Per page 176, wearing armor grants an item bonus to AC/TAC. Wielding a shield and using the Raise a Shield action grants a separate item bonus to AC/TAC. Per the rules about bonus stacking throughout the book, when you would gain an item bonus from two different sources, you use the higher of the two. They don’t stack. We are trying to play the Playtest to as close to RAW as written, but we may have to make an exception in this instance if we want to get any feedback on Shield use.
The very next sentence clarifies that the proficiency bonuses for armor and shield do not stack. Suggest that they add additional verbiage to that sentence specifying that the item bonuses, however, do stack.
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Casting mage armor also grants an item bonus. Suggest that clarifying language be added here as well that the a shield can be used with mage armor, if that is the intent. Interestingly, the Shield spell grants a circumstance bonus to AC when using raise a shield, so it not only stacks with armor, but also stacks with actual shields and parry weapons.
Per page 176, wearing armor grants an item bonus to AC/TAC. Wielding a shield and using the Raise a Shield action grants a separate item bonus to AC/TAC. .
No, raising a shield grants a +2 circumstance bonus to AC, not an item bonus.
As per this on p.177
Shields
A shield requires the use of one of your hands. It grants its bonuses to AC and TAC only if you use an action to Raise a Shield. This grants the shield’s bonuses to AC and TAC as a circumstance bonus until your next turn starts.
Never mind, the Raise a Shield action listed on page 309 specifies that shields grant circumstance bonuses to AC/TAC, not item bonuses as listed on page 176....
Per page 176, wearing armor grants an item bonus to AC/TAC. Wielding a shield and using the Raise a Shield action grants a separate item bonus to AC/TAC. .No, raising a shield grants a +2 circumstance bonus to AC, not an item bonus.
As per this on p.177
Shields
A shield requires the use of one of your hands. It grants its bonuses to AC and TAC only if you use an action to Raise a Shield. This grants the shield’s bonuses to AC and TAC as a circumstance bonus until your next turn starts.
It also says that in the footnote on the chart at the bottom of page 176, so I missed it all over the place.
Interesting that shields don’t stack with cover.
I agree that it's confusing. For a playtest they've ofc had to put the book together quickly, but the final version needs clearer organisation. Having to hunt all over the place to piece together simple mechanics.
Edit: yes i agree. Weird that circumstance bonuses don't stack.
They 'saved' flanking by making it a -2 circumstance penalty to the target AC, so flanking does help when you already have a +2 circumstance bonus running from eg: a power.
Right at the start of the rulebook where it defines some terms. About page 8 IIRC.