Using a buckler

[Artoomis]

Doh, I knew I forgot something! I forgot to make the primary/longsword a throwing/returning weapon and use Rapid Shot. Thanks for the reminder, Loki~

^_^


Artoomis:
There are no Close Combat Only weapons in 3e. A monk threatens everywhere within 5' of him with all parts of his body. So do Armor Spikes. Armor Spikes and a Spiked Gauntlet are not synonymous - they're two seperate weapons with two seperate proficiencies required to use 'em. Spiked Gauntlets are a simple weapon that you use with a punching motion; Armor Spikes are a martial weapon that are more complicated to use (forearm bash, shoulder check, elbow, knee, etc). A suit of armor with Armor Spikes doesn't include Spiked Gauntlets - you'd have to buy them seperatly. This says that Armor Spikes don't involve the use of your hands, which is why they're more difficult to use than just a normal unarmed strike.

Your hands do not always have to be involved in the use of a weapon - a Spiked Small Shield still lets you hold something in the hand the shield is on. Blade Boots don't require your hands to be free.

Well, I view this differently.

Armor Spikes: Spikes can be added to armor. They deal 1d6 points of piercing damage (X2 crit) with a successful grapple attack. The spikes count as a martial weapon. If a character is not proficient with them, the character suffers a -4 penalty on grapple checks when trying to use them. A regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) can be made with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case.

This implies that you may use them grappling (move into the same square). The line about using them as a weapon implies thta you need to use your arms (thus have a hand free) because else how would you attack?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I was not aware of that. Could you give me a page reference where that would be found? The way I've been doing it was, that if a weapon can be used both melee and thrown (daggers, throwing axes, spears, etc) then you could just throw it as a normal attack, rather than use it in melee.

Oops. Forgot an IMC there. With quick draw, you will be fine, though (and that's a must for your average dagger-thrower, anyway).

 

[argo]

With regards to the origional question, I believe that the FAQ already provides the answer in the example about "Gruntharg the barbarian" and his longspear (page 40). I can't cut and paste from the PDF so I'll just paraphrase.

Question: Gruntharg is armed with a longspear (two handed weapon, 10 foot reach, doesn't threaten adjacent squares) and spiked gauntlets. Suppose he is holding the spear in two hands when a wizard 5 feet away casts a spell. Does Gruntharg get an Aoo?

Answer:Gruntharg threatens the area around him with the spiked gauntlet but only when he is wielding it. When he is holding the spear in two hands he is wielding that and not the gauntlet. However, he can let go of the spear with one hand (hold it with the other) as a free action and be wielding the gauntlet but not the spear. But you can only perform free actions durring your turn. Thus "Gruntharg could shift the spear to one hand as a free action at the end of his turn, leaving one hand free to threaten the area around him with the spiked gauntlet." Note also that if you are holding a two handed weapon in one hand you can grip it in two hands as a free action but once again, free actions can only be performed on your turn (thus Gruntharg can wield his spear, and "unwield" his gauntlet, as a free action at the beginning of his next turn.)

Just change "longspear" to "bow" in the above example and you are set. As for the buckler though: if you attack with a weapon you are holding in the hand the buckler is straped to then you loose the AC bonus until your next turn (the next time your initatiave comes up) even if you shift your hand off it at the end of your turn.

Done and done

 

[Sejs]

Hypersmurf -
I'm pretty sure I've seen an example of a monk using a 2h weapon and making an unarmed attack as an off-hand. Lemme see if I can find it. If memory serves, however the monk could not flurry if they were using unarmed as a secondary attack when combined with a non-monk weapon.


Artoomis -
You can attack with -any- light weapon while grappling. As for the weapon/hand correlation, there are weapons that do not require the use of your hands. I can compile a list if you like. I will say, however, that if I recall right, most of them are exotic.

And, not being a jerk or trying to insult or anything - but I am curious, on the armor spikes-to-spiked gauntlet thing: you say you see it differently. That's cool. How do you see it?


Edit: I, am the, commander, of, the proper, use, of, commas,. I am, the, Comma Commander.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm pretty sure I've seen an example of a monk using a 2h weapon and making an unarmed attack as an off-hand. Lemme see if I can find it. If memory serves, however the monk could not flurry if they were using unarmed as a secondary attack when combined with a non-monk weapon.

"A monk fighting with a one-handed weapon can make an unarmed strike as an off-hand attack, but she suffers the standard penalties for two-weapon fighting. Likewise, a monk with a weapon (other than a special monk weapon) in her off hand gets an extra attack with that weapon but suffers the usual penalties for two-weapon fighting and can't strike with a flurry of blows."

-Hyp.

 

[splitinfinitude]

Hyp's right. The monk example simply applies twf to a monk.

Otherwise, you could have an infinite (well, large) number of attacks - don't limit yourself to knees, etc. I would have:

Spiked armor
Bladed kneecaps
Bladed elbows
Bladed tootsies
Spiked helmet
etc.

A lot of these stupid things were available in 2E. Lame.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Welcome aboard, by the way

 

[Camarath]

Spiked helmet
A lot of these stupid things were available in 2E. Lame.

Ooo.. Spiked Helmet like in Races Of Faerun. I don't understand why you need hands to use Armor Spikes, Blade Boots, Monk Unamred Strike, and Spiked Helmets. I can understand that you can't use TWF (at least for Unamred Strike) and a two-handed weapon but not why you can't attack with them if your hands aren't free. Couldn't a monk wielding a two handed weapon chose to make his attacks via unarmed strikes or take AoO with either the weapon or an unarmed strike.

Also Comma Commander can I be a Comma Cadet, please.

 

[Sejs]

Yes, yes, I believe, that you can, be, a member, of the, Comma Commandos,.,,

Welcome, aboard, Comma Cadet.

^_,^

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

Thanks to all for the numerous responses.

Alas, the joke's on all you guys, since i'll probably be making a monk instead (a monk that always fights barehanded, barearmed and barechested).



Maitre D