|
In standard 2nd E AD&D rules, Druids can use any shield, as long as it's made of wood or another natural resource instead of metal, like Dragon scales, Ankheg exoskeleton, etc. As there are no such shield in the BG games, they changed it to bucklers only. But AFAIK they do gain the extra -2 AC vs missile. Only this is offset a bit by the bucklers innate +1 AC vs missile, so it's just not as effective as with a larger type of shield. And yes, this is the same for every Druid kit.
As for why they included it, you can ask the same question about dual-wielding for Druids and Clerics, and any other class/kit that can place only one * in it, as that proficiency only becomes remotely useful at **.
|