APG: Quickdraw Shields... slower than normal shields?

[Pirate]

Yar.

Perhaps I missed a FAQ or errata, but my search of the forums yielded no results.

I find it odd that the light quickdraw shields take more effort to ready than normal shields do.

normal shields: page 187 PF core:

] Strapping a shield to your arm to gain its shield bonus to your AC, or unstrapping and dropping a shield so you can use your shield hand for another purpose, requires a move action. If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you can ready or drop a shield as a free action combined with a regular move.

Dropping a carried (but not worn) shield is a free action.

Bolding is mine.

quickdraw shield: page 179 APG:

[url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/armor/quickdraw-shield wrote:

pfsrd.com ] If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you may don or put away a quickdraw shield as a swift action combined with a regular move. If you have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you can draw a light or one-handed weapon with one hand and a quickdraw shield with the other in the time it would normally take you to draw one weapon. If you have the Quick Draw feat, you may don or put away a quickdraw shield as a free action.

Bolding is mine again.

I get that with a quickdraw shield you can actually put it away as a swift action while moving instead of a putting it away as a move action or simply dropping it as a free action. But when taking it out to use, it is by RAW slower than a regular shield. Readying a QDshield as part of a move with a BAB of +1 or higher is a swift action. Doing the same with a regular shield (light, heavy, tower) under the exact same circumstances is a free action.

swift actions:

] A swift action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort than a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn without affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that regard, a swift action is like a free action. You can, however, perform only one single swift action per turn, regardless of what other actions you take. You can take a swift action anytime you would normally be allowed to take a free action. Swift actions usually involve spellcasting, activating a feat, or the activation of magic items.

free actions:

[url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Free-Actions wrote:

pfsrd.com ] Free actions don't take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions you can perform in a turn. Free actions rarely incur attacks of opportunity.

The difference between swift actions and free actions may seem negligible to some, but it is still a difference, and one that makes a big difference with my current character. It looks like the only way I can ready a quickdraw shield faster than a regular shield is if I take the quickdraw feat as well. Obviously I will be discussing this with my current DM/GM, but I was hoping to get some feedback from here as well (and perhaps some proof that maybe I did miss something).

Thanks,

~P

[james maissen]

Pirate wrote:

Yar.

Perhaps I missed a FAQ or errata, but my search of the forums yielded no results.

I find it odd that the light quickdraw shields take more effort to ready than normal shields do.

There's a difference between ready & draw. That's your confusion.

To whit:

Normally one must draw a shield (move action or more if it's not readily accessible) to get it in hand, THEN ready the shield (move action, or free action as part of a move action to move with a +1BAB or more).

With a quickdraw shield you can draw AND ready as a swift action.

Does that help?

-James

[reefwood]

james maissen wrote:

There's a difference between ready & draw. That's your confusion.

To whit:

Normally one must draw a shield (move action or more if it's not readily accessible) to get it in hand, THEN ready the shield (move action, or free action as part of a move action to move with a +1BAB or more).

With a quickdraw shield you can draw AND ready as a swift action.

Does that help?

-James

Really? I had no idea that shields worked this way. I always thought that drawing a shield and readying a shield were part of the same move action. Or more precisely, I didn't even realize that readying a shield required an action. I thought that once you had a shield in hand (i.e. pull off backpack, pick up from ground, etc), it was...pun not intended... ready to go.

But rereading the rules, I now see that I (and everyone in my group) have been doing this incorrectly. It sure is funny that no matter how many times I read the rules and how well I think I know them, I apparently still seem to gloss over some.