Mithril bucker, or light shield

[0-hr]

I've always heard about mages with mithril bucklers (since the mithril negates the check penalty and casting failure chance). Is there a reason NOT to use a mithril light shield instead?

The same penalties are negated and the wieght isn't much more (this is for a gnome wizard, so it's only half a pound more). In our campaign, small shields grant +2 AC instead of +1 (like a buckler) so it seems like the way to go. But I wanted to make sure there wasn't some other factor I was overlooking.

 

[Darklone]

You can't use a bow with a light shield, but you can with a buckler. Granted, not the worst thing...

Most often it's just the weight that matters. And the DMs that forget that a light shield allows you to use your hand as well.

 

[nittanytbone]

With a light shield, you can hold something in your off hand.

With a buckler, you can use your off hand freely to do whatever.

Normally a buckler is superior, but you'll have to weigh the flexibility against an additional +1 to AC with your house rule in place.

 

[Darklone]

I'd say it depends on whether your DM allows you to cast with a light shield or not... with a buckler, he has no choice

 

[frankthedm]

I'd say it depends on whether your DM allows you to cast with a light shield or not... with a buckler, he has no choice

Oh but he does! All the PHB allows the buckler arm to do is wield a weapon. The FAQ may say otherwise, but that be the FAQ.

Buckler
This small metal shield is worn strapped to your forearm. You can use a bow or crossbow without penalty while carrying it. You can also use your shield arm to wield a weapon (whether you are using an off-hand weapon or using your off hand to help wield a two-handed weapon), but you take a -1 penalty on attack rolls while doing so. This penalty stacks with those that may apply for fighting with your off hand and for fighting with two weapons. In any case, if you use a weapon in your off hand, you don’t get the buckler’s AC bonus for the rest of the round.

 

[0-hr]

I don't see anywhere that it says you can cast spells with a buckler on your arm.

But it seems you could just use your other hand to cast if you were wearing a light shield (transfering whatever was in that hand to your shield hand if needed).

 

[frankthedm]

I don't see anywhere that it says you can cast spells with a buckler on your arm..

Wotc extened that to the hand being free for the purposes of casting spells in the FAQ.

I stick with the PHB since if the weight of the buckler is enough to hamper attacks with that hand, the precise gestures of somatic components are out of the question.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

i do, its the part that mentions the asf on a given shield. It wouldent mention asf at if it was a flatt out no, and thus becuse asf is listed, you can, and thiers nothing the dm can do about it, short of compleatly rewriteing how asf works, along with acp.

i dont think wtc changed anything to allow casting with a buckler, its alwayse been that way, they dont need to mention it becuse asf is listed on the table and discribed elseware.

Now that were talking about bucklers, does the -1 to attack stack with both weapons while twf, or just the offhand weapon?

 

[frankthedm]

i do, its the part that mentions the asf on a given shield. It wouldent mention asf at if it was a flatt out no, and thus becuse asf is listed, you can, and thiers nothing the dm can do about it, short of compleatly rewriteing how asf works, along with acp.

i dont think wtc changed anything to allow casting with a buckler, its alwayse been that way, they dont need to mention it becuse asf is listed on the table and discribed elseware.

We were talking about using the hand with the buckler on it to cast. ASF happens when you have the shield on at all.

Bucklers let you use a weapon in the hand with the buckler[at -1 to hit].
Light shields let you hold an object with that hand
Heavy and tower allow no other use of that hand.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

well if thats what this is about, i think its yes with a buckler, and no with a sheild. I think the -1 to attack still can play out with makeing touch attacks.