Bucklers and Wands

[RationalStork]

I am currently creating a combat medic, something with a high enough AC that I can heal in combat if needed. An idea that I was interested in pursuing is holding a weapon in my main hand, a buckler strapped to my off-arm, and a cure wand in my off-hand. I completely understand that if I were to use the wand, I would lose the AC bonus for that round. However, if I were simply holding the wand (not performing ANY actions with it), would I still lose the shield bonus to AC? I would simply like to avoid having to expend a move action to draw/stow my wand.

NOTE: I don't wish to offend, but I would like to point out that this is a PFS character. As such, I'm not really interested in a personal interpretation of RAI or how you might rule it if you were a GM. Short of any official response that someone may have found, I am interested in your interpretations of RAW. I have searched quite a bit online and so far, I haven't been able to find a conclusion that goes one way or another.

[RainyDayNinja]

Buckler wrote:

In any case, if you use a weapon in your off hand, you lose the buckler's AC bonus until your next turn.

I think most people would interpret "use" to mean only if you attack with the weapon, not just holding it. The rules don't mention wands, but I think it's reasonable to assume that the same rule would apply: holding a wand doesn't cost you the AC bonus, but using it does.

[Sniggevert]

RainyDayNinja wrote:

Buckler wrote:

In any case, if you use a weapon in your off hand, you lose the buckler's AC bonus until your next turn.

I think most people would interpret "use" to mean only if you attack with the weapon, not just holding it. The rules don't mention wands, but I think it's reasonable to assume that the same rule would apply: holding a wand doesn't cost you the AC bonus, but using it does.

This really.

I have had a bard for going on 3 years now use a buckler/wand combination and never had a GM have an issue with this interpretation.

[BigNorseWolf]

I don't see any problem with it.

You'd take the -1 to attack if you needed to poke undead in the eye with the wand though. Probably not a big problem.

[CRobledo]

Actually, it has been stated that switching weapons in your two hands is a free action. So nothing is stopping you from switching your sword and wand so that the wand is in your non-buckler hand, using it, and then switching back (assuming of course, they are not on weapon cords or locked gauntlets, etc...)

[Jiggy]

CRobledo wrote:

Actually, it has been stated that switching weapons in your two hands is a free action.

Are you talking about the old JJ comment, or something more recent/official?

[LazarX]

The_Captain wrote:

I am currently creating a combat medic, something with a high enough AC that I can heal in combat if needed. An idea that I was interested in pursuing is holding a weapon in my main hand, a buckler strapped to my off-arm, and a cure wand in my off-hand. I completely understand that if I were to use the wand, I would lose the AC bonus for that round. However, if I were simply holding the wand (not performing ANY actions with it), would I still lose the shield bonus to AC? I would simply like to avoid having to expend a move action to draw/stow my wand.

NOTE: I don't wish to offend, but I would like to point out that this is a PFS character. As such, I'm not really interested in a personal interpretation of RAI or how you might rule it if you were a GM. Short of any official response that someone may have found, I am interested in your interpretations of RAW. I have searched quite a bit online and so far, I haven't been able to find a conclusion that goes one way or another.

You're pretty much okay, but my general ruling in cases like yours is that if you use the wand that you're holding on your buckler arm, you lose the shield bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn. If you want to keep your AC as high as possible, then your wand needs to go in your weapon hand.

[RainyDayNinja]

You could put a buckler on each arm, so whether you used your weapon or wand in a turn, you'd still have one active buckler.

[LazarX]

RainyDayNinja wrote:

You could put a buckler on each arm, so whether you used your weapon or wand in a turn, you'd still have one active buckler.

That of course defeats the purpose of having a buckler on in the first place, his desire to keep a weapon at hand in additon to the wand.

It's really quite simple, you can be a combat medic, or a front line combatant. Your ability to do both at once is going to have built in constraints.

The one thing that will let you do what you want is weaponwand, the spell that lets you embed a wand in your weapon.

[Grick]

The_Captain wrote:

I completely understand that if I were to use the wand, I would lose the AC bonus for that round.

Why are people under this impression?

The buckler description under Equipment tells you under what conditions you lose the bonus.

If you use a weapon or cast a spell with somatic components using your shield arm, you lose the buckler's AC bonus until your next turn.

Activating a wand is not using a weapon, nor does it have somatic components.

The_Captain wrote:

However, if I were simply holding the wand (not performing ANY actions with it), would I still lose the shield bonus to AC?

Of course not.

However, keep in mind you've got both hands full, so you'll have to drop something in order to cast a spell with somatic/material/focus components. A weapon cord will work for this, but perhaps a better solution is to keep one hand free and keep your wand in a spring-loaded wrist sheath which allows you to draw it as a swift action.

[Grick]

RainyDayNinja wrote:

You could put a buckler on each arm, so whether you used your weapon or wand in a turn, you'd still have one active buckler.

That works, but you'll only get the magical effects from one of them (Shield magic item slot on the body) and you'll be taking a -1 penalty to all your attacks with either arm.