Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Twinkletoes73 06-23-05, 01:45 AM	The Player's Handbook says that bards are proficient with shields, and it also says that they don't incurr arcane spell failure by wearing light armor, but it doesn't say if they incurr arcane spell failure by wearing a shield. Do they?
CaoSlayer 06-23-05, 03:41 AM	the have ASF while using a shield... still, with a mithril big shield the ASF it is 5% that it is to roll a 1 in a d20, so it is a great "cheap" option :)
Nyferto 06-23-05, 07:31 AM	Except you loose Light Armour casting whenever you equip a shield, so you'd get your Light Armour ASF on top.
CaoSlayer 06-23-05, 07:48 AM	Except you loose Light Armour casting whenever you equip a shield, so you'd get your Light Armour ASF on top. That it is new O_o I never have readed something like that.
Ricohard_Draconis 06-23-05, 07:58 AM	nor i, since all your wearing is light armour, and shields don't raise or lower armour sizes, then the penalty from the light armour surely should remain negated with the shield penalty then applied.
CzarGarrett 06-23-05, 08:42 AM	Personally, I'd rather go with 1 or 2 less AC rather than a 5% chance to have a spell fail. Mostly cause with my luck, that 5% would occur in an important occasion.
CaoSlayer 06-23-05, 08:53 AM	Personally, I'd rather go with 1 or 2 less AC rather than a 5% chance to have a spell fail. Mostly cause with my luck, that 5% would occur in an important occasion. that it is only the tip of the iceberg, from start it is just a +2, at the high end it is a +7 AC and 75% inmunity to critical hits by example.
CzarGarrett 06-23-05, 08:57 AM	At the higher levels, yes. But there you have all kinds of other fun things to do stuff. A low levels, that 5% is far too critical.
CaoSlayer 06-23-05, 09:04 AM	at the lowest levels, having as high AC as posible it is very very critical, with such a low hp, being unnable to buy +con items and such, a fighter hitting you twice means a sure death.. and remember that if the ASF of a shield bothers you, placing and deplacing it it is just a move action. Also until level 4 and such, a bard dont have almost no spellcasting... I used at 3.0 to wear a breastplate+big shield the first three levels.
Jaid 06-23-05, 10:24 AM	just get a mithral buckler. or make it twilight. or, get a large shield, make it mithral and twilight. there you go.
CaoSlayer 06-23-05, 10:38 AM	just get a mithral buckler. or make it twilight. or, get a large shield, make it mithral and twilight. there you go. umm, a +1 enchantment isnt worth a reduction of the 5% ASF
Nyferto 06-23-05, 12:23 PM	Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). A bard can cast bard spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a bard wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass bard still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes. How we've always read it, is that if a Bard uses a shield he incurs standard Arcane spell failure, negating the benefits of his light armour casting. A Mithral shield won't help much if you've got non-mithral armour.
CaoSlayer 06-23-05, 12:31 PM	hehehe, the bad writing attacks again, the text seems to say actually that they cant use the light ASF with other armors or a shield. The bad writing comes from that they have included shields in the same sentence, you cant use light armor and medium armor at once but it is clear that using a shield dont negates the light ASF, it just dont have benefits on the shield.
Nyferto 06-23-05, 12:33 PM	Maybe, but it's not clear.
CaoSlayer 06-23-05, 12:41 PM	yes, it is not 100% clear... but common sense says that if you knows how to use an armor, handling a shield dont changes that.
Nephlite 06-23-05, 01:07 PM	yes, it is not 100% clear... but common sense says that if you knows how to use an armor, handling a shield dont changes that. Well, not to be nicpicky, but when has D&D been using commonsense. Unarmed strikes by common sense would be natural not manufactored.
CaoSlayer 06-23-05, 01:17 PM	Well, not to be nicpicky, but when has D&D been using commonsense. Unarmed strikes by common sense would be natural not manufactored. jejeje, that it is because unarmed strike isnt striking with a body party, but using all the body.