The bow you use for the melee attacks doesn't macigally change into a mace, hence the weapon focus tree for the shortbow is applied. The damage output, however, is explicitly stated to be as if it were a heavy mace.Re-read it. It explicitly states you make attacks with it "as if it were a heavy mace" not damage rolls with with as if it were a heavy mace.
"Attacks" here could refer to "attack rolls" OR "attack rolls AND damage rolls", but in no way is "attacks" "explicitly" calling out damage while ignoring it acting as a mace for attack rolls.
It's either acting as a mace for attack rolls or its acting as a mace for attack AND damage rolls.
If its acting as a mace for attack or damage rolls, its stands to reason that weapon focus: mace and weapon specialisation: mace would apply respectively, wouldn't it? I dont understand your stance that its treated as a shortbow for attack rolls but a mace for damage rolls, when the feat does not specify that at all.
Like I already said, there's no difference between attack rolls, for no-one (except the odd ones out). If I have a lvl 3 Barbarian with 20 STR in rage, my melee attack roll is D20+8, regardless of what melee weapon I use. Rapier? D20+8. Greatsword? D20+8. Dagger? D20+8. Heavy mace? D20+8. The damage output on the other hand greatly depends on what type of weapon use and with how many hands. Rapier 1d6+5 (one handed), Greatsword 2d6+7 (two handed), dagger 1d4+5 (one handed), heavy mace 1d8+5 (one handed). Notice that the damage dice is different for each weapon?
So simply stated, if you make attacks with different weapons, the only difference is the damage output. So if you use your shortbow as if it were a heavy mace, that means the weapon does damage as a heavy mace. There is no difference in melee attack roles if you use a shortbow or a heavy mace to hit an adjecent enemy.
I don't know if you're new to pathfinder or not, but it seems you want to bend the rules to your own liking. So re-read the rules, than you'll find that:
If its acting as a mace for attack or damage rolls, its stands to reason that weapon focus: mace and weapon specialisation: mace would apply respectively, wouldn't it? I dont understand your stance that its treated as a shortbow for attack rolls but a mace for damage rolls, when the feat does not specify that at all.
makes no sense at all.
You don't have a mace, you have a shortbow, hence the weapon focus for shortbow can be applied. You don't have a mace in your hand. When you hit an enemy with said shortbow, it does the same damage (i.e. 1d8+STR) as a heavy mace, which is explicitly stated in the feat. It is not that hard to understand.
"Make melee attacks" in this case is referring to the action of attacking, which is comprised of an attack roll and a damage roll, in most cases. I'm not seeing how "make melee attacks" is singling out just the attack roll but not the damage roll.
When it comes to the "as if it were a heavy mace" it means for all purposes (which it doesn't otherwise explicitly override) it functions as a heavy mace.
Meaning you would need weapon focus heavy mace to get the attack bonus, you would need weapon spec heavy mace to get the damage bonus, etc. It is a one-handed weapon, but you could grip it with two and use it as a two-handed weapon (as you can do with any one-handed weapon).
You guys get that this is just Flame Blade all over again, right? Was there ever a consensus on that?
This is much more the kind of answer I was expecting when I asked. Based on this i'm assuming you would then need the "empty quiver flexibility" feat in order for weapon focus/specialization: shortbow to apply to the melee attacks? (and the bonuses wouldnt stack, as Andostre pointed out?)When it comes to the "as if it were a heavy mace" it means for all purposes (which it doesn't otherwise explicitly override) it functions as a heavy mace.
Meaning you would need weapon focus heavy mace to get the attack bonus, you would need weapon spec heavy mace to get the damage bonus, etc. It is a one-handed weapon, but you could grip it with two and use it as a two-handed weapon (as you can do with any one-handed weapon).
Absolutely. You would need Empty Quiver flexibility to have all your feats like weapon focus longbow and weapon spec longbow apply when you use it them to make a melee attack as part of empty quiver style.
Basically, empty quiver flexibility makes it so you don't need to pick up a bunch of otherwise redundant feats.