Shields and Wands

[mach1.9pants]

Yep PPaladin is right, a staff as an implement is one handed, if you want to whack someone with it, you need both hands.

 

[KarinsDad]

In the PHB it says, "You need to use your shield hand to wield a light shield properly. You can still use that hand to hold another item, to climb, or the like. However, you can’t use your shield hand to make attacks."

But it seems to me like you're just holding a wand and channeling energy through it, not really attacking with it.

So, casting Magic Missile through the wand is NOT attacking???

I'm not sure the monster would see it that way.

 

[Hereticus]

So, casting Magic Missile through the wand is NOT attacking???

I'm not sure the monster would see it that way.

I've had a string of rolls with that spell where the rest of the party would not have called it "attacking".

 

[invokethehojo]

It is very dangerous to use the character builder as a source for rules adjudication. There are constant revisions in the monthly updates as the programmers find errors and contradictions to the FAQ.


This is incorrect. The FAQ states that you wield a staff with one hand when using it as an implement. A quarterstaff is a two-handed weapon. They are not the same.

I did not know that, Thanks. Up until now I've played martial characters so I haven't had much experience with implements, but that is something I always wondered.

 

[cdrcjsn]

Thank you for the crunch... However, a friend of mine has the character builder and when I posed him this question he was in the middle of making a "turtle" wizard (AC build) and the builder allowed him to have a light shield and still wield his staff (of defense). A staff is a two handed weapon so you are technically attacking with both hands... hmm...

Not quite right.

A quarterstaff is a two handed weapon.

A staff implement however has been ruled to only require one hand to wield, else halflings/gnomes cannot be staff wizard/sorcerers.

Customer Service has been remarkably consistent on this ruling (despite how many different ways people have been sending in the question). There was a thread about this on the WotC boards and the last cust service response indicated it might go up in an upcoming FAQ.