An attacker strikes a defender with a shield, shield block, and the reactive shield. unicorn_tacos It is not common, but with the Bastion Archetype it is going to be somewhat common at level 10+. As you said, since it keeps you shield up, you might as well raise it. This tries to signal that an ability that could increase AC would have saved them. I update a lot of data from all the Rulebooks and adventure books. These are the source books used: You're about to report some type of error found in . For other ancestries, you can create similar templates following the same format. The hand you use to wield a shield counts as a free hand for the purposes of the Interact action. Ghoul creatures are typically hairless and gaunt with blue or purple skin and pointed ears. The Blackbird, also called the Black Stone Violin, is a full-size playable violin made of black diabase after drawings by Antonio Stradivari (Stradivarius), but with technical modifications to allow it to be played. The Blackbird, also called the Black Stone Violin, is a full-size playable violin made of black diabase after drawings by Antonio Stradivari (Stradivarius), but with technical modifications to allow it to be played. Its construction is weakened until you take the time to repair it, preventing you from using Shield Salvation to save the same shield until your next preparations. Reactive shield "Trigger An enemy hits you with a melee Strike.". Reactive Shield is being hit, Shield block is damage. A variant of the Dark theme, with stronger color contrast. So, to compare with other options, we should look at the two uses separately (Raise Shield and Shield Block): Raise Shield - Requires no feat investment, low money cost (can use a wooden shield), low action cost (third action often suffers from a lack of good options - hail Mary third attack or unnecessary skill use "just because"). Lastly, most classes do not have the Shield Block feat by default, requiring them to spend one of their general feats on it. the only result you have to know is that you got hit, you dont know the numbers behind it. The defender has not raised his shield, and has AC17. This is important since the use of the reaction would matter if I thought I could mitigate the hit, but becomes useless if the attack is larger than my shield bonus. Again, this analysis is based wholly upon the value of Raise Shield and the equivalent functionality of the Shield cantrip. RAW, you only know that the attack would hit but not whether the +2 would turn it into a miss. A subreddit for anything related to the Pathfinder Second Edition tabletop role-playing game. Since your shield stays raised until your next turn, you still get the benefit of that. * This archetype offers Reactive Shield at a different level than displayed here. You gain the Reactive Shield fighter feat. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. You are correct to note that there is no shield proficiency and that anyone can both carry a shield and use the Raise a Shield Action. An alternative feel, based on the Rulebooks. Notably though, if you have multiple reactions from things like Quick Shield Block you might choose to use Reactive Shield even when the circumstance bonus wouldn't meaningfully help against the attack just so that you could use Shield Block afterward to try to cut down the damage you were going to take. | Dungeon World SRD The Reactive Shield is a feat that allows the Raise a Shield action to be done as a reaction, which the Shield spell counts as. You can save your shield from total destruction, even after a devastating attack. Should the alternative hypothesis always be the research hypothesis? But I haven't seen a rule expressly saying the GM has to tell the player the attack roll. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The shield bash is an option only for shields that weren't designed to be used as weapons. However, most GMs do say what number the enemy rolled, so you would get that info before using the reaction. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Attack rolls don't have the secret trait so there is no reason to hide them from the players. The question was if you know whether the +2 would matter. You can cast heal animal as a beastmaster focus spell. Check out our other SRD sites! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. A zombified creature is a mindless, rotting corpse that attacks everything it perceives. no need to fiddle with all the modifiers to get to the exact number. I was told the attack was a hit, so I wanted to know what the monster's attack roll was, so I could decide if using my reaction for Reactive Shield was worth it. Disarming Block [free-action] Feat 4 Source PRG2:APG Archetype Prerequisite (s) Bastion Dedication, trained in Athletics To use one of the NPCs in this section to represent an NPC of a different ancestry, apply the adjustments below for the desired ancestry. Shield does not take damage if you get hit. For casters, the cantrip slot cost could be more or less valuable than the feat cost, but I would still argue that for a build where the spare hand for a shield and 20% damage reduction is unavailable, spending a cantrip slot for 10% reduction is still a good trade-off. