light shield and wand?

[Kahuna Burger]

A quick question and an apology if its been covered before, but can you use a wand in the hand of your shield arm if its a light shield? The SRD says "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." I don't know that a wand has to be manipulated in any special way that would make it equivelent to a weapon, so would ther be any trouble with my cleric, for instance, holding her wand of cure ready in her shield hand?

Kahuna Burger

 

[mikebr99]

Not unless you want to live without the shield bonus to AC until your next round.


Better Idea:
switch mace to lt. shield hand [free action]
use wand [depends...]
switch mace back to other hand [free action]
whatever is left of your round


Mike

 

[Artoomis]

A light shield’s weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it.

Okay, it's clear you cannot use weapons. Other items may be carried - which is not the same as being used.

I think any item that is active by simply being carried in your hand would be fine, others won't work.

Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

It looks like you can use it at least whenever you could use a light weapon (grappled or swallowed whole).

I'd say yes, but you could view it either way, I think.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

switch mace to lt. shield hand [free action]
use wand [depends...]
switch mace back to other hand [free action]
whatever is left of your round

missing step - getting wand into hand. is this equivelent to drawing a weapon? logically, it should be, but then the time for drinking a potion doesn't seem to include getting it out of your pack, so... I've seen some people say that a oft used wand was actually bound to their wrist so they could claim to be holding and gesturing with it without occupying the hand, but that seems scetchy. Just trying to be logical about how the wand will be used. it may be that this is hopeless and I should just presume that the wand teleports into a free hand when used.

Kahuna Burger

 

[Hypersmurf]

missing step - getting wand into hand. is this equivelent to drawing a weapon?

Draw or Sheathe a Weapon
Drawing a weapon so that you can use it in combat, or putting it away so that you have a free hand, requires a move action. This action also applies to weapon-like objects carried in easy reach, such as wands. If your weapon or weapon-like object is stored in a pack or otherwise out of easy reach, treat this action as retrieving a stored item.

logically, it should be, but then the time for drinking a potion doesn't seem to include getting it out of your pack...

It should.

It takes a standard action to drink a potion, but you can't drink it if it's buried at the bottom of your pack.

Manipulate an Item
In most cases, moving or manipulating an item is a move action. This includes retrieving or putting away a stored item, picking up an item, moving a heavy object, and opening a door.

-Hyp.

 

[Nail]

Hyp-
I've often ruled that you can put a "few" potions in a "drawable" spot on your body. Drawing it would be a move action, drinking it would be the standard action. Only drinking it causes AoOs.

Comments?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hyp-
I've often ruled that you can put a "few" potions in a "drawable" spot on your body. Drawing it would be a move action, drinking it would be the standard action. Only drinking it causes AoOs.

Comments?

Sure, looks fine.

They note that a weapon shoved in your pack is not a "weapon" for purposes of drawing, but a "stored item". A potion in some sort of ready-pouch could probably be considered a "weaponlike object" like a wand.

Isn't there a "potion belt" in the FRCS that basically does exactly that?

-Hyp.

 

[Nail]

I don't use any FR material, so no idea what mundane item might "do exactly that".

But it seems to me it should be standard equipment for low level PCs and NPC alike...and really not require a piece of special equipment. A simple belt pocket, like that used for spell casting components, for example, should be sufficient.

During a battle I DMed months ago, a player claimed you could not both draw and use a potion in the same round. I was astounded, and puzzled. Turns out we had different perceptions of what was going on; he thought I had the BBEG dig around in his pack. After I explained the idea of a "potion belt", all was well.

 

[Darklone]

Use wand: Standard action.
Ready shield again: Move equivalent action.

No problem.

 

[Vraister]

switch mace to lt. shield hand [free action]
use wand [depends...]
switch mace back to other hand [free action]
whatever is left of your round
Mike

Hey,
could anyone give me a reference for the switching of a weapon to the shield hand?
My DM ruled it as a move equivalent action similar to drawing a weapon.

Vraister