Darkwood Buckler revisited

[Paul Grogan]

One of the still unanswered questions is the Darkwood Buckler.
Discussed on forums across the globe, WotC are still quiet on this issue.

In the rules:
"Any wooden or mostly wooden item (such as a bow, an arrow, or a spear) made from darkwood is considered a masterwork item and weighs only half as much as a normal wooden item of that type. Items not normally made of wood or only partially of wood (such as a battleaxe or a mace) either cannot be made from darkwood or do not gain any special benefit from being made of darkwood"
"Buckler: This small metal shield is worn strapped to your forearm"
So, therefore you cant have a darkwood buckler. But Wait - in DMG - what do we have here? Thats right - a specific shield called a "Darkwood Buckler"
But the description says
"This nonmagical light wooden shield is made out of darkwood."
So basically, the general opinion is that the name is wrong. You cant have a darkwood buckler, because they are made from metal, and even in the description it says that a darkwood buckler is actually a light shield.

I got the Magic Item Compendium recently, and it has a Darkwood Buckler at 215gp. This brings it in line with what the actual cost would be (150gp MW, 50gp weight, 15gp original item), but the description still says 'light shield'

My suggestion is that bucklers can be made out of wood, just like other shields, and that you can have a darkwood version. Those who want to use a buckler who arent trainied in it can just get a masterwork one for 165gp, but a darkwood one means it will be half the weight for only 50gp more.

Anyone do the same, or something different?

 

[William_2]

OK, I will chip in the other view. While calling a small Darkwood shield a Darkwood Buckler is, I agree, a poor choice, it is still pretty unambiguous as an item. As is the rule that says a buckler is metal. What a buckler is imagined to do exactly in the game has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Seems to require it to be metal, though. Perhaps because a scrap of wood is not seen as much of a defensive item, I don’t know. At any rate, it says it is metal.

 

[Deset Gled]

Bucklers are supposed to be made of metal. The fact that you can make one out of darkwood is an exception to this rule; that's why the DWB needed to be listed as a special item and a darkwood tower shield does not.

The fact that it is descibed as a small shield is sloppy writing, but is literally correct. A buckler is a small type of shield, it just happens to be even smaller than a Small Shield.

 

[William_2]

“Items not normally made of wood or only partially of wood (such as a battleaxe or a mace) either cannot be made from darkwood or do not gain any special benefit from being made of darkwood.”
Since the buckler and small wooden shield have identical stats, the stats for the DWB could arguably be either. But metal things are not effectively made from DW, and bucklers are made of metal. I think the item is a misnamed small wooden shield.

 

[hong]

The difference between a darkwood buckler and a masterwork buckler is 2.5 lb. Is it really that important?

 

[Hypersmurf]

The difference between a darkwood buckler and a masterwork buckler is 2.5 lb.

Not if you're a druid!

-Hyp.

 

[William_2]

Well, Druids could use them then. Important, hardly. Less important than anything else discussed here is a bit of a hair split.

edit: Hey, stop that! Get your own unimportant thread!

 

[hong]

Not if you're a druid!

-Hyp.

The difference between a darkwood buckler and a darkwood light shield is 0 lb!

 

[William_2]

Yes, but a buckler has uses that a small shield does not, hence its existence, I think. Again, not important, but it is all relative.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The difference between a darkwood buckler and a darkwood light shield is 0 lb!

But what if he wants to use a bow without loosing his shield?

-Hyp.