Animated Shield- Can Rangers use them?

[taliesin15]

I'm wondering what people's ideas are on this--I can see the argument that an Animated Shield might not require proficiency or actual use by a Ranger in order to protect him...

 

[blargney the second]

1) Rangers have proficiency with shields.
2) They can use a shield (animated or otherwise) with which they are proficient with no penalty.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

And classes that AREN'T proficient can still effectively use shields with no penalty, as long as the armor check penalty is 0 (or is 1 and you get it masterwork). The only exceptions are when the class says it can't use them, else lose powers or something. Examples: Monks who use shields lose monk AC; Swordsages who use shields lose their wis to AC.

One key thing to remember in case someone tries to sneak it by in your game: anyone who wants an animated tower shield STILL suffers the attack penalty from it, even animated. Don't let that slip.

 

[taliesin15]

I'm so used to players running Rangers taking advantage of the Ambidexterity and Two Handed Fighting abilities that I forgot about the shield proficiency--in that case, could the Ranger use an Animated Large Wood Shield or Large Steel Shield while fighting with say a Longsword and Shortsword (and is a human, for argumen'ts sake) without incurring further penalties?

 

[moritheil]

If he wouldn't incur penalties normally he won't while using an animated shield. If he would, he will.

Note that you can TWF with a sword and shield, using the shield bash itself as a weapon.

 

[blargney the second]

In 3.5, yep, that'd work fine. I don't remember how that stuff all interacted in 3.0.

 

[moritheil]

In 3.5, yep, that'd work fine. I don't remember how that stuff all interacted in 3.0.

Oh, good point. Take my advice with a grain of salt, as 3.5 has overridden 3.0 for me.