3.5 Armor Enhancement questions

[Alencor]

One of my players in my campaign received a +5 Large Steel Shield out of the http://www.myth-weavers.com/generate_treasure.php random loot generator.

All of the time in my experience Enhancement bonuses on armors or weapons are usually there to accompany a magical enhancement bonus, i.e. Animated shield, which would be a +2 Enhancement bonus. I have never seen an item with just an enhancement bonus with no magical enhancement properties.

I ask if the +5 on this Large Steel Shield adds to AC because its is just a +5 with no magical properties, or if it just increases the HP of the item, and gives it a +1 armor penalty checks for being masterwork.

[Ellowryn]

You are correct, the +5 large steel shield would give whoever wields it a +7 AC bonus, plus would take the normal penalty for wielding a shield in addition to the bonus hardness and Hp the shield gets due to the enhancement.

[Khedrac]

It's also worth noting that by RAW armor and weapons (and shields) must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus before they can gain any additional properties - so an "Animated Shield" that isn't at least a "+1 Animated Shield" is not a valid item by RAW.

[Alencor]

Okay thanks. Also another question. If that +5 large steel shield has any magical enhancement bonus, so for example: +5 large steel shield (Arrow Catching) would the wielder still receive the +5 additional AC from the +5? Or would he receive a +4 AC because Arrow catching is a +1 magical enhancement bonus?

[Kesnit]

They get the +5, since that is what the shield is. The gold value of the shield is calculated as +6 (since Arrow Catching is a +1 equivalent).

[frost890]

The +# is added as armor and any special properties are added on top. By RAW you can only have up to a +5 AC bonus and a (equivalent) +5 in special properties added to the item before it becomes epic. the special properties and ac bonus are added separately. So a +2 acid sword is added up as a +3 item. (+2 attack bonus and a +1 acid)

[Seruvius]

As what you are asking about has been answered, just thought I'd throw something in for consideration for your player to make that unoptimised +5 more useful. Take a look at armour/shield augment crystals from magic item compendium. They come in 3 levels (least, lesser, greater) and the greater ones are pretty good, and are one of the few reasons you would ever want to buy a weapon/armour with a pure +3 enhancment as the greaters ones require pure +3 or better to work. best part is that they are a flat cost and can be swapped around, so he could have a very versatile high AC shield. For instance i loved crystal of aquatic action on my full plate cleric in a swamp campaign, the greater version costs 3000 gold and gives you free movmenet underwater and air breathing. Crystal of bent sight (500 gold) lets you avert gaze to avoid gaze attacks but take no penalty on attack rolls, greater mind cloack crystals gives +5 against mind affecting spells and lets your erpoll once per day etc. Well worth a peek

[Rubik]

Shields, armors, and weapons with high enhancement bonuses to AC are only there to be liquidated in some way, so you can buy or craft a +1 item with a bunch of abilities tacked on and use Greater Magic Weapon or Magic Vestment on it.

Because ability-less items with high enhancement bonuses are both expensive and stupid.


The +# is added as armor and any special properties are added on top. By RAW you can only have up to a +5 AC bonus and a (equivalent) +5 in special properties added to the item before it becomes epic. the special properties and ac bonus are added separately. So a +2 acid sword is added up as a +3 item. (+2 attack bonus and a +1 acid)You can only have a +5 enhancement bonus, but your armor/shield/weapon special qualities can add up to +9 without going epic, so long as the enhancement bonus remains +1.