Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SmiloDan 10-18-05, 11:47 PM	This keeps coming up in one of the games I play. I have a Scout. Is it possible to hold a longbow in your off-hand and attack with a handaxe with your primary hand without taking penalties? The DM and other players seem to think it is impossible, according to RAW, to hold a longbow with one hand. I think that's silly. You can hold a torch in your offhand and fight with a one handed melee weapon without penalty. Does anyone know if this is covered in the official rules at all?
Raven Dark 10-19-05, 12:24 AM	You may hold on to (but not use) a bow (even a longbow) in your hand and fight with your other weapon hand. It is listed as a two-handed weapon because you need both hands to fire it, but you only need one hand to hold it. The FAQ says that switching an item from one hand to another during combat is a move action. Even so, many DMs house rule it to a free action. However, if you have an item in your primary hand (for whatever reason) and your fighting weapon in your off-hand, you take a -4 penalty to attacks with your offhand weapon unless you have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. It says so under "off-hand" in the PH glossary. I hope that helps. :D
Thorak 10-19-05, 07:13 AM	If you want an even more obvious example; shields. Using a shield doesn't enforce TWF penalties. And yet, they're weapons. While what exactly triggers the TWF penalties is ambiguous and hasn't been clarified yet, it's either wielding two weapons, or making an extra attack with the second weapon. Obviously, the latter isn't the case here, and as for the former, "wielding" is an active term, it can't be applied to something you're just holding.
Master of the Wild 10-19-05, 08:08 AM	Even a two handed weapon can be held in one hand... Usually over the shoulder or pointed to the ground. What I mean: the two-handed means you need two hands to attack with it, not that you need two hands to hold it.
SmiloDan 10-19-05, 08:34 AM	Thanks! I thought this was pretty obvious.
jaelis 10-19-05, 09:46 AM	I have a house rule that if you're holding a two-handed weapon, you take a -2 penalty to your attacks with any other weapons. (Representing the fact that holding a big thing is awkward.) I like it because I think being able to switch back and forth between a bow and spiked gauntlets/armor spikes/unarmed strikes is a bit abusive. I have similar problems with the greatsword + armor spikes and glaive + armor spikes combinations. But RAW, they are all perfectly fine.
gossamerblade 10-21-05, 12:46 PM	In Rules Of The Game article Attacks of Opportunity (Part two), it says: Adjacent Squares and Reach Weapons: There are some tricks you can use to threaten those adjacent squares when you're using a reach weapon. If you're a monk, your unarmed attacks continue to threaten the squares adjacent to you. Even if you're not a monk, you can use a smaller weapon to threaten the adjacent squares. You'll have to hold the reach weapon in one hand and wield the smaller weapon in the other hand. Since most reach weapons are two-handed weapons, you're only holding onto the reach weapon, not wielding it, and you don't threaten an area with it. Although the rules don't mention it, letting go of a two-handed weapon with one hand or putting a free hand back on the weapon is a free action for you. Drawing the smaller weapon requires an action, but if you have the Quick Draw feat, it's a free action. Note that you can take a free action only during your turn. If you want to use this trick, you must draw the smaller weapon while it's still your turn. When you do so, you don't threaten any area with your larger weapon until you wield it in two hands again. To resume using the bigger weapon on your turn, you'll have to drop the smaller weapon (a free action) to free up your hand for the bigger weapon. Weapons such as the spiked gauntlet or armor spikes are ready for use whenever you have a free hand, and you don't need to drop them to use your hand for something else. This indicates that you can switch from a two handed weapon to a one handed without penalty, and without dropping the two handed weapon. When switching back there is still no penalty, but you have to drop the one handed weapon to do it. In the case of a bow, generally you hold the bow in the off hand and draw with the primary hand. You would not have to trade the bow from one hand to another to draw and use a handed weapon.
Ander Spectacular 10-21-05, 12:58 PM	I believe the FAQ also says that you can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand while using a weapon in the other. -AS-