Shields and item slots

[CapnZapp]

Does a magic shield occupy both the "arms" and the "off-hand" item slots?

(I know "off-hand" isn't a proper item slot, so let me rephrase that: does wearing a magic shield make you unable to use an arms slot item, an off-hand weapon, or both?)

Any other "multi-slot" (for lack of a better term) items?

 

[Larrin]

A magic shield only takes up the arm slot. Any heavy sheild (magical or not) will keep you from holding anything in that hand, so it effectively blocks your "off-hand slot", but this is a physical limitation not a slot taking uppage. Light sheilds let you hold, but not wield (? i think ?) something in that hand, so while you can benefit from properties in that slot you might not be able to activate powers or use it as a weapon/implement. Again this is a physical limitation, not a magical using up of slots.

 

[Dunamin]

From PHB p224:

You can benefit from only one magic item that you wear in your arms slot even if, practically speaking, you can wear bracers and carry a shield at the same time. You benefit from the item you put on first; any other item you put in the same item slot doesn’t function for you until you take off the first item.

From PHB p214:

Light Shield: You need to use your shield hand to wield a light shield properly. You can still use that hand to hold another item, to climb, or the like. However, you can’t use your shield hand to make attacks.
Heavy Shield: When you use a heavy shield, you gain a greater bonus to your AC and Reflex defense, but you can’t use your shield hand for any other task.

Thus, with a shield you can't use that hand for attacks, though if it is a light shield you can hold on to an item or weapon (including an off-hand weapon).

 

[CapnZapp]

Thanks.

So by removing the shield, the off-hand "slot" becomes available again? Okay.

 

[-Avalon-]

my question is simple on that one:

Could a person wear bracers AND heavy shield at same time (forgoing the use of one or the other at a time) and switch between the usage of each as a minor action or something, maybe even having to drop the shield to use the bracers... but as long as they could equip both?

 

[Larrin]

You benefit from the item you put on first, so if you drop the shield, you can't reactivate it until you take off and put back on the bracers. That would be more than a minor action, and certainly a poor choice of activity in combat.

Basically you best 'use' of this would be to pick up the shield, put on the bracers (so the shield is active), then in combat you can drop the shield (free) pick it up (minor) to switch to the bracers for the remainder of the battle if you feel you could benefit more from it. Thats how i read RAW. As far as a houserule, minor to switch your active magic item slot probably isn't too destructive to gameplay.

regardless of which magic item is currently activated, you will recieve the mundane benefits of the shield (ac/ref bonus), so thats motivation to have both a shield and bracers.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

So let me get this straight...

Say I have a Shield of Fire Resistance (made up) that grants me Resist 5 Fire and also have Bracers of Long Throwing (made up) that adds 5 to the range of a thrown weapon.

Would I still get my extra throwing range since I am not using my shield hand to throw things and bracers come in a set?

DS

 

[Dalzig]

So let me get this straight...

Say I have a Shield of Fire Resistance (made up) that grants me Resist 5 Fire and also have Bracers of Long Throwing (made up) that adds 5 to the range of a thrown weapon.

Would I still get my extra throwing range since I am not using my shield hand to throw things and bracers come in a set?

DS

No. You can either have the fire resistance OR the longer range. You can not have both active at the same time.

 

[Kordeth]

So let me get this straight...

Say I have a Shield of Fire Resistance (made up) that grants me Resist 5 Fire and also have Bracers of Long Throwing (made up) that adds 5 to the range of a thrown weapon.

Would I still get my extra throwing range since I am not using my shield hand to throw things and bracers come in a set?

DS

I think you're confusing magic item slots and free hands. Magic shields and magic bracers are both arm slot magic items. You cannot benefit from more than one item in the same slot. It doesn't matter that a shield only goes on one arm and bracers come in a pair, you only have one arm slot.

In addition, using a shield (magic or otherwise) takes up one of your hands: a light shield is small enough that you can carry something in that hand but not attack with it, a heavy shield does not even let you carry anything but the shield.

 

[Ahrimon]

Does a non-magical sheild count toward your armslot? i.e. Can you wear a pair of magic bracers and then pick up a mundane sheild for the AC and ref bonus?