Cleric casting Spells while using Shield and Weapon

[AoR]

Hi all,

our group had a little argument about the cleric in our group:

He wants to use an axe and a small shield. So far so good - now he wants to cast a spell, after reading the description of the small shield he is now sure that he can use the shield hand as the free hand for casting the spell...

Unfortunately we couldn´t prove him wrong. Is this true? Can he let go of the shield (with is strapped to his forearm), cast the spell and than grab the shield again to use its AC-bonus? And if this is true, is it a free action to ready the shield or is it a movement action?

After reading the rules again we still aren´t sure about this situation?

Any help will be greatly appreciated, by the way: Our ruleset ist 3.5...

 

[3d6]

Somatic (S): A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand. You must have at least one hand free to provide a somatic component.

Shield, Light, Wooden or Steel: You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A light shield’s weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it.

Ready or Loose a Shield
Strapping a shield to your arm to gain its shield bonus to your AC, or unstrapping and dropping a shield so you can use your shield hand for another purpose, requires a move action. If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you can ready or loose a shield as a free action combined with a regular move.
Dropping a carried (but not worn) shield is a free action.

Well, since you can't use a weapon with a hand holding a small shield, its obviously not a "free hand". Loosing or affixing a shield is a move action, so you can't loose the shield, cast a spell, and re-affix the shield either.

 

[Li Shenron]

It depends what your DM rules about switching a weapon between hands.

If you allow it as a free action, the cleric could move the axe to the shield's hand (if the shield is a buckler or a light shield, but not if the shield is a heavy shield), cast the spell with the now free hand, and take the axe back in the right hand after casting.

In any case, a hand with a shield strapped on is NOT free at all. If you want to use that hand, you should unstrap/loose the shield (move action), drop it (free action), cast, pick the shield up agains (move action) and strap/ready it back (move action). Better instead drop the weapon (free action), cast and pick the weapon back (move action), all of which can be done in one round.

 

[Darklone]

The cleric has to hold his holy symbol for casting (usually). Since he can hold it in his shieldhand, I would allow him to cast spells. That's what light shields are for.

 

[Li Shenron]

The cleric has to hold his holy symbol for casting (usually). Since he can hold it in his shieldhand, I would allow him to cast spells. That's what light shields are for.

That would be a Divine Focus component, not a Somatic component.

 

[Thanee]

It's not possible to cast spells with a somatic component while using a shield (other than a buckler) and a weapon in both hands.

I usually allow to hold the weapon in the shield-hand while casting, however.

Bye
Thanee

 

[shilsen]

It's not possible to cast spells with a somatic component while using a shield (other than a buckler) and a weapon in both hands.

I usually allow to hold the weapon in the shield-hand while casting, however.

Bye
Thanee

Do you allow the caster to benefit from the shield bonus to AC in that round, or is that lost?

 

[Thanee]

Keep shield bonus, but it probably makes more sense otherwise (at least for AoO and ready actions).

You could also require a single move action to switch the weapon back and forth (right before and after the casting), so basically casting with weapon and shield requires a full-round action (note, that you could do the same (altho provoking an AoO then), if you drop the weapon and pick it up afterwards, but how silly would that be!? ).

Bye
Thanee

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

He is absolutely right that he can do somatic gestures with his free hand. He doesn't have to use up any actions to do that.

Btw why would you want to prove him wrong? He has sacrificed a valuable point of AC already (and ime every point counts).

Things are only going to get out of hand once he discovers the power of the glove of storing.

 

[Thanee]

AFAIK the small shield doesn't leave one hand free (you need to spend a move action to achieve that (loose shield)). A buckler would work, however.

Bye
Thanee