Odd nuance in Mind Shield and monks

[Segev]

The soulknife’s mind shield gives a shield bonus to AC if you have a hand free, but doesn’t actually say you are wielding a shield. Even if you take the Shielded Blade archetype, it’s optional to treat the Mind Shield as a large steel shield.

Monks only lose their Wisdom+class bonus to AC for wielding a shield, not for having a shield bonus. So there’s some value to the improved mind shield blade skill over the tower mind shield blade skill in that the +1 doesn’t obviate the monk AC bonuses. And there’s good synergy between monk and soul knife in a few areas.

[Starbuck_II]

The soulknife’s mind shield gives a shield bonus to AC if you have a hand free, but doesn’t actually say you are wielding a shield. Even if you take the Shielded Blade archetype, it’s optional to treat the Mind Shield as a large steel shield.

Monks only lose their Wisdom+class bonus to AC for wielding a shield, not for having a shield bonus. So there’s some value to the improved mind shield blade skill over the tower mind shield blade skill in that the +1 doesn’t obviate the monk AC bonuses. And there’s good synergy between monk and soul knife in a few areas.

There can be sure, does use up a ring slot though.

[Segev]

There can be sure, does use up a ring slot though.

How does it use up a ring slot? I have never heard "have a hand free" mean you can't be wearing a magic ring on that hand.

[mabriss lethe]

I think somehow things got confused with the Ring of Force Shield

[Segev]

I think somehow things got confused with the Ring of Force Shield

Ah, that makes sense.

Rereading the Form Mind Shield class feature of the Shielded Blade, it actually doesn't say that you are wielding a large metal shield; only that you can treat the mind shield as one for purposes of shield bashing and the like. Even where it calls out that you don't suffer ACP or spell failure for it, it doesn't say that's the only thing you don't suffer. It retains the language, too, that you must have a hand free; it doesn't say the hand is occupied. This might mean you can have it in useful weaponized form and retain monk armor bonuses. This is iffier, though, than my comments in the OP. Also, you couldn't use flurry of blows with it, because it's not a monk weapon. (This includes throwing it.)


In addition, with the realization that it doesn't say your hand is occupied, I have also realized that even the short range version of heavy mind bolt only says you require two hands unoccupied to use and manipulate the mind bolt; it doesn't say you actually have both hands occupied by the weapon. This means you can have both a mind shield and a short range mind bolt formed and in use at the same time, and can even perform shield bashes with the mind shield (if you're a shielded blade).