Any ideas for my Duskblade? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Any ideas for my Duskblade? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
LiamDeclan
07-14-06, 01:30 AM Thinking about a Duskblade starting at 1st level for new campaign.
I will have 3 feats at 1st level (flaws) and will be a Sun Elf/Dragonborn (races of Dragon).
Plus we get a Regional Feat for free.

Feat wise I have plans for at 3rd & 6th level to get Item Familiar and Obtain Familiar (going to use the optional Dragon Magazine Staff Familiar instead of animal). Would like to have both the Item Familiar and the Staff Familiar the same thing but might not happen that way.

Anyway for the 3 feats I get a character creation, I was thinking about going Precocious Apprentice to gain a 2nd level spell once per day. Also thought about taking Sudden Still and Sudden Maximize to save that 2nd level spell for when I really, really need to do the damage. This does leave me as a 1 trick pony for a while though. I will however be able to cast about 4 more 1st level spells and some 0 level ones to get me by along with melee/ranged weapon combat.

Other Ideas were to take Toughness feats for all 3 feat choices to up my hitpoints to 17+
This will allow me to use Blade of Blood & take the 5hp damage to do +3d6 more to opponent when/If I hit. These feats will be Retrained at later levels once I gain more HP.

Feats to switch the Toughness out with would be at 3rd level Weapon Focus Quarterstaff for the Obtain Familiar feat which is a Staff familiar. Switch out another Toughness feat at 4th level to gain Power Attack or 2 Weapon Fighting I could also switch out toughness for Arcane Disciple to help with the healing or offensive casting.
periscope
07-14-06, 01:55 AM You might want to get rid of the quarterstaff and get a one handed weapon familiar instead. Take a look at the races of eberron under the Warforged Artificer substitution levels for ideas. The reason I say this is that duskblades were designed with shields in mind. You'll be in melee a lot and with the D8 hit die, your tough but not as tough as a normal fighter. That extra ac will help a lot.
LiamDeclan
07-14-06, 02:16 AM Thats all pretty cool for the Warforged Artificer and all but we will be playing in Forgotten Realms. The Weapon Familiar sidebar listed there was cool but not near what I can do with the Staff Familiar.
At 3rd level if I take the Obtain Familiar feat the Staff Familiar is a +1/+1 weapon for me.
At the highest level each end will be +5 and have bane, shocking, flaming, acid etc.... on it as well. I can also summon it to me if it is away from me.

Yeah I am going to be without a shield bonus but I can still per the rules use it with one hand (like a club). Doing that I could get a shield or even take 2 weapon fighting and 2 weapon defense. I could even take Combat expertise to help with defense if needed.

Anyway thanks. Artificers are cool and maybe I could talk him into letting me be one instead.
If not I have this build idea and was going for flavor while trying to keep or gain power as well.
Later on in levels there is a PrC I want to take 4 levels in to gain spells from other casting classes so I could get Greater Mighty Wallop. That should give me some cheese to work with.
periscope
07-15-06, 05:16 PM 1) How can you use a quarterstaff one handed? They are two handed weapons.

2) You could ask your DM if you could get all the bonuses you would get for the staff with another weapon. Maybe have to go through a special quest or something.

3) If you want an artificer and you DM will allow warforged in the game consider doing this:

[QUOTE]artificers are abusable as all get out with a warforged gunner. had a megaman clone that was doing close to three hundred damage a round with a fully powered shot.

dual wand weilder, wand metamagic, twinned spell, maximize spell, empower spell. wand sheath as warforged component, wand wraps around the arms. and wand specilizations for extra caster levels. also had the focus fire feat to combine all ray spells into a single ray attack (for use with truestrike item) scorching ray wand for three rays is 12d6 base. dual weild double twined is 48d6, maximized to 288. for big shots add empower effects to add approx 42 damage per empower.

this blows about two full wands in three rounds or less, but when you do more than 300+ damage you can reap some massive rewards. useing subdual substitution metamagic rods or elemental substitution rods (installed as warforged component) allows to customize for specific target hunting, as well as ransoming. Though we never did it, the idea was brought up about taking down people with subdual substitution for later sacrifice for dark craft gp and xp to suppliment wand creation.

our warforged had a Dr light making massive amounts of wands for him with most of his treasure, but that was a strange game[QUOTE]
LiamDeclan
07-15-06, 06:14 PM 1) How can you use a quarterstaff one handed? They are two handed weapons.

