Spellcasters and their Shields.

[Jack Zander]

So does anyone else notice that wielding a weapon and a shield at the same time (except for a buckler) prevents you from ever casting spells with somatic components? Or is this just something everyone chooses to overlook?

[Randomguy]

Most spellcasters don't wield a weapon and a shield at the same time.

[Andion Isurand]

This is where the Somatic Weaponry feat or an animated shield comes in.

[Ashtagon]

So does anyone else notice that wielding a weapon and a shield at the same time (except for a buckler) prevents you from ever casting spells with somatic components? Or is this just something everyone chooses to overlook?

This is why spellcasters use meatshields.

[Darius Kane]

So does anyone else notice that wielding a weapon and a shield at the same time (except for a buckler) prevents you from ever casting spells with somatic components? Or is this just something everyone chooses to overlook?
What... makes you think anyone is overlooking anything? :smallconfused:

[Ducklord]

In my experience this limitation only affects clerics, and people usually disregard it.

[Jack Zander]

Most spellcasters don't wield a weapon and a shield at the same time.

Really? Because Cleric, Druids, Paladins, Bards and any gish sure do.


This is where the Somatic Weaponry feat or an animated shield comes in.

Yeah, but does anyone ever have to take those feats? They exis just for this kind of thing, but it feel to me like even veteren players overlook these things at low levels.

[Jack Zander]

What... makes you think anyone is overlooking anything? :smallconfused:

Just my experience I guess, and how even people who write guides expect your melee cleric to use a shield and still cast in combat.

[tyckspoon]

Most spellcasters don't wield a weapon and a shield at the same time.

It's mostly a concern for Clerics and sometimes Druids on those instances where they are not in Wildshape. The approaches to it generally break down to something like:

1: The DM enforces it, the character in question takes Somatic Weaponry, buys an Animated Shield, ties a cord to their weapon so it doesn't fall to the ground when they 'drop' it to cast, or otherwise deals with it. It's not hard, but does take a little bit of resources.

2: The character uses a Light Shield (hand can't cast or fight, but can hold an object) and the DM rules that transferring an object between hands is a free action. Throw mace or sword or whatever in the shield hand when you want to cast, carry on as normal.

3: Ignore that rule because it just gets in the way of something these characters are normally thought of as being able to do (fight in armor and shield while still casting spells- that's sort of the point of a Cleric's image as compared to a Wizard's, after all.)

4: Just use a two-handed weapon anyway, which does not actually 'occupy' both hands unless you are currently involved in hitting something with it.

(Situation 2 would be the common assumption for suggestions to use a shield, I think, with maybe a touch of 1 in mentions of things like "if your DM makes a fuss about this, chain or tie your weapon to your gauntlet.")

[Jack Zander]

Right, and I know how to deal with it, I was just curious how many people actually realize this is RAW.

[Deophaun]

Wait. There are shields besides bucklers?

[Story]

Well there are also Tower Shields if you're a Divine caster not relying on attack rolls.

[Deophaun]

Well there are also Tower Shields if you're a Divine caster not relying on attack rolls.
Ah. My group just calls them "doors."

[Than]

The number 2 from tyckspoon's post is actually in the FAQ as fact. Well, not a free action but considered not an action at all.

[Eldonauran]

There's also the trick of heavy shield and spiked gauntlet. I use that one all the time with any spellcaster that can cast in at least light armor. You can always draw your main weapon later.

[Saito Takuji]

most shields that casters would use are spell based, so you could just say "a wizard did it" wich is kinda meta because the question was "how did the wizard cast that spell while using a shield"

[Greenish]

Yep.

http://wizards.com/dnd/images/compmage_gallery/100490.jpg

Abjurant Champion, the king of gish PrCs, clearly wields a shield and a weapon.

[Jack Zander]

See? Even the designers forget about this rule.

Take a look at the starting package for a cleric.

[LTwerewolf]

Animated shield and a 2h is the way I always go.

[Story]

In the case of Abjurant Champion, they also forgot that Mage Armor is Conjuration.

[Darrin]

So does anyone else notice that wielding a weapon and a shield at the same time (except for a buckler) prevents you from ever casting spells with somatic components? Or is this just something everyone chooses to overlook?

Technically, a light shield allows you to hold other items in that hand. So you could still use that hand for manipulating spell components or somatic gestures.

If you really want a heavy shield that leaves your hand free, you can use a Gauntlet Shield (from Races of Stone). It's exotic, but you can drop the ACP to zero by making it out of mithral.

[ericgrau]

If you have a light shield you can temporarily hold (but not wield) your weapon in your shield hand. Other times you may simply put away your weapon. Quick draw is also helpful to put away your weapon (move action), cast, then draw.

Ya it does tend to be forgotten, but it's not hard to work around.

[CaladanMoonblad]

Don't forget spellswords casting through their weapons (channel) ability.

In my game, we reason this is a weight thing; we allow spell casting with a shield hand because you can grip an item in that shield hand (not another weapon, so no bows, etc.).You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A light shield’s weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it. We even allow mithral large shields to do so because a 7.5 lb shield is not so different from a 6 lb light steel shield or a 5 lb buckler.

If a GM wants to be cruel about it, they could impose a -2 or -3 penalty on the concentration check to avoid an AoO.

As an Eldritch Knight, mithral is my friend. With twilight and mithral for arms and shield, arcane spell casting drops to 0% for a breastplate and large shield (we combine the penalty, so we combine the twilight bonus).

[Greenish]

See? Even the designers forget about this rule.The joke was that it's an Abjurant Champion holding a shield. :smallannoyed: