Bucklers and Two-Weapon Fighting

[Hypersmurf]

And a dual-shield-wielding fighter would be... well, odd, for one.

There were some vicious dual-shield-bash builds made in 3E. Shield spikes, Bashing ability, the Divine Shield feat, the Improved Shield Bash feat, the Shield Charge feat, etc, etc made for some nasty TWFers.

It'll be interesting to revisit now all the class books are out. A couple of the really nice feats changed or vanished, though. (No more +10 enhancement bonus to attack and damage via Divine Shield and a high Cha, for example )

-Hyp.

 

[RigaMortus2]

If I have a bucker on my off-hand, and I do TWF, I always thought there was a rule where you remove the Shield Bonus to armor class. Has this rule changed so that now instead of removing the Shield bons to AC, you instead get -1 to yout to hit? Or am I missing something?

 

[Jdvn1]

I think it's one or the other. I don't see why you couldn't choose not to actively use the buckler and keep the 1 to hit.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

By the RAW, you take the penalty if you're wearing the shield, and trying to use your shield hand to attack. If you do TWF or wield a two-handed weapon, it amounts to the same, except that the TWF guy can choose not to wield his off-hand weapon, instead gaining the buckler bonus to AC. In this case, he wouldn't take the -1 to attacks. In any case, a two-handed weapon fighter has nothing to gain from wearing a buckler, because if he wants to attack, he can't use his shield, and he'll always take the -1 to attacks regardless.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Or am I missing something?

I get the impression the IBD feat is assumed in several of these posts

-Hyp.

 

[focallength]

if you want to be silly and use a weapon in the hand with the buckler you get a -1 to attack, two weapns (assuming off hand is light) -3 to attack. You answered your own question when you wrote it.

 

[Khayman]

Well, shield bonuses don't stack.

And a dual-shield-wielding fighter would be... well, odd, for one.

I look into the crystal ball and I see... I see... dual Gnome tortoise blades.

 

[brendan candries]

A fighter with 2 tower shields, one in each hand, arms outstreched. Run around shouting "niiiieeuuu". Also, very important, wear a tie!

Your opponents will go like: O no! It's ... .......

 

[Pinotage]

I get the impression the IBD feat is assumed in several of these posts

-Hyp.

Okay, so in the event that you don't have the Improved Buckler Defense feat, you don't get the AC. But does the -1 apply to an attack with your primary hand as well, or only to the weapon in the buckler hand?

Pinotage

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Okay, so in the event that you don't have the Improved Buckler Defense feat, you don't get the AC. But does the -1 apply to an attack with your primary hand as well, or only to the weapon in the buckler hand?

I think it's all of them.

The buckler mentions a "-1 penalty to attack rolls," not a "-1 penalty to attack rolls with the bucklered arm" or somesuch less awkward wording. (Specifically, it says: "This penalty stacks with those that may apply for fighting with your off hand and for fighting with two weapons.")

The penalties for Two Weapon Fighting apply to both the on- and off-hand. Similarly, it looks like the buckler penalty does, as well.