Armor and Shields: Difference between revisions
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Only one item may be used in each hand's wielded slot. Given that weapons, shields, rods, staffs, wands, musical instruments, potions, and alchemical items all use one (or both) of the wielded slots, choosing what item a character is wielding in their hands is an important call. | Only one item may be used in each hand's wielded slot. Given that weapons, shields, rods, staffs, wands, musical instruments, potions, and alchemical items all use one (or both) of the wielded slots, choosing what item a character is wielding in their hands is an important call. | ||
In many cases, it is possible for a character to have more than one item prepared for use in a wielded slot. One of the most common examples of this is a buckler shield, which is strapped to the arm, and the same hand can be holding a weapon or other item. However, even though two items are ready for use for that hand, only | In many cases, it is possible for a character to have more than one item prepared for use in a wielded slot. One of the most common examples of this is a buckler shield, which is strapped to the arm, and the same hand can be holding a weapon or other item. However, even though two items are ready for use for that hand, only ''one'' of them may be wielded each round. If you have a buckler on your off-hand and are also using a dagger in that same hand, you can only gain the benefit from one of those items each round. If you use the dagger during the round, the AC bonus from the buckler (and any of its magic enchantments, properties, or dweomermetal effects) are not applied to your character during that round. Similarly, if you want to retain the bonuses from the buckler, you may not use the dagger, nor gain any benefit from its magical enchantments or qualities. | ||
Switching from one item to another in the same hand slot is a [[free action]] that can only be performed during your turn. Similarly, if you have a single item which uses two hands, you can release one hand from that item to do something else with that hand as a free action. Re-gripping a two-handed item is another free action that can only be performed during your turn. You can release your grip, use a different item, and re-grip, in the same round. | Switching from one item to another in the same hand slot is a [[free action]] that can only be performed during your turn. Similarly, if you have a single item which uses two hands, you can release one hand from that item to do something else with that hand as a free action. Re-gripping a two-handed item is another free action that can only be performed during your turn. You can release your grip, use a different item, and re-grip, in the same round. | ||
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===Durability=== | ===Durability=== | ||
Armor and shields are designed to take a severe beating. After all, that is what it's | Armor and shields are designed to take a severe beating. After all, that is what it's ''for'', right? No amount of normal damaging attacks, of any sort, can ever harm or disable armor in any way. However, if Armor or Shield is targeted by a Sunder maneuver (darn rust monsters....), then...it still keeps working! | ||
Unlike almost every other thing that any adventurer possesses, Armor and Shields have a Durability score. Armor and Shields are not broken until they take a number of Sunders that EQUALS or EXCEEDS their Durability score. What this means, is that a suit of Armor, or a Shield, almost always has to be Sundered (or otherwise take points of Siege Damage) more than once before it actually inflicts the [[Broken]] condition on its wearer. Some really heavy suits of armor can take | Unlike almost every other thing that any adventurer possesses, Armor and Shields have a Durability score. Armor and Shields are not broken until they take a number of Sunders that EQUALS or EXCEEDS their Durability score. What this means, is that a suit of Armor, or a Shield, almost always has to be Sundered (or otherwise take points of Siege Damage) more than once before it actually inflicts the [[Broken]] condition on its wearer. Some really heavy suits of armor can take ''five'' sunders, or even more, before they finally give up the ghost and become officially Broken. Nothing else, short of buildings or vehicles, are that tough. | ||
===Weight=== | ===Weight=== | ||
Armor and Shields are | Armor and Shields are ''heavy''. Indeed, at the beginning of most games, the sheer, grinding mass of Armor means that many players can't wear it, just because it's so heavy they couldn't move with it on! There's a good reason so many Fighters and Paladins have big Strength scores. They need to be that strong just to stand up in that tank-like carapace. | ||
===Cost=== | ===Cost=== | ||