Shield Bashing [time sensitive question]

[vartan]

I am about to start a new campaign as a level one cleric and was considering going the route of: shield spec, improved shield bash, agile shield fighter.

When bashing with a shield is it to be considered a one-handed martial weapon- but as a cleric I am only proficient with simple weapons. Does my proficiency with shields allow me to shield bash or am I taking the -4 penalty?

[sonofzeal]

RAW is ambiguous, it simply doesn't specify. Ask your DM whether "proficiency: shields" includes using them for Shield Bash. It's reasonable, and defensible from RAW, but isn't the only self-consistent interpretation.

My advice? Buy the DM a pizza, then ask them what they think

[ericgrau]

I don't see why they would call it martial otherwise, rather than simple. This would also be consistent with the way it's treated as a weapon in general, independent of its shieldness.

I think clerics simply don't know how to bash properly. Dip a fighter level or grab a feat for it. True normally a lost caster level is horrendous, but if you only plan on buffing yourself with your spells it's not so bad to dip something that also helps martially. If you do plan on other kinds of spells too then sorry, it is pretty bad to dip. You'll have to blow one of your few feats on it instead.