FAQ request: buckler and 'off hand'


Rules Questions

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as FAQ candidate.
D&D3.0, 3.5 and Pathfinder wrote:
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 lose the buckler's AC bonus until your next turn. You can cast a spell with somatic components using your shield arm, but you lose the buckler's AC bonus until your next turn. You can't make a shield bash with a buckler.

The description uses the term 'off hand' frequently. Is this simply a reference to whichever arm the buckler is strapped to, with the expectation that it's strapped to the non-dominant hand, or does it mean that you lose its bonus to AC whenever you make an 'off hand attack', whether or not you use the buckler arm to make that attack, and keep its bonus to AC even if you make an attack with that arm but don't make any off hand attacks?

The description hasn't changed since 3.0, when every creature had an 'off hand' unless they had the Ambidexterity feat, a situation that was written out of the rules in 3.5 and PF kept the 3.5 rule.

In essence, is the buckler's use of the term 'off hand' fluff or crunch?

Liberty's Edge

Hey Malachi,

The passage actually has all the details. Look at the third sentence. It refers to the use of both two-weapon fighting and two-handed fighting:
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)...

It clarifies the use of the term "off-hand" for two-weapon fighting and two-handed fighting.

Also, the passage can't be fluff since there are penalties noted.

Grand Lodge

Also discussed here.

More cut and dry to up likelihood of a FAQ response.

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