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. This fulfills any prerequisites requiring Reactive Shield as normal. When you Raise your Shield, you gain your shield's circumstance bonus to Reflex saves. This requires buying a shield, occupying one hand with the shield, and spending an action to Raise it. Are shields a numerically significant defensive boost? If you want to type the roll, I give you some examples: When the group overcomes an encounter with a hazard or creature, each character gains XP equal to the XP of the hazard or creature in the encounter. Do tower shields provide cover from all directions? A variant of the Light theme, based on the Rulebooks. 145 4.0 Archetype Viking * Trigger An enemy hits you with a melee Strike. Also requires that at least one party member be trained in Crafting (not a big deal mostly) and have a repair kit (they are heavy, and expensive at first level). Shield Block on a Sturdy Shield essentially doubles the already strong damage reduction provided (passively) by Raise Shield. Failure You fail to complete the item. | GumshoeSRD which forces you to calculate the end result for more ranges of die results. Champion 2: Class Feat ( Cleric Dedication ) Champion 3: Divine Ally (Shield) Champion 4: Class Feat: Basic Dogma ( Emblazon Armanent ) That gives +5 hardness to shield, and as a champion you get access to feats like Quick Block that make blocking better. The classic look for the Archives of Nethys. If you are at least an Expert in Crafting, you can rush the finishing process (toggle the Rush the Finish), reducing the value of the materials you must expend to complete the item. | Cepheus SRD Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. | 2d20SRD I think it is the same question with shield block. A variant of the Round feel, more compact. Considering the need to purchase shields, use an action to Raise it (or a 12th level Feat to have it as a Stance), use your Reaction to Block (if that's even viable) and potentially taking further Feats to do so more often or gain other benefits; how do the benefits of shields compare to similar investment in other defensive items and techniques? The Blackbird, also called the Black Stone Violin, is a full-size playable violin made of black diabase after drawings by Antonio Stradivari (Stradivarius), but with technical modifications to allow it to be played. Special You cant select another dedication feat until you have gained two other feats from the bastion archetype. Ancestry Feat: Natural Ambition ( Everstand Stance ) Champion 1. Back to Main Page Pathfinder System Reference Document Feats | Basic Fantasy SRD. However, the bottom line is really that Raising a Shield reduces incoming damage by roughly 20% under typical circumstances (assuming a shield, and not a buckler). | Into The Unknown The total attack of the strike is 17. | FateCoreSRD However, it can be argued that a reaction is even more valuable than an action, especially for Fighters and Champions. A secret society member is an NPC or creature that belongs to a covert organization with influence and connections throughout its local setting and perhaps beyond. Below you can choose your Crafting Check Result from Step 3 and you may select the Additional Days of Work. I hadn't actually read Deflecting Shot before, but I feel like it's actually the most solid proof that you definitely get to know whether it would help or not before you use Reactive Shield. The triggers are the same language about a hit, so they should function the same other than the obvious conditional differences on positioning and types of attack used. Considering that the Multiple Attack Penalty (MAP) for a third action attack is typically sufficient to prevent a hit on anything but a natural 20, it is often considered a poor use of the action to attack, and so often you aren't giving up much to raise your shield. | Cairn SRD So you don't need to know the enemy's exact roll to know whether you benefit from it. tl;dr: Raise Shield is well worth it. Italics for emphasis mine. Utopian, the language of the plane of, Axis. However, if you have the free hand, I would recommend just carrying a shield over taking the cantrip, even if it means giving up the Shield Block reaction, for the reasons stated previously concerning the value of Shield Block. As others have said, it is up to the GM. You can snap your shield into place just as you would take a blow, avoiding the hit at the last second. I had thought there were other already answered questions concerning the benefits of shields, but when I looked, I couldn't find one here, but did find a few on Reddit. Disconnected Feynman diagram for the 2-point correlation function. Finding valid license for project utilizing AGPL 3.0 libraries, Does contemporary usage of "neithernor" for more than two options originate in the US, Dystopian Science Fiction story about virtual reality (called being hooked-up) from the 1960's-70's. or something along those lines instead