This is a query about composite items as talismans.
Imagine a mage enchanting a sword as his talisman. He has a sword made with a metal blade and frame, wolf skin wrapped around the handle, a ruby set into the quillons and a crown shaped pommel stone.
Now obviously he gets the shape bonus for a sword and material bonuses from the iron, wolfskin and ruby. Can he get a shape bonus for the crown?
Essentially, can a talisman have more than a single shape bonus? Can you use fairly symbolic shapes to get shape bonuses, or must the item be a functional version of that item to get the shape bonus? How about a miniature crown the size of a golf ball? If yes, how about that same crown atop a stave or sword pommel?
If thats a little too subtle, then how about a helmet in the shape of a skull
This is not spelled out clearly in the rules. We allow multiple shape bonuses, but a single shape. For example, a ring counts both as a ring and as jewelry, but no item can count as both a crown and a staff. Arguably, though, a helmet fashioned as a skull would count as both a skull and a helmet.
We take the other approach. It is you staff, part of your innermost magic ability and your masterpiece. If you can put a boat shape and something to represent Paris in your staff, go for it!
I'm in favor of allowing people to stuff in as many shapes and materials as they can, up to the RAW limit of their magic resistance.
The trope of magi having strange symbols all over their precious items (or clothing) is a strong one, so a drawing of a sword counts in my sagas as the sword shape.
It is double-edged, though (pun intended) because the more stuff you jam in, the easier it is for the item to be broken.
