[RPG] Does the Master at Arms feat work for Shields

I remember this question popping up a lot on the forums (And eventually getting an official answer) when I was still playing D20Modern.

The answer is that they do not stack - in any fashion. Not even to the degree DuckTapeal says in his post. Every time you roll to attack somebody, you must decide to either Brawl or use Combat Martial Arts.

The word from the developers on why two fighters couldn't win against each other when only Brawling (For combats where characters have sufficiently high HP and CON values), the answer was that in most brawls, you'd expect a combatant to eventually pick up a bottle or other means of dealing real damage.

SOURCE that brawl and CMA don't stack: https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20modern/bp/20030320a

SOURCE that Advanced CMA and Knockout Punch don't stack: https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20modern/bp/20051122a

SOURCE that Street Fighting does stack with CMA: https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20modern/bp/20060411a

This actually does work together. Note the text:

You gain a +1 feat bonus to attack rolls you make with any weapon with which you have proficiency and with a wand or another item designated as a bard implement.

The first part gives you a bonus to attack rolls you make with any weapon with which you have proficiency. The second gives you bonuses with wands or other bard implements.

Note that it doesn't say "weapon attack rolls." Instead, it says "attack rolls you make with any weapon." They're not the same.

Now, the rules for Weapons as Implements and vice versa:

Using a Weapon as an Implement: If an adventurer is able to use a weapon as an implement, the weapon works like a normal implement, but the adventurer uses neither the weapon’s proficiency bonus nor its nonmagical weapon properties with his or her implement powers.... When an adventurer uses a magic version of the weapon as an implement, he or she can use the magic weapon’s enhancement bonus, critical hit effects, properties, and powers. However, some magic weapons have properties and powers that work only with weapon powers (Rules Compendium 275).

You're making an attack with a weapon with which you have proficiency. You happen to be using it as an implement, but that doesn't matter- the text says you get the bonus with attack rolls made with any weapon, and you're making an attack roll with a weapon.

This issue comes up in a variety of ways in the game. For example, if you're using a Frost Shortbow, you could attach a Siberys Shard of Merciless Cold to it to do extra damage, which would work even when making an implement attack. If you're using a Weapon of Speed Shortbow, you make make a Ranged Basic Attack with it once per encounter as a minor action...even if the RBA is using the bow as an implement, not as a weapon.