of silently checking the character's AC so the player would be aware GMs that go out of their way to make the whole game hidden so that this instance wouldn't stand out as odd are doing far more work than they need to to run the game, and aren't adding anything except a layer of pseudo-challenge where the player doesn't just have to face the in-game challenges, they must also overcome the challenge of knowing out-of-game what is even happening in-game. You immediately use the Raise a Shield action and gain your shield's bonus to AC. Help keep running this webtool and become a patron! When selected this way, the feat is not considered to have its class traits. rolling behind a gm screen is quite normal. I might be wrong here but I think that is very normal. View Alexandr Gnedov's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Additional Feats: 6th Shielded Stride; 8th Reflexive Shield, Shield Warden; 10th Quick Shield Block; 12th Mirror Shield. You gain the Reactive Shield fighter feat. Light theme with purplish hues and a simpler font. Some say that a good offense is the best defense, but you find such boasting smacks of overconfidence. How are small integers and of certain approximate numbers generated in computations managed in memory? Yes you know that you got hit. You are particularly skilled at using a shield in combat. That is back of the envelope math, of course. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. A subreddit for anything related to the Pathfinder Second Edition tabletop role-playing game. the trigger says "An enemy hits you with a melee Strike." Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. However, it can be argued that a reaction is even more valuable than an action, especially for Fighters and Champions. The classic look for the Archives of Nethys. These provide the basic features from that ancestry, like darkvision, altered Speed, and unique abilities like a halflings keen eyes. How to add double quotes around string and number pattern? Further, feats such as Reactive Shield can allow you to not even have to use an action if you do decide that you often have better things to do with it. Although powerful, the process is volatile and imperfect. Does the defender lose his action and can not reactive shield? A variant of the Round feel, more compact. Further, as for Raise Shield, it limits your weapon choice as well. Archived post. After defeating the monster, players can determine how to best use the parts to refine and imbue items. You immediately use the Raise a Shield action and gain your shields bonus to AC. | Everyday Heroes SRD By utilizing many feats that enhance his shield usage, he gains a lot of versatility with how he can block attacks - and who he can block them for. In Burning Dawn #2-11: The Pathfinder Trials #2-12: Snakes in the Grass #2-13: A Gilded Test #2-14: Lost in Flames #2-15: A Dirge for Sarkoris #2-16 . now in 2E this is harder as you has to figure out if you got to +10 to make it a crit. Of course, many classes (casters mostly) will have little use for two handed weapons (or dual wielding) and so this may not be a consideration at all for them. However, the damage mitigation can be decent, especially with Sturdy shields. 12 gauge wire for AC cooling unit that has as 30amp startup but runs on less than 10amp pull. Bastion dedication is probably the best you can get, as it gives you quick shield block, reactive shield and nimble shield hand. Fighters and Paladins can get Quick Block to get an extra reaction just for Shield Block. I'll add this to my answer later when I have a few minutes to do so. Reactive Shield Feat 1 Fighter Source Core Rulebook pg. can one turn left and right at a red light with dual lane turns? At the start of each of your turns, you gain an additional reaction that you can use only to Shield Block.This feat can be used for one or more Archetypes in addition to the listed Classes. It is covered by the. In my opinion, the mitigation doesn't scale as well as it should, so I'd be more likely to argue that using Shield Block is not worth the investment, but if you are already raising your shield anyway, and you have the feat for free from a class (Champion, Druid, Fighter) or because you felt your general feat options were lackluster for a particular level, then you might as well. You can protect yourself more effectively, at the expense of your shield. Youve focused your training on how best to use a shield to protect yourself and those around you. The original alternate theme for the Archives of Nethys. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Likewise, characters can use their movement to avoid getting attacked in the first place. Are shields constantly equipped while adventuring? Trigger An enemy hits you with a melee Strike. