Shield spell and grappling

[Kershek]

Can you use the shield spell's AC bonus when attempting a grapple? How about in the middle of the grapple?

 

[Mahali]

For a touch attack you do not get Armor and Natural Armor. Everything else stays.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Remember, while you're grappling, you and your opponent occupy the same square.

Depending on how your DM handles the "half the battlefield" rule - some extend a line from one edge of your square - your opponent may be "inside" your Shield.

-Hyp.

 

[Kershek]

This is exactly why I'm asking the question

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I rule it this way:

As a cover bonus, it applies to the touch attack to start the grapple.

Once your opponent has started the grapple, however, he is in your square and is between you and your shield spell. You get the AC bonus vs. opponents on the appropriate side of the battlefield who are still outside your square but not against anyone you're grappling.

 

[hong]

Can you use the shield spell's AC bonus when attempting a grapple?

The spell provides a cover bonus to AC, which would help in avoiding the initial touch attack.

How about in the middle of the grapple?

Grapple checks don't involve AC at all, so shield is irrelevant.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Re: Re: Shield spell and grappling

Grapple checks don't involve AC at all, so shield is irrelevant.

The question was not "How about against a grapple check?", but "How about in the middle of a grapple?"

While grappling, you can attack with a light weapon... which does involve AC at all.

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

I recall some shield spell clarification diagrams that essentially showed the shield spell protecting against attacks from 3 or the 8 fields around you (and the spaces beyond).

E.g. I'd say the shield is too far away to help you in a grapple.

 

[0-hr]

If you are both in the same square and there is no facing, then the attacker can always be assumed to be attacking from the unprotected side.

 

[Antikinesis]

There are two schools of thought on this one.

The rules-lawyer version: the disc of force provided by Shield is still hovering between the grapplers, and intercepting attacks, even during an on-going grapple. It just moves around the parts where the grapplers are joined. There is nothing in the spell's description that indicates there is room for another combatant behind the Shield, and nothing about grappling negating the spell's benefit.

The real-world-physics version: the disc of force provided by Shield is hovering in front of the caster (per the spell description), not against the caster. If you're grappling, your bodies are pretty much joined, and there is no room for the Shield between the grapplers. It's just "common sense".

So, if you like to stick to the rules, Shield works during grappling. If you like to moderate the rules with your vision of how things ought to work, Shield might not work during a grapple.

Like many issues in this forum: DM's call.

-AK