>>/6092/
> What's a shield again?
>>/5945/
It's all written in my easy to follow not complicated or forgettable at all clearly you haven't read write up under the title "Armored Casting and Cover" Not at all confusing, so please read it and all your answers will be answered.
So based on that here's the rules:
1. You get a 2AC bonus. That's already accounted for.
2. You will get some degree of cover but only if you explicitly state where you are pointing the shield, otherwise it's assumed to be on your back.
3. You may hide behind it if you crouch and get up to full cover from some applicable attacks like arrows.
4. More things I said that I regret.
So we all know 5e rules on shields are broken. My rules at this point are absolutely perfect in every conceivable way. The objective is not to make it clunky or in any way defeat everything or goblins will be casting area of effect spells just to get around your shield and you don't want that.
So let's revisit this.
1. I am not requiring special training.
2. It offers +2AC all the time, congratulations you own a shield!
3. It offers +3AC if 1/4 cover, basically only for bucklers or if they attack from an angle you aren't facing with the shield.
4. It offers +4AC if 1/2 cover, you standing behind a medium shield.
5. It offers +5AC if 3/4 cover, you crouching behind a medium shield or walking with a tower shield.
6. No shield can provide better than +5AC total in any configuration
7. If hiding behind a shield you cannot be targeted but you can also not target anyone. If you target someone on your turn, that allows a chance for someone to target you, so 3/4 cover. If you do not move or target anyone in the direction you are protecting then full cover for targeting purposes but you can still be attacked by melee but with a +5 AC.
For now that's what we're doing.
> No holy symbol
You said you could cast with a shield up. I'm not disputing that, congratulations your shield is now basically a holy symbol. It offers directional AC and you can still cast for 3/4 cover or a total bonus of 5AC.
If you use the goblin staff, you get a bonus to damage but no extra cover. so only 2AC bonus for the shield.
> how much AP does medium shield grant now if donned? +2 or +4?
AC not AP Read above.
> how much max protection if you hide behind it?
-Cannot be targeted for some attacks, obviously an attack like Sacred flame would ignore shields.
> i thought we agreed that donning does use an action if you gotta pick your shield up?
-No action or bonus action, same as changing weapons, the DM has spoken, but if you're grappled or prone from being knocked down, you cannot change weapons or put up a sheild, so no bonus in those cases.
"Rules As Written, you get one free 'object interaction' every turn. Does the same thing as the Use an Object action that's in the PHB." You could use that to switch a weapon or draw a shield in my opinion and that's the opinion that matters. In this case, I might consider drinking a potion as 'object interaction' but not 'throwing a bomb' because that's a little more involved.
> if she uses the staff she has no hand free for somatic gestures. sacred flame needs somatic gestures so now what?
I say, if you use the shield, you can't also use the staff unless it's a V only spell. I say you need one hand free unless you get some kind of special skill or magic attunement to a specific item. A wand for instance can do somatic gestures, and a specifically stated staff, the goblin staff isn't specifically stated. "It can channel magic like a cleric's holy symbol but with +3 to damage and attack for offensive spells."
> as long as it's clear
There will be a quiz later.