Can you shoot a bow and wear a shield at the same time?

[Darkmantle26]

I'm in playing D&D game at a comic book store and one of our players is wearing a shield while simultaneously shooting a longbow, but wouldn't that weigh your arm down while you shoot?

 

[Lanliss]

There is little distinction of shields in 5E so, by RAW, it would not work. If the Player were to have a special shield, perhaps a light shield that only adds 1 to AC, strapped to the forearm, it might work out. Or just the Animated Shield magic item.

 

[Noctem]

I'm in playing D&D game at a comic book store and one of our players is wearing a shield while simultaneously shooting a longbow, but wouldn't that weigh your arm down while you shoot?

No, the shield takes up a hand and you need both to use a bow. The bow is listed as having the two-handed property making it impossible to simultaneously use a shield. You can look for yourself in the PHB under the equipment section, page 147 for two-handed property and 144 for shields specifically stating that a shield takes up one hand. Unless the character has 3 hands, what he's doing is not possible by the rules. Happy gaming

 

[zaratan]

by RAW, not even with a handcross you can use a shield, since "Loading a onehanded weapon requires a free hand.". But some accept repeater crossbow...

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

Anyone who's ever handled any type of bow knows this is absolute nonsense.

 

[Sunseeker]

By raw, no. A bow requires two hands, just like a greatsword. A shield occupies one hand, not to mention it would be a major annoyance while trying to fire a bow.

 

[bganon]

There's quite a bit of ancient art, actually, depicting warriors using shortbows with a shield strapped to the arm holding the bow. Usually a smallish round shield with a shortbow, and they used the bow from a kneeling or half-kneeling position.

 

[Whirlingdervish]

I would say it depend on the type of shield..... Buckler sure no modifier , any centerheld shield or a roman Scutum no. an arm strapped shield yes but you don't get the AC bonus and you are at a disadvantage for the shot but if you are being charged you can drop your bow and draw your sword as move action of course if i am adding shield types i absolutely need to add different weights, possible stat req, and AC modifiers

 

[Jester David]

Anyone who's ever handled any type of bow knows this is absolute nonsense.

Using a shield and a bow is nonsense or it's nonsense that you can't?

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

Using a shield and a bow is nonsense or it's nonsense that you can't?

Unless it's strapped to your back (which is still likely to make things difficult) NO, it's not possible to carry a shield on one arm and fire a bow and arrow at the same time with any accuracy. All I can say to anyone who disagrees is go give it a try and get back to me.

 

[Jester David]

Unless it's strapped to your back (which is still likely to make things difficult) NO, it's not possible to carry a shield on one arm and fire a bow and arrow at the same time with any accuracy. All I can say to anyone who disagrees is go give it a try and get back to me.

Just wondering. The subject of the sentence was vague and I just wanted a clarification.
I agree.

 

[Lanliss]

Unless it's strapped to your back (which is still likely to make things difficult) NO, it's not possible to carry a shield on one arm and fire a bow and arrow at the same time with any accuracy. All I can say to anyone who disagrees is go give it a try and get back to me.

Considering it is a game of Magic and Miracles, where Herculean feats of strength happen every day, I do not think it would be unreasonable, as long as it met the previously listed requirements of leaving both hands open. I do not doubt that it is next to impossible in the real world though.

 

[PnPgamer]

No. You should smack him with a trout.

 

[Li Shenron]

I'm in playing D&D game at a comic book store and one of our players is wearing a shield while simultaneously shooting a longbow, but wouldn't that weigh your arm down while you shoot?

Ouch... that kind of question can get you down a long path of useless discussions about "realism".

I can only tell you that in general my ruling on shields has always been "if you use a shield, one of your hands is permanently allocated to it", and thus you cannot use 2-handed weapons including bows and crossbows (except hand crossbows). End of discussion at my table.

 

[delericho]

By raw, no. A bow requires two hands, just like a greatsword.

This. Unless the character has more than two hands, he can't use both a bow and a shield.

by RAW, not even with a handcross you can use a shield, since "Loading a onehanded weapon requires a free hand.".

Surely in that case he can use it, he just can't reload it?

 

[strider13x]

No. You should smack him with a trout.

Salmon would work just as well.

I would say a shield could be "worn" (as in you do not have to drop the item), but you gain no AC benefit on the round the bow was used.

 

[Noctem]

Surely in that case he can use it, he just can't reload it?

Correct. You can fire it but not reload as long as you don't have a free hand. It does allow for things like starting combat, shooting the hand crossbow, dropping it, drawing your melee weapon as part of an attack you make and then continuing along for example.

 

[zaratan]

Surely in that case he can use it, he just can't reload it?

He can carry more than one repeater crossbow too. But if the DM doesn't allow repeater crossbow, he can carry a bag with lot hand crossbows and only shoot one time per round. Shoot, drop, catch another, repeat in the next round.

a hand crossbow weighs 3 lbs, a guy with strength 10 could carry 50, lol.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Riiight. You put even 5 mediaeval crossbows into a sack, loaded and under tension. Now carry it around for a bit, then try reaching in there and grabbing one out in 4 seconds or so ready to use. Bearing in mind that trigger guards and safeties weren't generally around then.

As to the original question: Think of how much strength is required to use a warbow; not just to draw it, but to keep it steady when drawn to aim. Now consider doing that with a weight strapped to your aiming arm and holding the shield handle as well as the bow in your hand.

 

[GMMichael]

Lars Andersen could use a shield and shoot.

Which arm, while we're on the subject, would be wearing said shield? A shield on the drawing arm might slow down your reloading, but let me check my SRD...