Read the Quarterstaff description in the players handbook. It says that you can use it one handed but won't be able to use it as a double weapon in the same round.

Haven't you seen people in movies slap someone with a staff with one hand?
Granted this isn't the best way to use it and I probably won't be using it this way either but if need be I can.

Artificers seem really abusable by your post.
hiryuu
07-15-06, 07:37 PM Read the Quarterstaff description in the players handbook. It says that you can use it one handed but won't be able to use it as a double weapon in the same round.

Haven't you seen people in movies slap someone with a staff with one hand?
Granted this isn't the best way to use it and I probably won't be using it this way either but if need be I can.

Artificers seem really abusable by your post.

Quarterstaff is listed as a two-handed weapon. To use it in one hand, you will have to be one size category than the weapon (i.e., large if you want to use a medium-sized quarterstaff in one hand); this is what the clause "a creature wielding a quarterstaff in one hand can’t use it as a double weapon" is referring to.

Two-Handed
Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively.
LordPendragon
07-15-06, 07:41 PM That is a good point, Hiryuu, but it specifically says that even a character dual-wielding double weapons (and with the size to do so) can only use them both as single weapons. Basically, you can't attack twice with any weapon held in only one hand, except through high BAB.
LiamDeclan
07-16-06, 12:50 AM Anyway tell me you have never ever seen a movie where someone used a staff with one hand to hit someone.

I am not trying to argue and this character isn't going to use it this way but I am just saying its possible to do so. Even if my character did do it I wouldn't add in his strength score for it unless it was a penalty.

Anyway I am changing the feats for this Duskblade or Sorcerer to this build:

Regional feat for free(in our campaigns for the record)= Bloodline of Fire
1st level feat= Calashite Elementalism
2 flaws for feats= Pyro and Versatile Spellcaster
1 trait (from UA)= Spellgifted Evocations

Now I can cast any fire spell at +3 caster level and any fire evocation spell at +4 caster level. I also get the Burning Hands spell for free I think from Calashite Elementalism.

The spells I am choosing if going Sorcerer will be Ray of Flame & Raging Flame both from Spell Compendium. This will give me a 3d6 ray of fire and they need to now make a DC20 reflex save or catch on fire for 1d6+1 damage. If I cast Raging Flame first they take 3d6+3 ray of fire then DC20 reflex to not catch on fire, if they do its now 2d6+2 fire damage until they put themselves out.

Duskblade build will be Kelgores Fire Bolt & Shocking Grasp. I will drop Pyro feat for Spell Focus Evocation. Probably will be a Tiefling using the Players Guide to Faerun variant.
Using Kelgores Firebolt I will do 5d6 and Reflex save for half.

Not sure if I should stick with the Sorcerer having Raging Flame for the extra torching of people or take Kelgores Firebolt for longer range and more damage. Also I don't think there is an attack roll for it either.

Still planning on doing the item familiar and Obtain familiar with Duskblade.
Sorcerer will gain the Staff Familiar and will go after these feats Grenadier and Mad Alchemist. Going to be a pyromaniac big time. Mad Alchemist feat + Pyro feat + Raging Flames = 3d6 +3 points of damage on the 2nd round when they catch on fire. Great part about this that I can make my Alchemists Fire, I can cast Raging Flames out to 100ft+ and can use my 0 level spell Launch Item to send it at foes with ranged touch attacks +1 to hit and damage to 100ft+.
hiryuu
07-16-06, 01:42 AM Anyway tell me you have never ever seen a movie where someone used a staff with one hand to hit someone.

