If you use the spiked buckler to attack (with a Double Strike for example) do you get its Defense die if attacked in the same round?

Doubt it is covered in the rules and so it will be personal opinion and nothing more, but i would allow it on the basis that if i can parry and attack with my weapon in the same round, then i should be able to block and attack with a buckler in the same round.

i think it has been covered elsewhere that a round is more than a single attack and is more likely to represent several feints, blocks, parries, slashes as well as the actually hit (or hits) that land and do damage, so blocking and hitting with a spiked buckler should be well within someones abilites to do within a single round, IMO.

What he said. A block with a buckler is the same (basically) as a parry with a sword.

I would say no, if you are using it as a weapon you aren't using it as armor that round. I would allow the use of block, and maybe even parry, but I wouldn't add in the Defense value of the shield until the PC's next turn.

Its ultimately up to the GM. There are rules to support both stances.

For example, a main-gauche is a long dagger used for parrying. It is defensive and adds a misfortune (black) die when parrying with it. But if you use it as a normal weapon (main hand) it loses the property.

In a double-strike its possible to say 'ah you used it as a weapon, so it loses the property for the round' but it seems sort of silly and counter intuitive. While you may have fought with the goblin, and swept his club aside with your rapier and utilized the opening for a strike ... it doesn't mean the weapon cannot be used to parry a blow a few seconds later I'd think.

Similarly a buckler is a small shield (and thus can be used to block), but often has a spike and can also be used as a gauntlet in melee (p. 78). So if you use it as a gauntlet (which PS is a TERRIBLE weapon) for the purpose of some extra damage on a double strike, I don't see why you can't then block blows with it for a while.

Remember a round isn't one swing or one action, its usually represented as a flurry of activity and blows (otherwise there is NO WAY you could reload a black powder weapon with a maneuvre).

Just saying.

For simplicity's sake, I just let the spiked buckler provide the defensive bonus at all times, whether it gets used as a weapon or not. Too complicated to keep track otherwise. However, if you wanted to restrict it more, you could allow the extra misfortune die to apply only when used to block. This falls in line with the Defensive Quality, such as possessed by the Quarter Staff, which only adds the misfortune die when a character uses the Quarter Staff to parry. Regardless of how you choose to treat the defensive bonus, you should be able to attack and block with a spiked buckler in the same round.

mac40k said:

Ok, thank you!