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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jhulae" data-source="post: 1548187" data-attributes="member: 16958">A buckler is a small shield that is strapped to your forearm.  It's not held in the hand at all, which is why you can use it and still shoot a ranged weapon, attack with a two handed weapon, or attack offhand.Since you're not holding the buckler, if you don't have anything in your hand, your hand is free.  The -1 penalty for melee is because the buckler adds additional weight to the arm.  Now, if you want to say that *that* is why you can't use the hand for spellcasting, then maybe you have an argument, even though that's what arcane spell failure is for.The point remains that the buckler leaves the hand free, unlike a small shield (which can't be worn and allow the character to fire missile weapons, use a two handed weapon, or attack with a weapon off hand).</blockquote>