Okay. I never have. Seen clubs, tonfa, slightly extended clubs, but I've never seen anyone use a 6- to 9-foot (up to 18 feet!) piece of wood hit someone with one hand. I've seen one try, but he was disarmed instantly.

Note: real-world and film examples have no bearing on the rules of D&D. What is below is simply a statement not meant to imply anything, but offered as counter to an absurd example.

I've seen a guy try before. He hit himself the first time and the second time didn't have any power behind the swing in the slightest, and just ruffled up the straw on the dummy. Also, my roomate, who fights professionally with staves exclusively, is telling me that you can't do it, so I trust his testimony.
LiamDeclan
07-16-06, 01:48 AM Okay. I never have.

Note: real-world and film examples have no bearing on the rules of D&D. What is below is simply a statement not meant to imply anything, but offered as counter to an absurd example.

I've seen a guy try before. He hit himself the first time and the second time didn't have any power behind the swing in the slightest, and just ruffled up the straw on the dummy. Also, my roomate, who fights professionally with staves exclusively, is telling me that you can't do it, so I trust his testimony.

Okay okay. Movie wise haven't you ever seen someone take their staff and have it kinda wrapped in the crook of the arm (by the inside elbow area) and part of the staff under their armpit and backhand somebody?? Anyone? Help me out here, somebody has to have seen movies where they do that. You really aren't just using it one-handed, you are kinda choking up on the bat so to speak and tucking the rest inside your arm/shoulder area for leverage.

Regardless you are right and this has no bearing on DnD at all. Come on guys has someone seen this? Bruce Lee did it all the friggin time.
SoldierOfFortune187
07-16-06, 01:58 AM Gonna have to side with rules on this : Its a two-handed weapon. To use it one hand (as the description suggests) would take using a size-smaller version, or having the Monkeygrip feat type.

Its description does not specifically override how its wielded (i.e. it doesn't say "You may wield this weapon one-handed, if you do..."), only tells what happens when it is. This is to prevent creatures from using two (again, size-smaller or Monkeygrip) through TWF and treating them as double-weapons.
LiamDeclan
07-16-06, 02:20 AM Gonna have to side with rules on this : Its a two-handed weapon. To use it one hand (as the description suggests) would take using a size-smaller version, or having the Monkeygrip feat type.

Its description does not specifically override how its wielded (i.e. it doesn't say "You may wield this weapon one-handed, if you do..."), only tells what happens when it is. This is to prevent creatures from using two (again, size-smaller or Monkeygrip) through TWF and treating them as double-weapons.

Yeah I get the point now and understand it better.
However does anyone remember seeing this in a film? Come on.
Ghostwheel
07-16-06, 02:39 AM Okay okay. Movie wise haven't you ever seen someone take their staff and have it kinda wrapped in the crook of the arm (by the inside elbow area) and part of the staff under their armpit and backhand somebody?? Anyone? Help me out here, somebody has to have seen movies where they do that. You really aren't just using it one-handed, you are kinda choking up on the bat so to speak and tucking the rest inside your arm/shoulder area for leverage.

Regardless you are right and this has no bearing on DnD at all. Come on guys has someone seen this? Bruce Lee did it all the friggin time.

In a couple of instances in the LotR movies, Gandalf dual-wielded his staff and his sword. But the nearest DnD equivalent to Gandalf is probably a Solar with mad caster levels from several classes added to a martial class of some sort....

That is the only movie example I can think of that comes close to what you are suggesting is a common example from movies. :thinks:
eiszeit
07-24-06, 03:28 AM Okay okay. Movie wise haven't you ever seen someone take their staff and have it kinda wrapped in the crook of the arm (by the inside elbow area) and part of the staff under their armpit and backhand somebody?? Anyone? Help me out here, somebody has to have seen movies where they do that. You really aren't just using it one-handed, you are kinda choking up on the bat so to speak and tucking the rest inside your arm/shoulder area for leverage.

Sure, you could do that. But how many fights would you win with this one technique ?
tresh
07-24-06, 08:57 AM Yeah I get the point now and understand it better.
However does anyone remember seeing this in a film? Come on.
I have seen that film where Bruce Lee hits a guy while wielding a staff with one hand, but if I remember correctly that was only a finishing move, most of that fight Bruce was wielding staff with two hands.

While I'm no expert on the subject, I would say that it is posibble to land a good hit while wielding staff with one hand, but only with one or two attack moves (which can easily be dodged or blocked).
Thorak
07-24-06, 09:16 AM The quarterstaff is a two-handed weapon.

Period.

The movies you see the guy making a single strike one-handed with it, he does just that; he makes one hit with only one hand on the weapon. He's still using both to wield the weapon, one's just let go briefly. I guarantee you don't see him fencing with the damn thing with only one hand.

And that's covered by the monk's Flurry, since we're talking about kung-fu movies here, the inspiration for the monk. Note that the monk only gets 1x Strength bonus with a quarterstaff while Flurrying; this is why.

But he still needs both hands available to use the weapon properly; he isn't wielding it in only one hand.
psionichamster
07-24-06, 10:05 AM for a duskblade with feats to burn, may i recommend:

sudden still
sudden maximize
sudden empower
regional feat of your choice.

this will allow you to work toward sudden quicken, which, when combined with true strike and arcane channel (and blade of blood in the previous round), makes you QUITE the deadly sword swinger.

hell, go human, and take another sudden feat at 1st lvl (or spell focus: evocation, can't hurt to have higher DC's on those evoc. spells)

spell-wise, Shocking Grasp is your friend.

Firebolt is nice, but Bigby's Tripping Hand may be even better (especially as you can trip opponents fleeing, then charge them while they're prone next round)

