Summary of Spell Casting with a Shield?

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Assuming you have a weapon in your other hand and the spell requires either a material or somatic component,

Can you cast a spell with a small shield? If yes, what happens to your AC?

Can you cast a spell with a buckler? If yes, what happens to your AC?

If the spell requires a divine focus, does it need to be in-hand or can it be worn?

 

[Particle_Man]

My take:

Small shield, yes (M because you can hold something in your hand at the same time as wielding a shield, or, if you need the hand free for S, it can be empty and you can still use a shield) for either S or M, but not for S and M together (assuming a weapon is in your "main hand") because if some M component is in your hand, then it is no longer a free hand. I would assume that if you make the relevant combat casting check (if in meelee) then you can still use the shield in defence.

Buckler, similar rules.

Divine Focus should be in hand, but is often house-ruled otherwise, so check with your DM.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Remember, the rule on material components and foci is that they must be "manipulated" during spellcasting.

What, exactly, that means is up to interpretation. I rule that holding forth the divine focus is enough to qualify as manipulating it - meaning that one worn around the neck must be picked up and lifted (or similarly presented), whereas one can just raise a shield with an inscribed holy symbol.

 

[irdeggman]

I rule that a player needs a single free hand in order to cast a spell.

This hand can provide all of the following: manipulate focus, use material components and somatic components.

My vision is that the somatic incorporates manipulation of the focus and using the material components.

IMO if you do otherwise, well then a caster can need up to 3 hands in order to cast a spell.

Too bad the the RAW doesn't talk about combining these "actions" for spellcasting.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

So what constitutes a single free hand? Light shield? Buckler? No shield?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

So what constitutes a single free hand? Light shield? Buckler? No shield?

My ruling:

1. Light Shield: No. You can hold your weapon in it, however, so feel free to switch your mace into your shield hand as a free action, cast your spell, and then switch it back as a free action.

2. Buckler: Yes.

3. No Shield: Yes.

My ruling above on shields would primarily affect spells that require only verbal and DF components.

 

[irdeggman]

I agree with Patryon as far as what shields constitute "free" hand.

Pretty much if you can't use the "free" hand to wield a weapon then you can't adequately use it for somatic components. At least IMO.

Bucklers allow use of a weapon, light shields do not.

Any other sized shield is flat out not allowed.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Do you allow the caster to retain the shield's AC bonus?

 

[irdeggman]

Do you allow the caster to retain the shield's AC bonus?

What perspective?

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.

You can’t bash someone with a buckler.

If you can't get the AC bonus when using a weapon, then you shouldn't be able to get the AC bonus when casting a spell with a somatic component either.

 

[Jhulae]

What perspective?




If you can't get the AC bonus when using a weapon, then you shouldn't be able to get the AC bonus when casting a spell with a somatic component either.

Except that a caster can swap her weapon to her shield hand as a free action, cast a spell, swap the weapon back, and still make attacks of opportunities with the weapon afterward.

So, there's no reason to lose the shield bonus, honestly.