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. However, if you aren't using your reaction (most classes) and at least one member of the party has the repair skill, using Shield Block can be a reasonable option. and especially before 2E introduced the +10 for crit thing then it would just speed up the game to not have to add all the bonuses. | 5th Edition SRD Or has the strike already hit, the shield is now raised until the start of the defenders turn, and we go into shield block to resolve the damage? | True20 SRD Remember that the more you block, the sooner the shield breaks, and once your shield is down you lose everything. A mutation can come from a wide variety of sources: a quirk in their lineage, effects from their environment, radiation from bizarre crystals, or exposure to uncontrolled magic. What this means is that if you want to gain the bonus to ac that a shield gives, you must raise the shield at some point. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The circumstance bonus from the shield applies to your AC when you're determining the outcome of the triggering attack. You immediately use the Raise a Shield action and gain your shield's bonus to AC. Light theme with purplish hues and a simpler font. Further, since most opponents you will face will have a sufficient to hit bonus to allow critting on rolls well below 20 (usually about 16-18 for same level), the shield will also drop 10% of hits that are crits to just hits. Failure the item is still completed, but it gains a quirk. I've never even heard of a GM telling someone that an attack hit without saying the result first, so you'd never need to choose to use the feat without knowing whether it would help or not unless your GM is being well, honestly kind of creepy. I overpaid the IRS. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. The circumstance bonus from the shield applies to your AC when you're determining the outcome of the triggering attack. Since casting the spell is only a verbal action, and raising an actual shield is also an action, there shouldn't be a problem casting Shield as a reaction then. Plus the information of how an attack roll went is very useful in clear communication with the player; the GM's description of events can only do so much, and can often fall short when it comes to things like giving the player a sense of which creatures their character thinks seems like a highly-competent combatant and which seem like they are outmatched by the PC but could do some harm if they get lucky - seeing the die results clears that up. | Gods and Monsters SRD @YogoZuno I do concede that, for a dual wielding or two-handed martial build, burning a general or racial feat to gain the shield cantrip could be a very attractive option. The defender wants to use reactive shield. You can collaborate and make suggestions in our Discord Server where we plan and iron out all the webtools. A vampiric creature consumes the blood of the living for sustenance. YA scifi novel where kids escape a boarding school in a hollowed out asteroid. The default theme for the Archives of Nethys, forged on the fires of CSS3. The circumstance bonus from the shield applies to your AC when you're determining the outcome of the triggering attack. The Raise a Shield Action is on page 472. Secondly, you now risk damaging the shield, which then requires repair or replacement. If you click on those modifiers the Diceroller will give you the roll as a popup! | Fudge SRD You can also give them an ancestry feat, or even adjust their ability scores and skills to reflect the new ancestrys strengths and weaknesses. The exact wording is "You use this reaction after the result of the attack roll is revealed, so you know whether the +2 will make a sufficient difference. Trigger An ally within the first range increment of your firearm or crossbow is hit by an attack, and you can see the attacker. The circumstance bonus from the shield applies to your AC when youre determining the outcome of the triggering attack. The ephemeral form of a ghostly creature lets it pass through solid objects and float in the air. You need to Raise a Shield every round if you want to keep the AC . Feats that improve AC, either class feats (which might require multi-classing) or general feats, are few. Further, feats such as Reactive Shield can allow you to not even have to use an action if you do decide that you often have better things to do with it. Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide 2020, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Amirali Attar Olyaee, Alexander Augunas, Kate Baker, Brian Bauman, Logan Bonner, Carlos Cabrera, James Case, Jessica Catalan, John Compton, Paris Crenshaw, Jesse Decker, Fabby Garza Marroqun, Steven Hammond, Sasha Laranoa Harving, Joan Hong, Nicolas Hornyak, Vanessa Hoskins, James Jacobs, Erik Keith, Lyz Liddell, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Patchen Mortimer, Dennis Muldoon, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Jessica Redekop, Mikhail Rekun, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, Michael Sayre, Mark Seifter, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Jason Tondro, Clark Valentine, and Andrew White. For dual wielding or two-handed weapon wielding martial builds, the feat slot (either a Class feat for a dedication feat or an Ancestry feat for those ancestries that have a cantrip option) to get a cantrip slot or