namaste'
the hamster

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LiamDeclan 07-14-06, 01:30 AM	Thinking about a Duskblade starting at 1st level for new campaign. I will have 3 feats at 1st level (flaws) and will be a Sun Elf/Dragonborn (races of Dragon). Plus we get a Regional Feat for free. Feat wise I have plans for at 3rd & 6th level to get Item Familiar and Obtain Familiar (going to use the optional Dragon Magazine Staff Familiar instead of animal). Would like to have both the Item Familiar and the Staff Familiar the same thing but might not happen that way. Anyway for the 3 feats I get a character creation, I was thinking about going Precocious Apprentice to gain a 2nd level spell once per day. Also thought about taking Sudden Still and Sudden Maximize to save that 2nd level spell for when I really, really need to do the damage. This does leave me as a 1 trick pony for a while though. I will however be able to cast about 4 more 1st level spells and some 0 level ones to get me by along with melee/ranged weapon combat. Other Ideas were to take Toughness feats for all 3 feat choices to up my hitpoints to 17+ This will allow me to use Blade of Blood & take the 5hp damage to do +3d6 more to opponent when/If I hit. These feats will be Retrained at later levels once I gain more HP. Feats to switch the Toughness out with would be at 3rd level Weapon Focus Quarterstaff for the Obtain Familiar feat which is a Staff familiar. Switch out another Toughness feat at 4th level to gain Power Attack or 2 Weapon Fighting I could also switch out toughness for Arcane Disciple to help with the healing or offensive casting.
periscope 07-14-06, 01:55 AM	You might want to get rid of the quarterstaff and get a one handed weapon familiar instead. Take a look at the races of eberron under the Warforged Artificer substitution levels for ideas. The reason I say this is that duskblades were designed with shields in mind. You'll be in melee a lot and with the D8 hit die, your tough but not as tough as a normal fighter. That extra ac will help a lot.
LiamDeclan 07-14-06, 02:16 AM	Thats all pretty cool for the Warforged Artificer and all but we will be playing in Forgotten Realms. The Weapon Familiar sidebar listed there was cool but not near what I can do with the Staff Familiar. At 3rd level if I take the Obtain Familiar feat the Staff Familiar is a +1/+1 weapon for me. At the highest level each end will be +5 and have bane, shocking, flaming, acid etc.... on it as well. I can also summon it to me if it is away from me. Yeah I am going to be without a shield bonus but I can still per the rules use it with one hand (like a club). Doing that I could get a shield or even take 2 weapon fighting and 2 weapon defense. I could even take Combat expertise to help with defense if needed. Anyway thanks. Artificers are cool and maybe I could talk him into letting me be one instead. If not I have this build idea and was going for flavor while trying to keep or gain power as well. Later on in levels there is a PrC I want to take 4 levels in to gain spells from other casting classes so I could get Greater Mighty Wallop. That should give me some cheese to work with.
periscope 07-15-06, 05:16 PM	1) How can you use a quarterstaff one handed? They are two handed weapons. 2) You could ask your DM if you could get all the bonuses you would get for the staff with another weapon. Maybe have to go through a special quest or something. 3) If you want an artificer and you DM will allow warforged in the game consider doing this: [QUOTE]artificers are abusable as all get out with a warforged gunner. had a megaman clone that was doing close to three hundred damage a round with a fully powered shot. dual wand weilder, wand metamagic, twinned spell, maximize spell, empower spell. wand sheath as warforged component, wand wraps around the arms. and wand specilizations for extra caster levels. also had the focus fire feat to combine all ray spells into a single ray attack (for use with truestrike item) scorching ray wand for three rays is 12d6 base. dual weild double twined is 48d6, maximized to 288. for big shots add empower effects to add approx 42 damage per empower. this blows about two full wands in three rounds or less, but when you do more than 300+ damage you can reap some massive rewards. useing subdual substitution metamagic rods or elemental substitution rods (installed as warforged component) allows to customize for specific target hunting, as well as ransoming. Though we never did it, the idea was brought up about taking down people with subdual substitution for later sacrifice for dark craft gp and xp to suppliment wand creation. our warforged had a Dr light making massive amounts of wands for him with most of his treasure, but that was a strange game[QUOTE]
LiamDeclan 07-15-06, 06:14 PM	1) How can you use a quarterstaff one handed? They are two handed weapons. Read the Quarterstaff description in the players handbook. It says that you can use it one handed but won't be able to use it as a double weapon in the same round. Haven't you seen people in movies slap someone with a staff with one hand? Granted this isn't the best way to use it and I probably won't be using it this way either but if need be I can. Artificers seem really abusable by your post.
