Can you drop a shield

[Bellberith]

Can you drop a shield as a non action? or must you doff it?

also are shield considered armor?

[Grand Warchief]

Can you drop a shield as a non action? or must you doff it?

also are shield considered armor?

Yes you can drop it
Not generally. Most abilities that specify armor also specify about shields. What ability brings the question to mind?

[Bellberith]

Yes you can drop it
Not generally. Most abilities that specify armor also specify about shields. What ability brings the question to mind?

Is there a quote for this? Someone in my group is saying you have to Doff it which takes 1 action.

No ability in particular, just shields in general, are they considered armor?

[Evilsliphell]

Page 146 of players handbook States you need to don and doff shields both taking one action

[Bellberith]

Page 146 of players handbook States you need to don and doff shields both taking one action

That is true, but i was wondering since it is a hand-held item if you would be able to drop it by simply letting go, like a weapon.

[Evilsliphell]

A shield has loops on the back you put your arm through I don't think it would be that easy to remove one. 6 seconds seems like a good time frame. If I was DM I would follow the printed rule but your DM may allow it

[Sullivan]

Pg 190 PHB. It gives a list of things you can do at the same time as our movement and action. The list doesn't have that specifically, but if I can pull a potion from my pack I could throw off a shield. In the end i'd say it's up to the DM. Try to meet em half way. I can do it but it falls 5' from me, I can't pick it up till next turn, and putting it on costs an action.

[Jacque]

I don't think pulling out a potion and drink it is the best benchmark for what is possible within a 6 seconds timeframe. It sounds more to me that this specific action is included to make potions more viable even though it sacrifices some versimilitude.

[Giant2005]

The rules are a bit weird regarding shields.
There are basically two ways that a shield SHOULD work:
1. The shield is strapped to your arm, it requiers time to doff but does not require the use of your hand.
2. The shield is hand-held which would enable it to be dropped as easily as any other item but it requires the use of a hand.

Yet somehow mechanically the Shield both requires the use of your hand as well as requiring time to doff. I don't quite know how to explain that one but my guess is that it is some kind of oversight - the developers had shields working one way and then changed it at a later point and hadn't fixed up the inconsistencies.

[goto124]

... it's strapped to your hand?

[Solusek]

The rules are a bit weird regarding shields.
There are basically two ways that a shield SHOULD work:
1. The shield is strapped to your arm, it requiers time to doff but does not require the use of your hand.
2. The shield is hand-held which would enable it to be dropped as easily as any other item but it requires the use of a hand.



Even shields that are strapped require use of the hand to wield properly. The two anchor points are usually a strap over the forearm and a grip for the hand just inside the edge of the shield. Wielding the shield with only the strap as an anchor point wouldn't be as effective I think.

But then, D&D doesn't really model the pros and cons of all the different shield styles. They are all just "a shield" under the rules. Differences like how center grip shields are more effective at shield bashing and protecting the wearer against arrow fire, but are much easier for an opponent to disarm are lost. Or how an arm strapped shield is more secure against heavy blows but is difficult to use for an effective shield bash and isn't as safe to wield against arrow fire are also lost.

I guess the designers just wanted to cover all bases with one set of rules for all shields so that's what they did.

[rollingForInit]

What's missing a buckler, that's not as mechanically good in terms of defense, but that you can don/doff very quickly.

[Daishain]

Most kinds of shields require two points of control to be used effectively. The standard type typically have a handle of some sort and a tight strap that goes around the forearm.

If the latter strap is loose enough that you can just drop it, then it is too loose for you to effectively use it for defense. If you are not wearing a gauntlet or anything else on your shield arm, throwing the shield off in a single motion might be possible, but that would take a precise enough movement that I don't think anything less than a bonus action would be appropriate.

[WickerNipple]

What's missing a buckler, that's not as mechanically good in terms of defense, but that you can don/doff very quickly.

D&D has never designed the buckler historically to my knowledge. They somehow got obsessed with the world buckle and the false etymology train left the station. In 3rd it was a hands free shield you buckled to your arm, letting you use it with a crossbow, for example.

This is of course hilarious, but whatcha gonna do.

In reality there's no reason you couldn't drop a buckler in less than a second.

Other shields would indeed require donning/doffing.

It should also be noted that D&D has rarely modeled shield fighting effectively. Shields have always been as much an offensive tool as a defensive one. The 5e feat Shield Master is kinda a step in the right direction, but a well modeled rule should provide also damage/stunning/disarming/tripping... all things regularly employed in real shield combat.

[Solusek]

D&D has never designed the buckler historically to my knowledge. They somehow got obsessed with the world buckle and the false etymology train left the station. In 3rd it was a hands free shield you buckled to your arm, letting you use it with a crossbow, for example.

This is of course hilarious, but whatcha gonna do.

Agree, that was pretty silly. Notice how the buckler isn't strapped to the forearm (http://www.thearma.org/essays/SandB/LOVINOsnb.JPG). This seems obvious.




Other shields would indeed require donning/doffing.


Not necessarily. The later medieval style shields which could be used on horseback against things like lances and braced polearms would indeed require strapping on as they were designed to defend against very heavy armor piercing attacks.

However, Viking style shields (http://i.imgur.com/HsVRhfd.jpg) from the earlier era were made to be held just with the hand, and were often employed as a weapon as much as a defense (bashing, striking, tripping, etc). A shield like this would be extremely easy to drop - just let go and it falls. There are tons of different ways shields were used over history it just depends on what era and what culture you are looking at.