Arcane Spell Failure and Shields

[Darklone]

I don't get your problems with the rules and, excuse me, whining about "shields are broken".

The rules are pretty explicit that you can (light shields or bucklers here):
a) Hold a shield with a free hand that's not readied without ASF. You don't get the AC bonus either since it's just a piece of equipment like the 10 foot pole and the 500 arrows on the back of your strength 20 char.
b) Use a readied shield with a free hand with ASF. You'll enjoy the ASF penalty as well as the AC bonus.

In both cases it doesn't matter at all whether you hold a weapon in your other hand or not. For heavy shields it's simpler. Either you use the shield (worn and readied) and can't cast a spell with the shield hand, or you don't use the shield (not worn nor readied, see above, no ASF nor skill check penalty) and can cast.

 

[Li Shenron]

Shields it would seem should not provide an arcane spell failure check at all, seeing as the rules regarding it are faily murky, as seems to proven by this thread. Which of course was it's purpose.

Forgive me if I seem hellbent to prove something is broken. Sometimes you have to push things till they appear to be so broken that it's painfully obvious. This thread was aimed at being a proof not really a solution, if a solution however did raise it's head all the better.

If you are trying to "prove that ASF for shields is broken" I think you'll never succeed, and that it even doesn't make much sense. I didn't notice this was your intent.

If you are trying to raise people consciences about the fact that ASF for shields is not realistic, that it doesn't have a reason behind merely being a game rule, then you are welcome to discuss it as long as you wish. And I have already said that I basically agree

 

[Darklone]

... ASF for shields is not realistic...

I agree. Spellcasting and especially being disturbed during spellcasting while you wear a shield is totally unrealistic

LOL!!!!

 

[Li Shenron]

I agree. Spellcasting and especially being disturbed during spellcasting while you wear a shield is totally unrealistic

LOL!!!!

Well, it could have been rolled into Concentration, but I think it was not exactly because it is a sacred cow, and the designers didn't want to allow getting around it easily (as you could do if it was a Concentration check, unless it was very very high).

 

[fuindordm]

This question has been posed several times in the past, and it never gains much
support. I happen to agree that shields shouldn't have ASF for the same reasons
that you gave, namely that the somatic component requires only that the character
can "gesture freely with one hand".

If the rules describe the world, then why don't mages carry shields? The best
answer is that (a) they don't know how to use them effictively, (b) that they're
pretty heavy to lug around, and (c) they're not as effective as a common 1st-level
spell.

What I'm really curious about is this: in such a world, why don't we see armors
designed to protect only the chest/groin region, with no weighty materials on the
arms at all? An armless mithril breastplate would still give a pretty decent AC
bonus with no ASF, I should think.

--Ben