Shields

[kayn99]

Here is what I do not understand and I hope some one can explain it to me. I need one hand free to cast a spell with a somatic component, stated in the PHB. If I have no weapon in my hand and have a shield in my other, by the rules, it seems that I still get the arcane failure chance. Why? How is it different from holding a sword in one hand?

Kayn

 

[Thanee]

The shield limits your body movements more.

While you only need one hand free, you also need to be able to move your body, hence armor ASF, which has really nothing to do with how many hands you have free.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Infiniti2000]

Thanee's right, you need to shake your booty to cast magic missile. Oh wait, it says, "A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand." Nevermind then.

 

[kayn99]

That is my point, it is described as movement of the hand. Having a shield strapped to your off arm is not any worse than holding a Halberd in it. They are both about the same weight and in truth the halberd is harder to hold in one hand.

kayn

 

[kayn99]

That is my point, it is described as movement of the hand. Having a shield strapped to your off arm is not any worse than holding a Halberd in it. They are both about the same weight and in truth the halberd is harder to hold in one hand.

Kayn

 

[werk]

To be blunt, it is so that you don't get the extra AC without a penalty as an ARCANE spellcaster, it doesn't have anything to do with physics or weight or real world restrictions...just game balance.

As an arcane caster you are going to benefit more from a shield than a weapon when casting, usually.

 

[frankthedm]

That is my point, it is described as movement of the hand.

You are right, the somatic component description needs a slight rewrite to include reasoning why the shield affects it for arcane casters.

"A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand. Arcane somatic components also include movements of the arm and body, some subtle, others intense, which are adversely effected by armor, shields and similar worn objects."

Having a shield strapped to your off arm is not any worse than holding a Halberd in it. They are both about the same weight and in truth the halberd is harder to hold in one hand.

It is worse, With a halberd, you can let the pole-butt rest on the ground rather than have it strapped to your arm. The shield strapped to the arm is a far larger inconvenience. If you were carrying the shield as any other object, it would be no worse than carrying the halberd.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

To be blunt, it is so that you don't get the extra AC without a penalty as an ARCANE spellcaster, it doesn't have anything to do with physics or weight or real world restrictions...just game balance.

As an arcane caster you are going to benefit more from a shield than a weapon when casting, usually.

One could make the argument it doesn't have so much to do with game balance as flavor.

 

[kayn99]

I understand that you need to create balances in the game, but you still need to proceed in a logical manor about it. Balancing it out is making them take a shield feat to use a shield, not creating a rule that is illogical when placing it against the other rules of the game. I am not comparing it to real world, for we all know it is a fantasy game. What I am comparing it to is the rules in which the game currently exists. By the ruling of using a shield, anything in the off hand should produce an arcane failure chance with somatic components.

Thanee, you are right and there needs to be a balance in game and mages really become powerful in there own right. I just want to see a consistency among the rules to produce this effect. I agree with Frankthedm, that a rewrite of this rule is needed, but it should be logical. A buckler and a weapon should produce the same arcane failure chance.


kayn

 

[Thanee]

Didn't say anything about balance, or did I?

Anyways, I really think it's more flavor than balance (but likely a bit of balance, too).

Bye
Thanee