Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Guroth the Forsaken 07-28-07, 06:56 PM	Can a character use a buckler and a 2h weapon like a nagamaki or naginata?
zorgling25 07-28-07, 07:00 PM	Can a character use a buckler and a 2h weapon like a nagamaki or naginata? Yes, though you take a -1 on attack rolls as you normally would.
Guroth the Forsaken 07-28-07, 07:27 PM	Where is this rule, so I can show someone?
Vharuck 07-28-07, 07:38 PM	It's under the description for bucklers in the Player's Handbook.
jaelis 07-28-07, 07:39 PM	Voila: Buckler This small metal shield is worn strapped to your forearm. You can use a bow or crossbow without penalty while carrying it. You can also use your shield arm to wield a weapon (whether you are using an off-hand weapon or using your off hand to help wield a two-handed weapon), but you take a -1 penalty on attack rolls while doing so. This penalty stacks with those that may apply for fighting with your off hand and for fighting with two weapons. In any case, if you use a weapon in your off hand, you don’t get the buckler’s AC bonus for the rest of the round.
J_Vhad 07-28-07, 09:04 PM	You lose the shield bonus when you use the weapon in a round though. Now, you can take the Improved Buckler Defense feat to keep that from happening, but you will always take the -1 to attack rolls from the buckler. Many people try to claim that Imp. Buckler Defense does not work with two-handed weapons, but the way it is phrased, it works as long as you have a weapon in the off-hand (not an off-hand weapon). Similarly the text of the buckler, quoted above, says you lose the bonus if you use a weapon in your off-hand. So people with that claim have to do one of three things (A.) Accept the fact you never lost the bonus, (B.) Accept the fact that Imp Buckler Defense works with two handed weapons (my preference), and (C.) Say to heck with is and house rule it not to work with two handed weapons because they find it too cheesy (a very popular choice for people on the boards I've found).
jaelis 07-28-07, 09:07 PM	Many people try to claim that Imp. Buckler Defense does not work with two-handed weapons, In fact, the Sage made just that claim in a recent column. So people with that claim have to do one of three things (A.) Accept the fact you never lost the bonus, (B.) Accept the fact that Imp Buckler Defense works with two handed weapons (my preference), and (C.) Say to heck with is and house rule it not to work with two handed weapons because they find it too cheesy (a very popular choice for people on the boards I've found). (D.) Accept that the two books (written by different people at different times) use similar language in different ways.
MareltEkiran 07-28-07, 09:13 PM	I fail to see what the balance problem is... At the same cost, you can get a +5 buckler for a +6 bonus to AC or a +3 Animated Heavy Shield for a +5 to AC, with the difference that the Animated Shield requires no feat to use in combat and does not impose a -1 penalty to attack rolls... Furthermore, at +5, the buckler has maxed out, but for more money, you can crank up the animated heavy shield to +5 for a total of +7 AC.
jaelis 07-28-07, 09:16 PM	I bet that most people who ban IBD for 2Hers also ban animated shields :)
Davro 07-29-07, 01:27 AM	If you want to get nitpicky, the two handed weapon is in your off hand... it just happens to be in your primary hand as well. In my games I'm happy for IBD users to retain the AC with 2 handers and bows.
Kouk 07-29-07, 02:03 AM	As written I think Improved Buckler Defense does not include 2-handed weapons, but I am fairly certain the intent was to allow 2-handed weapons to count as well due to the similarity in language to the Buckler description without specifically spelling out that it doesn't work with 2-handed weapons. The third edition description of the Buckler does not specify it may be used with a 2-handed weapon the way the 3.5 description does, and I find it entirely plausible they just forgot to mention 2-handed weapons in the feat the same way they did in the 3.0 rules.