Shield Bash Off hand fighting and other weapon stuff

I have two questions

1/ If I use my shield (as it's spiked) as a weapon and attack as long as I don't attack with my other hand in the same round does it count as off-hand fighting? As Ian raised an interested idea for my weapon familiar later on, which has me thinking I may take Improved Shield Bash so I keep my AC if I attack with it. And they are a nice load of shield improving feats.

2/ What are the rules if any for crafting my own special type of weapon - I'm guessing it would be exotic but I like the idea of coming up with something I just wondered if it was a/ possible and b/ what the rules for it would be.

Thanks for your time

Great game !

1. With regards to attacking with a shield as a primary weapon.

This should be ok as long as you don't attack with your other weapon. As there is no real definition of left and right handed I would consider this to simply be an act of focusing your attack with a different hand, and of course there is the added bonus of being able to use wands or other items in your 'primary' hand. Basically consider your shield arm to be 'primary' for such attacks.
This is of course subject to me checking the rules to make sure there is no conflicting ruling.

2. With regards to creating your own weapon.

There is no reason why you couldn't, although as you mention it would be exotic and therefore would require the relevant weapon proficiency feat. If you come up with an idea then we can look at existing weapons and try to draw some comparisons for damge and threat ranges etc.
( if your looking for a reach weapon that does 3d6 slashing/piercing/bludgeoning damage with a 15-20 x4 threat range then i'm sorry but NO! )

And i' glad you're enjoying the game - i know i am

Damn that's just the weapon stats I was looking for ! LOL

There's an interesting discussion about the shield as a primary weapon here.
Especially note the lengthy post from Weylin.

This does change my views somewhat as to whether you could use it as a primary weapon.
I would be interested to see where you were going with this in order to make a satisfactory judgement, so as it stands i can't make a ruling either way at this point....

OK,

this is how I see it but I'm open to all views.

If I have a spiked shield and a scimtar if I attacked with both shield and scimtar then sure that's two weapon fighting and all normal penalties apply. Losing AC from shield til next round.

If I attack with scimtar and defend with shield normal combat round.

If I attack shield and hold scimtar parrying ect. (no real action with it) It's a single attack I lose AC for round (unless I have Improved Shield Bash Feat- Which means I keep AC) and there is no penalty as my Off-hand for that round is in affect the Scimtar which I'm not attacking with.

As to improving the shield or taking Shield as my weapon familiar - any bonus enchantments have to be applied to SHield in two parts one is the spikes i.e the Attack enchancement
and any defence enchantments are added to the shield part.

So in effect I have a single item but to improve it I have to enchant two parts any + to damage doesn't apply to AC and the viceversa any AC bonus doesn't add to damage.

How does that sound so far ?

I'm sorry if I'm beiong a pain

Pick, heavy 8 gp 1d6 ×4 — 6 lb. Piercing
Rapier 20 gp 1d6 18–20/×2 — 2 lb. Piercing
Scimitar 15 gp 1d6 18–20/×2 — 4 lb. Slashing

from the Players Handbook:-

So if I can make my own to be a weapon familiar I'd like to get a better range on damage.

Shield with spikes and blade rim.
I was thinking 1d8 19-20 x3 - 20 lbs. Piercing ? I figure 1d8 not 1d6 due to the extra weight like battleaxe,flail and warhammer.

Or maybe made it a two hammered job hhhmmm take the Improved shield bash feat so I can use it and keep AC then if I use another weapon I do get penalties as the size and weight make it hard to use as a weapon/shield one handed

No penalties for just using it as a shield.

Two handed weapon
2d4 x4 -20lbs. The image I have is something like the head of my lovely morningstar larger and without a long handle, but with two hand straps at the back to wield with in both hands/ or to use as an arm strap on one arm.