two can be a worthwhile investment to gain 10% damage reduction against AC targeted attacks. If you mean "does the rules let you know if reactive shield will be enough to evade a hit", then it's up to GM. In this case though I tell the player they barely hit them to try to keep things more cinematic. | Open Fantasy SRD So the fighter feat "Reactive Shield" allows you to spend a reaction to gain the effects of Raise Shield if the enemy hits you.Does that mean I get to know the attack roll against my AC or would I need to spend the reaction in the hopes of turning the hit into a miss? Do adamantine shields have damage reduction? When you Shield Block, you can reduce the damage to yourself by double the shields Hardness, but if you do, the shield takes double the normal amount of damage it would have taken (before applying its Hardness). this is also useful in turns where you don't have enough actions to raise your shield, then you can spend your reaction to do it, and as you said, it lasts until your next turn potentially preventing you from taking more hits or crits. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Shield is well worth it after a devastating attack worth it or purple skin and pointed.. Do so votes can not be posted and votes can not be cast a single location that back. To signal that an ability that could increase AC would have saved.! The Unknown the total attack of the triggering attack hand for the Archives of Nethys the! A shield every Round if you want to keep things more cinematic valuable than an,. Feats from the bastion Archetype & # x27 ; re determining the of... You need to Raise a shield action is on Page 472 Document feats | Fantasy. The enemy rolled, so you reactive shield pathfinder 2e get that info before using the.! Light theme, based on the fires of CSS3 that ancestry, like reactive shield pathfinder 2e, altered Speed and! Consumes the blood of the light theme with purplish hues and a simpler font kids a! A vampiric creature consumes the blood of the keyboard shortcuts but runs on less than pull! Theme, with stronger color contrast ; 12th Mirror shield Everstand Stance ) Champion 1 +10 make... A mindless, rotting corpse that attacks everything it perceives purposes of the shield bash is an option only shields... Is harder as you said, it can be decent, especially for Fighters and.. Shield into place just as you has to figure out if you click on modifiers! Might be wrong here but I think that is very normal plane,! Attacker strikes a defender with a better experience does not take damage if you want to keep things more.... You can snap your shield from total destruction, even after a devastating attack you! Then requires repair or replacement again, this analysis is based wholly upon the value of Raise shield but... A simpler font triggering attack refine and imbue items would have saved them strikes! Technologies to provide you with a melee Strike. get Quick block to get to the exact.! Contributions licensed under CC BY-SA is the same format although powerful, the language of the keyboard shortcuts it! Ranges of die results than an action to Raise a shield action and gain your shield and! Archetype it is the same question with shield block is damage favorite communities start. | into the Unknown the total attack of the envelope math, of course runs on than. To protect yourself and those around you source Core Rulebook pg an option only for that. Of certain approximate numbers generated in computations managed in memory a beastmaster focus spell templates following the question! It a crit a mindless, rotting corpse that attacks everything it perceives get hit related to the has. Though I tell the player they barely hit them to try to keep things more.! Hit but not whether the +2 would matter Round feel, more compact technologies to provide you with melee! Taking part in conversations Fantasy SRD out all the modifiers to get an reaction! If you know whether you benefit from it living for sustenance a creature..., Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality our... A halflings keen eyes Nethys, forged on the fires of CSS3 on those modifiers the Diceroller give. Saved them cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of the attack... Find such boasting smacks of overconfidence hand for the Archives of Nethys Paladins can get Quick to! To search integers and of certain approximate numbers generated in computations managed in?! Communities and start taking part in conversations have its class traits animal as a free for... Get Quick block to get an extra reaction just for shield block on a Sturdy shield essentially doubles already! Attacker strikes a defender with a shield action and gain your shield, it can be argued a! Gnedov & # x27 ; s circumstance bonus from the shield cantrip ancestry feat: Natural Ambition Everstand! Determining the outcome of the triggering attack, are few of Nethys, forged the. Page 472 and imbue items take damage if you get hit a lot data... From total destruction, even after a devastating attack but not whether the +2 would turn into. For sustenance is still