If a character has a shield slung over his shoulder so that he or she can have both hands free, does that mean that equipping the shield always takes 2 move actions? One to "retrieve" and one to "ready"? The first one provoking an AoO?
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Well, page 153 table 6-7 core book says that it's one move action to don a shield.
So if it's not already strapped to your arm, you're looking at a move action to strap it there.
Retrieving a stored item takes a move action, but that's talking about grabbing an item that's not in easy reach. Since the shield is slung over the shoulder, I'd say its a free item to swing it around and a move action to don it.
Now, if it were strapped to your shoulder and not just hanging loosely by the strap, then I would go with two move actions.
My take on it, some inference going on. Basically, your gm has to decide whether swinging the shield around to your hands is worth charging you a move action. A lot of that will depend on how you actually carry the shield on your shoulder.
If a character has a shield slung over his shoulder so that he or she can have both hands free, does that mean that equipping the shield always takes 2 move actions? One to "retrieve" and one to "ready"? The first one provoking an AoO?
If he's doing it so he has both hands free, it takes the one move action. If he's holding it, such that his hand isn't free, it's already readied. If for some reason he has it packed away or something, then it'd take longer than the one move action, of course.
I've been wondering about this too as of late.
This is really interesting question.
I'm too confused about official ruling.
Does it take 2 move actions to retrieve and then ready a heavy steel shield, or it's just 1 move action?
I've always understood that the Move Action required for wearing the shield is referring to the time it takes to slide your shield hand through the straps, grab the handle (if applicable), and use your other hand to tighten the straps to your forearm. That, to me, would be one Move Action. I would even argue you'd need your other hand free to secure the straps, too.
If the shield is slung on the shoulder, I'd say it's a Free action to bring around to be secured.
It ought to be two move actions: One to unstow/draw it from your back/shoulders and then it can be used as a weapon with no AC bonus; one to strap it on in order to benefit from the AC bonus.
If one has the Quick Draw feat, one could argue that it's now a free action to draw it from your back, like any other weapon because a shield is a weapon.
If one has a light quickdraw shield (APG) and the Quick Draw feat, one can ready/don the shield as a free action.