One handed as a weapon normal penalties apply/AC kept by having the Improved shield bash feat.
If you think it's an exotic weapon and that I need an extra exotic weapon feat to use it then mmmm I'd need to think some more, I just figure that I'd basically be taking the Improved shield bash feat to keep the AC from it, and the two weapons listed below do bang on damage for what I'm looking at without the need for a feat

Ranseur 2d4 ×3 — 12 lb. Piercing
Scythe 2d4 ×4 — 10 lb. Piercing or slashing

Trying not to bambozzle you or me LOL , having read the whole of that thread there is alot of views about the whole shield bash thing. But I think it's pretty straight forward

Following our conversation here goes....

Super Spiked Shield (Heavy Steel Shield +2 AC)
1d8 19-20 x3 - 20 lbs. Piercing and bludgeoning. 1 handed.

This weapon can be used two handed and as long as the bearer has Improved Shield Bash they will still benefit from its AC bonus.

I was thinking that perhaps a trigger mechanism within the shield could have blades revealed around the rim of the shield, but as this is done the spikes retract giving you slashing and bludgeoning damage. This trigger can be pulled as part of a move action but requires a full-round action to reset.

Cost - perhaps 300 gp (with the trigger idea i think a price of 400-500 gp) would be reasonable due to the combined threat range and multiplier - obviously this would be a market price not a crafting price). And then I'm sure you'd take the time and make a masterwork one

wow that sounds wonderful ! I'll take two just add them to my tab ..... LOL

Love the trigger idea !

Now without wanting to kick myself in the teeth, Ian pointed out that there are no weapons with 19-20 x3 - now of course I'm very happy with the idea but most do have either x3 or 19-20 x2 / 18-20 x2 I don't want to be since to be making/getting some uber weapon on the other hand given your trigger idea maybe it could be piercing or bludgeoning with x3 and move action / or full round action (in effect putting one weapon away and drawing another) pull trigger it becomes slashing or bludgeoning 19-20 x2. To my mind thats no different than having to change weapon.

So yes I'll start making one a masterwork version ready for when (3 levels time) I can enchant it and make it into my weapon familiar.

Oh I'm taking Improved Shield Bash this level then and not silver tracery!

I was thinking the same thing . Once i got home and checked i noticed the whole threat /multiplier thing and i'm happy for you to have the differing values for piercing and slashing.
So here goes again

Super Spiked Shield (Heavy Steel Shield +2 AC)
1d8 x3 - 20 lbs. Piercing and bludgeoning. 1 handed.

or

1d8 19-20 x2 - Slashing and bludgeoning

This weapon can be used two handed and as long as the bearer has Improved Shield Bash they will still benefit from its AC bonus.

A trigger mechanism within the shield has blades revealed around the rim of the shield, but as this is done the spikes retract giving you slashing and bludgeoning damage. This trigger can be pulled as part of a move action but requires a full-round action to reset.

Cost - 450 gp

Yep sounds great I'll cross of the 225 gp cost + 150 for masterwork = 375gp and start work on it then.
That makes me mmmm broke I have 25 sp and 37 cp left. Damn good job I don't need to eat!

I hate to add extra complications (er no, lies, I love it ) but you only pay 1/3 of the market price in crafting materials so that would be 250 gp. Also if you want it to be a masterwork shield in addition, thatv would add another 50 (150/3) for a total of 300 gp.

great I'll add the 75gp back on. Thanks Ian!

"

This is the thing I was talking about (I hope this has worked.)

There is one pic there and another that isn't.
And all i can say is HOLY CRAP!!!!!

That is one nasty looking contraption

Yeah, I'm not sure where the ghost picture came from. But it's sorted now.

I've sorted permissions so that you can now upload to the galleries.
However bear in mind that there is only 20 Mb allowed in total so that's not many pictures. I've posted the crazy shield there.

Wow that's a wicked shield !

I found a feat called Agile Shield Fighter (PHB II p, 74) that gives you a -2 penalty to attacks made when shield-bashing as well as a primary attack, rather than the usual horrid two-weapon fighting ones. You need Imp Shield Bash and Shield Spec, but you were thinking about getting those anyway, yes?

Oh that's nice, I'll think about adding that to the list of feats I'd like, damn it's getting big.