I just took a look at the SRD content for improvised weapons. I don't see anywhere that says an improvised weapon doesn't count as a weapon.
Improvised Weapons
Sometimes characters don't have their weapons and have to attack with whatever is at hand. An improvised weapon includes any object you can wield in one or two hands, such as broken glass, a table leg, a frying pan, a wagon wheel, or a dead goblin.
Often, an improvised weapon is similar to an actual weapon and can be treated as such. For example, a table leg is akin to a club. At the DM's option, a character proficient with a weapon can use a similar object as if it were that weapon and use his or her proficiency bonus.
An object that bears no resemblance to a weapon deals 1d4 damage (the DM assigns a damage type appropriate to the object). If a character uses a ranged weapon to make a melee attack, or throws a melee weapon that does not have the thrown property, it also deals 1d4 damage. An improvised thrown weapon has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
Your second point is still correct.
Consider only one of the shields a weapon, and the other a shield.
It doesn't matter if you are using the shield as an improvised weapon or not. It's still, technically, a piece of armor. The dueling style doesn't kick in if you suddenly decide to take a swing at someone with your tankard. It requires the character in question to be wielding a melee weapon. Those are clearly defined by the rules.
hi. how do increase the damage when using shield as weapon? i want to do more than 1d4.
You can't.
Darn. The improvised weapon rules seem vague enough on the weapon properties that one might be able to argue its the DM's discretion, but I think that strictly speaking you're right.
Still, now I need to make a rune-knight boxer who uses shields like weighted boxing gloves.
hi. how do increase the damage when using shield as weapon? i want to do more than 1d4.
You can't.
Darn. The improvised weapon rules seem vague enough on the weapon properties that one might be able to argue its the DM's discretion, but I think that strictly speaking you're right.
Still, now I need to make a rune-knight boxer who uses shields like weighted boxing gloves.
Some improvised weapons are close enough to actual weapons that you can use their statistics. For example, a broken wine bottle could be wielded like a dagger in melee, but maybe not if you throw it. It should go without saying that we're free to make whatever case we want to the DM, but ultimately it's in their hands.
But the shield is so unlike anything else that there's no way I'd consider it light. That doesn't mean you can't wield two of them, though. Extra Attack can be used to attack with a weapon in either hand. Only the bonus action attack when using Two-Weapon Fighting requires a light weapon in each hand. And if this shield fighter is using their bonus action to shove, then they don't need to worry about that.
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It doesn't matter if you are using the shield as an improvised weapon or not. It's still, technically, a piece of armor. The dueling style doesn't kick in if you suddenly decide to take a swing at someone with your tankard. It requires the character in question to be wielding a melee weapon. Those are clearly defined by the rules.
So wait, does tavern brawler allow you to use your shield as an offhand weapon for dual wielding?
hi. how do increase the damage when using shield as weapon? i want to do more than 1d4.
No, because it's not a weapon with the light property. The only way to use a shield when Two-Weapon Fighting is with the Dual Wielder feat.
You can't.
Darn. The improvised weapon rules seem vague enough on the weapon properties that one might be able to argue its the DM's discretion, but I think that strictly speaking you're right.
Still, now I need to make a rune-knight boxer who uses shields like weighted boxing gloves.
Some improvised weapons are close enough to actual weapons that you can use their statistics. For example, a broken wine bottle could be wielded like a dagger in melee, but maybe not if you throw it. It should go without saying that we're free to make whatever case we want to the DM, but ultimately it's in their hands.
But the shield is so unlike anything else that there's no way I'd consider it light. That doesn't mean you can't wield two of them, though. Extra Attack can be used to attack with a weapon in either hand. Only the bonus action attack when using Two-Weapon Fighting requires a light weapon in each hand. And if this shield fighter is using their bonus action to shove, then they don't need to worry about that.