Climbing with a Buckler

[Kyoko Hitomu]

Hello,

Wondering if someone can advise how to treat someone that is climbing with a Buckler equipped. Buckler states that the hand is free as it's strapped to the arm and it's not exactly a "shield" as the light/heavy shields are held in the hand.

I'd like to know how this is treated as a Ninja using a masterwork buckler with the Wall Climber trick that grants a +8 climb skill and 20ft climb speed. I assume that if I can climb with a buckler equipped in PFS then I'll still be granted the +1AC.

Thanks.

[Komoda]

Negative. You can't use a shield while climbing. It might be in place, but you still can't move your arm around to gain the benefits.

[MrSin]

Well, climb specifically states that while climbing you can't use a shield. You also lose your bonus to dexterity while climbing usually, but people with a climb speed keep it, so you have that at least. Also, since you have a buckler you have both hands free to climb in the first place.

Relevant text:

Climb wrote:

You need both hands free to climb, but you may cling to a wall with one hand while you cast a spell or take some other action that requires only one hand. While climbing, you can’t move to avoid a blow, so you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). You also can’t use a shield while climbing. Anytime you take damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means you fall from your current height and sustain the appropriate falling damage.

Climb speed wrote:

A creature with a climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC higher than 0, but it can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If a creature with a climb speed chooses an accelerated climb (see above), it moves at double its climb speed (or at its land speed, whichever is slower) and makes a single Climb check at a –5 penalty. Such a creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. It cannot, however, use the run action while climbing.