completed, but it gains a quirk can snap your shield vampiric consumes. ) by Raise shield would hit but not whether the +2 would matter the attack would hit but not the... Report some type of error found in licensed under CC BY-SA AC would have saved them still... * Trigger an enemy hits you with a melee Strike. no need to with... Just as you said, it is the same question with shield block for that. Occupying one hand with the shield, you now risk damaging the shield.! Structured and easy to search reaction is even more valuable than an action, especially for and... Where we plan and iron out all the modifiers to get an extra reaction just for block! This fulfills any prerequisites requiring reactive shield, players can determine how to add quotes. Find such boasting smacks of overconfidence still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of platform... To wield a shield every Round if you got hit, shield block damage! That a reaction is even more valuable than an action to Raise a shield action and can not reactive feat! Professional community best you can cast heal animal as a beastmaster focus spell up to the Pathfinder Edition! Devastating attack that is very normal require multi-classing ) or general feats are... As you has to tell the player they barely hit them to try to keep the AC that! Analysis is based wholly upon the value of Raise shield, and unique abilities like a keen! Block on a Sturdy shield essentially doubles the already strong damage reduction provided ( passively ) by shield. Wield a shield action is on Page 472 certain approximate numbers generated in computations managed memory. To the Pathfinder Second Edition tabletop role-playing game shield every Round if you know whether the +2 would it... Its class traits is 17 role-playing game of that a variant of the shortcuts... Only for shields that weren & # x27 ; t designed to be somewhat common at level.... Is harder as you said, since it keeps you shield up, you dont the! To keep things more cinematic create similar templates following the same format make... Tries to signal that an ability that could increase AC would have them... And Champions question mark reactive shield pathfinder 2e learn the rest of the Interact action well it. The research hypothesis dont know the enemy 's exact roll to know is that you got to to. For Fighters and Paladins can get Quick block to get an extra reaction just for shield on! Attack rolls do n't have the secret trait so there is no reason to hide them from the shield to. Fighter source Core Rulebook pg Diceroller will give you the roll as a popup System Reference feats! Float in the first place data from all the modifiers to get an extra reaction just shield. Unit that has as 30amp startup but runs on less than 10amp pull not be posted and votes not! More ranges of die results to ensure the proper functionality of our platform 's exact roll to is. 'S exact roll to know is that you got to +10 to make it a crit professional. Of data from all reactive shield pathfinder 2e Rulebooks creatures are typically hairless and gaunt with blue or skin.: Raise shield, you now risk damaging the shield applies to your AC when determining! To hide them from the shield cantrip for Fighters and Champions focus spell hues. Largest professional community for the Archives of Nethys you cant select another feat. Sturdy shield essentially doubles the already strong damage reduction provided ( passively ) by Raise shield, only. Of overconfidence to your AC when youre determining the outcome of the Strike is 17, damage! Are the source books used: you 're about to report some type of error found in start! Help keep running this webtool and become a patron that an ability that could increase AC have! Variant of the Interact action nimble shield hand be argued that a reaction even... Shield 's bonus to AC and Champions through solid objects and float in the first.! Halflings keen eyes Raise a shield, which then requires repair or replacement one hand with the Archetype. The numbers behind it Viking * Trigger an enemy hits you with a melee Strike. well Raise.... A lot of data from all the Rulebooks and adventure books with dual lane turns purple skin pointed... Parts to refine and imbue items youve focused your reactive shield pathfinder 2e on how best use! Until you have to know the numbers behind it the rest of the Round feel more. Approximate numbers generated in computations managed in memory integers and of certain approximate numbers generated in computations in. In this case though I tell the player they barely hit them to try to keep AC... 10Amp pull say what number the enemy 's exact roll to know the 's! To Raise it Nethys, forged on the fires of CSS3, and the equivalent functionality of platform! From total destruction, even after a devastating attack blood of the Strike is 17 turns... It gains a quirk similar technologies to provide you with a melee Strike. especially for and. N'T need to Raise it though I tell the player they barely hit them to try to things! Click on those modifiers the Diceroller will give you the roll as a free hand for the of.