hiryuu 07-15-06, 07:37 PM	Read the Quarterstaff description in the players handbook. It says that you can use it one handed but won't be able to use it as a double weapon in the same round. Haven't you seen people in movies slap someone with a staff with one hand? Granted this isn't the best way to use it and I probably won't be using it this way either but if need be I can. Artificers seem really abusable by your post. Quarterstaff is listed as a two-handed weapon. To use it in one hand, you will have to be one size category than the weapon (i.e., large if you want to use a medium-sized quarterstaff in one hand); this is what the clause "a creature wielding a quarterstaff in one hand can’t use it as a double weapon" is referring to. Two-Handed Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively.
LordPendragon 07-15-06, 07:41 PM	That is a good point, Hiryuu, but it specifically says that even a character dual-wielding double weapons (and with the size to do so) can only use them both as single weapons. Basically, you can't attack twice with any weapon held in only one hand, except through high BAB.
LiamDeclan 07-16-06, 12:50 AM	Anyway tell me you have never ever seen a movie where someone used a staff with one hand to hit someone. I am not trying to argue and this character isn't going to use it this way but I am just saying its possible to do so. Even if my character did do it I wouldn't add in his strength score for it unless it was a penalty. Anyway I am changing the feats for this Duskblade or Sorcerer to this build: Regional feat for free(in our campaigns for the record)= Bloodline of Fire 1st level feat= Calashite Elementalism 2 flaws for feats= Pyro and Versatile Spellcaster 1 trait (from UA)= Spellgifted Evocations Now I can cast any fire spell at +3 caster level and any fire evocation spell at +4 caster level. I also get the Burning Hands spell for free I think from Calashite Elementalism. The spells I am choosing if going Sorcerer will be Ray of Flame & Raging Flame both from Spell Compendium. This will give me a 3d6 ray of fire and they need to now make a DC20 reflex save or catch on fire for 1d6+1 damage. If I cast Raging Flame first they take 3d6+3 ray of fire then DC20 reflex to not catch on fire, if they do its now 2d6+2 fire damage until they put themselves out. Duskblade build will be Kelgores Fire Bolt & Shocking Grasp. I will drop Pyro feat for Spell Focus Evocation. Probably will be a Tiefling using the Players Guide to Faerun variant. Using Kelgores Firebolt I will do 5d6 and Reflex save for half. Not sure if I should stick with the Sorcerer having Raging Flame for the extra torching of people or take Kelgores Firebolt for longer range and more damage. Also I don't think there is an attack roll for it either. Still planning on doing the item familiar and Obtain familiar with Duskblade. Sorcerer will gain the Staff Familiar and will go after these feats Grenadier and Mad Alchemist. Going to be a pyromaniac big time. Mad Alchemist feat + Pyro feat + Raging Flames = 3d6 +3 points of damage on the 2nd round when they catch on fire. Great part about this that I can make my Alchemists Fire, I can cast Raging Flames out to 100ft+ and can use my 0 level spell Launch Item to send it at foes with ranged touch attacks +1 to hit and damage to 100ft+.
hiryuu 07-16-06, 01:42 AM	Anyway tell me you have never ever seen a movie where someone used a staff with one hand to hit someone. Okay. I never have. Seen clubs, tonfa, slightly extended clubs, but I've never seen anyone use a 6- to 9-foot (up to 18 feet!) piece of wood hit someone with one hand. I've seen one try, but he was disarmed instantly. Note: real-world and film examples have no bearing on the rules of D&D. What is below is simply a statement not meant to imply anything, but offered as counter to an absurd example. I've seen a guy try before. He hit himself the first time and the second time didn't have any power behind the swing in the slightest, and just ruffled up the straw on the dummy. Also, my roomate, who fights professionally with staves exclusively, is telling me that you can't do it, so I trust his testimony.
LiamDeclan 07-16-06, 01:48 AM	Okay. I never have. Note: real-world and film examples have no bearing on the rules of D&D. What is below is simply a statement not meant to imply anything, but offered as counter to an absurd example. I've seen a guy try before. He hit himself the first time and the second time didn't have any power behind the swing in the slightest, and just ruffled up the straw on the dummy. Also, my roomate, who fights professionally with staves exclusively, is telling me that you can't do it, so I trust his testimony. Okay okay. Movie wise haven't you ever seen someone take their staff and have it kinda wrapped in the crook of the arm (by the inside elbow area) and part of the staff under their armpit and backhand somebody?? Anyone? Help me out here, somebody has to have seen movies where they do that. You really aren't just using it one-handed, you are kinda choking up on the bat so to speak and tucking the rest inside your arm/shoulder area for leverage. Regardless you are right and this has no bearing on DnD at all. Come on guys has someone seen this? Bruce Lee did it all the friggin time.
