So, one of my players wants to do something I'm not exactly sure how to handle. Specifically, he wants to use a buckler in conjunction with a great sword. His idea is that he could strap the buckler onto his wrist, something he tells me he does at medieval re-enactments he participates in. It seems to make sense, so I'm inclined to give it a shot, but I'm not sure how it would work under 5E rules. There's no feat to treat two handed weapons like one handed ones, so that rules out treating the buckler as a normal shield. So perhaps as a piece of armor, or creating an exception for this type of shield.
Has anyone thought of doing something similar or encountered a situation? I'm thinking a +1 AC bonus tops. Anyone have any idea how it could be handled best?
You can't actively block with a buckler while also fighting with a greatsword. Not at the ranges you need to be at to use a greatsword effectively.
I would allow, at most, an extra +1 AC (from the buckler) when taking the Dodge action, but under no circumstances would I allow him to get an AC bonus from the buckler in a round that he attacked with the greatsword.
From a practical standpoint, while attacking, both hands are on the sword. So he can't use te buckler to defend himself and simultaneously attack.
But the off hand is relatively free otherwise. Meaning he could use it to block while not attacking.
From a game standpoint, you don't get a benefit from a shield if you're fighting with a heavy weapon. But it sounds like he wants a little extra protection.
I would suggest permitting the use of a buckler as a satisfaction of the prerequisite to be using a shield for the purposes of special abilities and feats. In other words, doing this grants access to other stuff. He still has to invest in the other stuff. Game balance is largely unaffected because choosing a shield feat (or action, for instance) comes at an opportunity cost of another feat (or action). And we don't have to monkey the AC any. It's down to "take this action or that action," "take this feat or that feat."
This sounds like something that would be best handled through cosmetic armor customization also known as fluff. 
IIRC in previous editions you could to this, but you took a penalty to attack. So -1 to hit for a +1 to AC. You could, however take a feat to overcome the penalty.
If you're going for a semblence of historical accuracy (alway dangerous in D&D) if it was as simple as strapping a buckler to your arm it seems like everyone would have done it. While I'm not an expert on armor of any kind, I've never seen it depicted.
I personally wouldn't allow it because it seems like the existing armor would have it built in. Something that helps pad your arm in SCA probably isn't a good guideline.
Talisen7 wrote:
Steerpike84 wrote:
I could see handling it a few different ways.
- Fluff It: Just say that splint mail is chain with some extra plates, including an armored gauntlet with a buckler attached. This is also pretty good to handle magic armor, which might have some nifty plates attached, maybe. The player may not find this satisfying as it doesn't really have a mechanical aspect.
- Make a new category of weapon: Defensive. This weapon is particularly useful for parrying. The weilder can interpose a defensive weapon to gain +2 AC vs. melee (but not ranged) attacks. However, if it is used to defend, it cannot be used to attack until the start of the weilder's next turn.
Bucker: Martial One Handed, D4 Bashing (Defensive)
Main Gauche: Martial One Handed, D4 Piercing, (Defensive, Finesse)
This also requires the use of the weapon, so it can't just be hanging there. Given the greatsword requires two hands, this would imply that greatsword would not be usable for opportunity attacks while he's turtling with the buckler.
I'd say that any kind of rules change is provisional and you'll test it out. That way it doesn't become a property right you have to take away. You might want to playtest it without the player first.
evil_warlock wrote:
crimfan07 wrote:
evil_warlock wrote:
I suggest that whatever solution you come up with doesn't give the player a universal advantage over a regular great-weapon fighter or a regular sword-and-board fighter. This means that if your player really wants a mechanical effect, it should be something like one of these:
- -1 to-hit, +1 AC
- -1 damage, +1 AC
- Bonus action: +2 AC for a round when at least one hand is not used for anything else
I probably wouldn't allow any shield feats to function. At the very least, I wouldn't allow shield feats to function on a turn when the weapon was used.