Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DuctShuiTengu 08-20-05, 10:46 PM	Okay, I know these are kind-of simple, but I just want to make sure I'm right. 1: Does being proficient with shields cover their use as weapons, or not? I'm actually not sure about this one. 2: Can two weapon fighting be used to attack with both a weapon in ones main hand and a sheild strapped to ones off-arm? I'm pretty sure it can, but I'm not finding this stated anywhere, so I just want to make sure. 3: Are there any penalties assessed for attacking with one's off-hand? It makes sense that there would be, but I'm not finding it stated anywhere, so I'm thinking that probably means there aren't.
seaweed_smokeweed 08-21-05, 12:28 AM	Okay, I know these are kind-of simple, but I just want to make sure I'm right. 1: Does being proficient with shields cover their use as weapons, or not? I'm actually not sure about this one. 2: Can two weapon fighting be used to attack with both a weapon in ones main hand and a sheild strapped to ones off-arm? I'm pretty sure it can, but I'm not finding this stated anywhere, so I just want to make sure. 3: Are there any penalties assessed for attacking with one's off-hand? It makes sense that there would be, but I'm not finding it stated anywhere, so I'm thinking that probably means there aren't. 1. As they are listed under the martial category in the PHB, I'm going to state that they are martial weapons. 2. Yes, you can. Just remember that a light shield is a light weapon and a heavy is a one-handed weapon and factor that into the attack penalties. 3. The only penalty for attacking with ones off-hand is that you can only apply half your strength bonus to damage. Otherwise use the two-weapon fighting stats listed in the combat section of the PHB.
zigspatty 08-21-05, 11:44 PM	Okay, I know these are kind-of simple, but I just want to make sure I'm right. 1: Does being proficient with shields cover their use as weapons, or not? I'm actually not sure about this one. 2: Can two weapon fighting be used to attack with both a weapon in ones main hand and a sheild strapped to ones off-arm? I'm pretty sure it can, but I'm not finding this stated anywhere, so I just want to make sure. 3: Are there any penalties assessed for attacking with one's off-hand? It makes sense that there would be, but I'm not finding it stated anywhere, so I'm thinking that probably means there aren't. 1. You can bash an opponent with a heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon and a light shield as a light weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right. 2. A light shield is a light martial weapon that will do 1d3 pts of damage if used to shield bash. A light spiked shield will do 1d4 pts of damage. You'll lose its AC bonus until your next action and have to take appropriate 2-weapon fighting penalties for its use. (The feat Improved Shield Bash would enable you to retain its armor bonus.) Any armor enhancement bonuses it has cannot be applied to attack or damage rolls, it would require a separate enchantment for use as a weapon. Heavy shields would do 1d4 or 1d6 if they were spiked 3. Look at the 2 Weapon Fighting feat. Without that feat, you'll suffer a -6 penalty to the primary hand and -10 to the off hand when fighting with 2 weapons. But you'll get 2 attacks. (Use a light weapon in the off hand and take 2 weapon fighting and it's reduced to -2 for each.) If you are using only 1 weapon, it is always assumed to be in your primary hand, but if you want to insist that it's in your off-hand, then you only apply half your strength bonus. Hope that helps.
Francis Farkas 09-05-05, 03:03 PM	When I read you only get half your strength bonus in your off-hand weapon I couldn't remember reading that anywhere. So I looked in the players handbook under the two weapon fighting section of the combat chapter and couldn't find any mention of it. Then I looked in the feats section under the two weapon fighting feat and couldn't find it there. Not that I ever use two weapons, but where does it say you get half strength on off-hand?
kenobi65 09-05-05, 04:58 PM	Not that I ever use two weapons, but where does it say you get half strength on off-hand? Under "Strength" in Chapter 1: Abilities, in the PHB (p. 8): "You apply your character's Strength modifier to: (snip) - Damage rolls when using a melee weapon or a thrown weapon (including a sling). (Exceptions: Off-hand attacks receive one-half the character's Strength bonus, while two-handed attacks receive one and a half times the Strength bonus.)"