SoldierOfFortune187 07-16-06, 01:58 AM	Gonna have to side with rules on this : Its a two-handed weapon. To use it one hand (as the description suggests) would take using a size-smaller version, or having the Monkeygrip feat type. Its description does not specifically override how its wielded (i.e. it doesn't say "You may wield this weapon one-handed, if you do..."), only tells what happens when it is. This is to prevent creatures from using two (again, size-smaller or Monkeygrip) through TWF and treating them as double-weapons.
LiamDeclan 07-16-06, 02:20 AM	Gonna have to side with rules on this : Its a two-handed weapon. To use it one hand (as the description suggests) would take using a size-smaller version, or having the Monkeygrip feat type. Its description does not specifically override how its wielded (i.e. it doesn't say "You may wield this weapon one-handed, if you do..."), only tells what happens when it is. This is to prevent creatures from using two (again, size-smaller or Monkeygrip) through TWF and treating them as double-weapons. Yeah I get the point now and understand it better. However does anyone remember seeing this in a film? Come on.
Ghostwheel 07-16-06, 02:39 AM	Okay okay. Movie wise haven't you ever seen someone take their staff and have it kinda wrapped in the crook of the arm (by the inside elbow area) and part of the staff under their armpit and backhand somebody?? Anyone? Help me out here, somebody has to have seen movies where they do that. You really aren't just using it one-handed, you are kinda choking up on the bat so to speak and tucking the rest inside your arm/shoulder area for leverage. Regardless you are right and this has no bearing on DnD at all. Come on guys has someone seen this? Bruce Lee did it all the friggin time. In a couple of instances in the LotR movies, Gandalf dual-wielded his staff and his sword. But the nearest DnD equivalent to Gandalf is probably a Solar with mad caster levels from several classes added to a martial class of some sort.... That is the only movie example I can think of that comes close to what you are suggesting is a common example from movies. :thinks:
eiszeit 07-24-06, 03:28 AM	Okay okay. Movie wise haven't you ever seen someone take their staff and have it kinda wrapped in the crook of the arm (by the inside elbow area) and part of the staff under their armpit and backhand somebody?? Anyone? Help me out here, somebody has to have seen movies where they do that. You really aren't just using it one-handed, you are kinda choking up on the bat so to speak and tucking the rest inside your arm/shoulder area for leverage. Sure, you could do that. But how many fights would you win with this one technique ?
tresh 07-24-06, 08:57 AM	Yeah I get the point now and understand it better. However does anyone remember seeing this in a film? Come on. I have seen that film where Bruce Lee hits a guy while wielding a staff with one hand, but if I remember correctly that was only a finishing move, most of that fight Bruce was wielding staff with two hands. While I'm no expert on the subject, I would say that it is posibble to land a good hit while wielding staff with one hand, but only with one or two attack moves (which can easily be dodged or blocked).
Thorak 07-24-06, 09:16 AM	The quarterstaff is a two-handed weapon. Period. The movies you see the guy making a single strike one-handed with it, he does just that; he makes one hit with only one hand on the weapon. He's still using both to wield the weapon, one's just let go briefly. I guarantee you don't see him fencing with the damn thing with only one hand. And that's covered by the monk's Flurry, since we're talking about kung-fu movies here, the inspiration for the monk. Note that the monk only gets 1x Strength bonus with a quarterstaff while Flurrying; this is why. But he still needs both hands available to use the weapon properly; he isn't wielding it in only one hand.
psionichamster 07-24-06, 10:05 AM	for a duskblade with feats to burn, may i recommend: sudden still sudden maximize sudden empower regional feat of your choice. this will allow you to work toward sudden quicken, which, when combined with true strike and arcane channel (and blade of blood in the previous round), makes you QUITE the deadly sword swinger. hell, go human, and take another sudden feat at 1st lvl (or spell focus: evocation, can't hurt to have higher DC's on those evoc. spells) spell-wise, Shocking Grasp is your friend. Firebolt is nice, but Bigby's Tripping Hand may be even better (especially as you can trip opponents fleeing, then charge them while they're prone next round) namaste' the hamster