D&D 3E/3.5 Rogues and Bucklers (3.5 rules)

[skraig]

OK The SRD contains this quote from the Basic Character Classes doc.

"Rogues are proficient with light armor but not with shields"

Pretty clean and simple. In the DMG the sample NPC rogue is equiped with a buckler. So is the lack of a buckler proficiency an oversight or is the NPC wrong?

 

[hong]

It's a masterwork buckler, so it doesn't matter (armor check penalty 0).

 

[Christian]

To the point, indeed, but possibly not as informative a reply as he may have needed.

The disadvantage of non-proficiency in shields is not that the character can't use them, but that he suffers the armor check penalty of the shield to many more rolls, including his attack rolls. A Rogue with a normal heavy shield will suffer a -2 to hit and with all skills involving physical actions (not just those that normally suffer an armor check penalty, but also skills like Ride and Use Rope). A Rogue who carries a masterwork buckler ... suffers nothing, because a masterwork buckler has no armor check penalty.

 

[skraig]

Really Helpful

So in effect armor with a 0 armor check penalty can be used by a non-proficient character without penalty.

OK I get it now.

Thanks that was very helpful.

 

[Psiblade]

Also remember that all magical equipment is also masterwork so you can use any magic bucklers without a problem.


-Psiblade

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

You'll also note that the NPC Rogue has Shield Proficiency as one of his feats (it was like this in the 3.0 DMG, too).

 

[Branduil]

You'll also note that the NPC Rogue has Shield Proficiency as one of his feats (it was like this in the 3.0 DMG, too).

What a stupid thing for a rogue to waste a feat on, especially if he's already using a masterwork buckler.