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<blockquote data-quote="Pielorinho" data-source="post: 67542" data-attributes="member: 259">I was the one who suggested that defending oneself with a shield is different from defending oneself with Wisdom.&nbsp; So here's what I would rule:A monk can use a shield, sure.&nbsp; But when she does so, she loses her wisdom bonus to AC.&nbsp; That bonus represents her ability to dodge blows entirely; effectively using a shield requires interposing the shield between her opponent and her body, not dodging.&nbsp; If she chooses to put the shield up in the way of the blow, she's choosing not to step out of the way of the blow entirely.In limited circumstances, therefore, a monk might want to use a shield (she finds a +4 buckler, for example, or she's under the effect of a wisdom-draining poison).&nbsp; But most of the time, it ain't worth it.The game's all about choices, after all.I'm not superfamiliar with the monk's special abilities; from what I know, I'd not limit any other monk abilities when a shield is used.&nbsp; However, if there are other special abilities based around the concept of dodging blows entirely, I'd disallow their use when a shield is being used.Daniel</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Pielorinho, post: 67542, member: 259"] I was the one who suggested that defending oneself with a shield is different from defending oneself with Wisdom. So here's what I would rule: A monk can use a shield, sure. But when she does so, she loses her wisdom bonus to AC. That bonus represents her ability to dodge blows entirely; effectively using a shield requires interposing the shield between her opponent and her body, not dodging. If she chooses to put the shield up in the way of the blow, she's choosing not to step out of the way of the blow entirely. In limited circumstances, therefore, a monk might want to use a shield (she finds a +4 buckler, for example, or she's under the effect of a wisdom-draining poison). But most of the time, it ain't worth it. The game's all about choices, after all. I'm not superfamiliar with the monk's special abilities; from what I know, I'd not limit any other monk abilities when a shield is used. However, if there are other special abilities based around the concept of dodging blows entirely, I'd disallow their use when a shield is being used. Daniel [/QUOTE]

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