{"id":123612,"date":"2025-03-04T03:18:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T03:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/?p=123612"},"modified":"2025-03-04T03:18:02","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T03:18:02","slug":"can-rogues-equip-shields","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/","title":{"rendered":"Can rogues equip shields?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_67_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/#Can_Rogues_Equip_Shields\" title=\"Can Rogues Equip Shields?\">Can Rogues Equip Shields?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/#FAQs\" title=\"FAQs\">FAQs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/#Shields_and_Rogues\" title=\"Shields and Rogues\">Shields and Rogues<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/#Off-Hand_Options_for_Rogues\" title=\"Off-Hand Options for Rogues\">Off-Hand Options for Rogues<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/#Shield_Rules_in_D_D\" title=\"Shield Rules in D&amp;D\">Shield Rules in D&amp;D<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/#Classes_and_Shields\" title=\"Classes and Shields\">Classes and Shields<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/#Shield_Proficiency_and_Disadvantage\" title=\"Shield Proficiency and Disadvantage\">Shield Proficiency and Disadvantage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Rogues_Equip_Shields\"><\/span>Can Rogues Equip Shields?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Rogues can <strong>technically equip shields<\/strong>, but they are not <strong>proficient<\/strong> with them, meaning they won&#8217;t be able to use them effectively and will be subject to <strong>disadvantage<\/strong> on certain ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls. According to the <strong>D&#038;D 5e rules<\/strong>, anyone can <strong>wear or wield a shield<\/strong>, but only those <strong>proficient<\/strong> in shields can use them without penalty, which is why <strong>rogues<\/strong> are better off using their <strong>off-hand<\/strong> for other purposes, such as <strong>dual-wielding<\/strong> or using a <strong>magic item<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span>FAQs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shields_and_Rogues\"><\/span>Shields and Rogues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Can Rogues use shields in D&#038;D?<\/strong>: While <strong>rogues<\/strong> can equip shields, they are not <strong>proficient<\/strong> with them, which means they will face <strong>disadvantage<\/strong> on certain ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What classes can use shields in D&#038;D?<\/strong>: Classes like <strong>Fighter<\/strong>, <strong>Paladin<\/strong>, <strong>Cleric<\/strong>, and <strong>Barbarian<\/strong> are <strong>proficient<\/strong> with shields, but <strong>rogues<\/strong> are not.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can anyone carry a shield in D&#038;D?<\/strong>: <strong>Technically<\/strong>, anyone can <strong>wear or wield a shield<\/strong>, but only those <strong>proficient<\/strong> with shields can use them effectively.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Off-Hand_Options_for_Rogues\"><\/span>Off-Hand Options for Rogues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong>What can rogues use in their off-hand?<\/strong>: <strong>Rogues<\/strong> can use their <strong>off-hand<\/strong> for <strong>dual-wielding<\/strong>, using a <strong>magic item<\/strong>, or other purposes that don&#8217;t require <strong>shield proficiency<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can rogues use a long sword?<\/strong>: <strong>Rogues<\/strong> can use <strong>long swords<\/strong> and other <strong>one-handed weapons<\/strong>, but they are not <strong>proficient<\/strong> with <strong>shields<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What are the best weapons for rogues?<\/strong>: The best <strong>weapons<\/strong> for <strong>rogues<\/strong> typically include <strong>Rapiers<\/strong>, <strong>Longbows<\/strong>, and <strong>Shortswords<\/strong>, which offer <strong>precision<\/strong>, <strong>damage<\/strong>, and <strong>versatility<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shield_Rules_in_D_D\"><\/span>Shield Rules in D&amp;D<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol start=\"7\">\n<li><strong>What are the rules for shields in D&#038;D?<\/strong>: A <strong>shield<\/strong> is made from <strong>wood or metal<\/strong> and is carried in one hand, increasing <strong>Armor Class<\/strong> by 2, but you can only benefit from one <strong>shield<\/strong> at a time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is equipping a shield a free action in 5e?<\/strong>: <strong>Equipping a shield<\/strong> takes an <strong>action<\/strong> to don or doff, but the use of it is <strong>free<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can I equip a shield as a bonus action?<\/strong>: If your character wants to <strong>don a shield<\/strong> while in combat, it takes a <strong>full action<\/strong> to equip it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Classes_and_Shields\"><\/span>Classes and Shields<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol start=\"10\">\n<li><strong>Can bards carry shields?<\/strong>: <strong>Bards<\/strong> can <strong>carry shields<\/strong> if they are <strong>proficient<\/strong> with them, such as through the <strong>College of Valor<\/strong> or <strong>multiclassing<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What is the best protector class in D&#038;D?<\/strong>: <strong>Paladins<\/strong> are often regarded as the <strong>protectors<\/strong> of a party, capable of <strong>dishing out damage<\/strong> while <strong>keeping their allies alive<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can rogues wear guns?<\/strong>: <strong>Rogues<\/strong> can use <strong>ranged weapons<\/strong> like <strong>bows<\/strong>, <strong>crossbows<\/strong>, and <strong>guns<\/strong>, but <strong>guns<\/strong> are not typically used in <strong>D&#038;D<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shield_Proficiency_and_Disadvantage\"><\/span>Shield Proficiency and Disadvantage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol start=\"13\">\n<li><strong>What is the disadvantage of using a shield without proficiency?<\/strong>: Using a <strong>shield<\/strong> without <strong>proficiency<\/strong> results in <strong>disadvantage<\/strong> on certain ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can you dual wield shields in 5e?<\/strong>: While you can <strong>carry two shields<\/strong>, you can only benefit from one <strong>shield<\/strong> at a time, making <strong>dual-wielding shields<\/strong> less effective.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Does a shield count as armor in D&#038;D?<\/strong>: No, <strong>wearing a shield<\/strong> does not count as <strong>armor<\/strong>, as <strong>shields<\/strong> are in the <strong>Equipment<\/strong> section of the <strong>PHB<\/strong>, not the <strong>Armor<\/strong> section.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can Rogues Equip Shields? Rogues can technically equip shields, but they are not proficient with them, meaning they won&#8217;t be able to use them effectively and will be subject to disadvantage on certain ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls. According to the D&#038;D 5e rules, anyone can wear or wield a shield, but only &#8230; <a title=\"Can rogues equip shields?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/can-rogues-equip-shields\/\" aria-label=\"More on Can rogues equip shields?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}