Ambidexterity vs. Two Weapon Fighting?!?! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ambidexterity vs. Two Weapon Fighting?!?! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
k1mus4b1
04-25-07, 09:46 PM I am about to DM a campaign and one of my players is asking me a question about two feats. He is debating on either taking Ambidexterity, or Two Weapon Fighting. I read them both and was kind of confused. Essentially, I thought they were rather the same, except Ambidexterity says you take no penalty using your off-hand, but implies that you still take a penalty while fighting with two weapons; however it doesnt say how much less of a penalty you take. I wasn't sure of what to tell him because I couldn't see a difference, so I turned to the web. I am trying to follow v3.5 rules, and one website that I came upon said Ambidexterity is for v3.0 and in v3.5 has been changed to Two Weapon Fighting. Is Ambidexterity now called Two Weapon Fighting and I should just tell him to go with that one, or is there actually a difference, and what is it?
Jaxgaret
04-25-07, 09:50 PM TWF and Ambidexterity have been condensed into one feat in 3.5 - TWF.

Just as a point of interest, all characters are considered ambidexterous in 3.5.
ShinAkuma2
04-25-07, 11:21 PM Just as a point of interest, all characters are considered ambidexterous in 3.5.

Don't fill the poor boys head with LIES.

*ahem* But to be serious, you do have to pick whether you're left- or right-handed during character creation. It's right before the section of your PHB with the equipment, and after the section detailing alignments and deities.
ridiculous
04-25-07, 11:30 PM In 3,5 it is all covered by TWF as explained by other posters

In 3.0, ambidexterity takes off the penaly to the off hand, making the penalty -6/-6 or -4/-4 (instead of -6/-10 or -4/-8 without any feat) if you use a light weapon in your off hand.

In 3.0, TWF takes off -2 of the penalty, making it -4/-8 or -2/-6 with a light weapon in the off hand

With both, the penalty is reduced to -4/-4 or -2/-2 with a light weapon
Jaxgaret
04-26-07, 01:08 AM Don't fill the poor boys head with LIES.

*ahem* But to be serious, you do have to pick whether you're left- or right-handed during character creation. It's right before the section of your PHB with the equipment, and after the section detailing alignments and deities.

What, really?

I could have sworn that you can switch which hand is your primary and which hand is your off-hand in 3.5. :confused:
KurenaiYami
04-26-07, 01:25 AM What, really?

I could have sworn that you can switch which hand is your primary and which hand is your off-hand in 3.5. :confused:

No, not really, he's making it up.

Closest to that is the definition of "off-hand" in the glossary of the Player's Handbook, which refers to your "less dextrous" hand. Doesn't say anything about it being fixed. There is certainly no mechanical reason for it to be fixed, as which hand is which is all a matter of fluff anyway.
navar100
04-26-07, 01:43 AM It allows characters to say:

"I have a surprise for you. I'm not left handed."

"I have a surprise for you. I'm not left handed either."

Or something to that effect.

:)
Nom
04-26-07, 03:33 AM Doesn't say anything about it being fixed. There is certainly no mechanical reason for it to be fixed, as which hand is which is all a matter of fluff anyway.Similarly, there is no mechanical reason for your character's sex (gender) to be fixed, so feel free to change that at will also.
I could have sworn that you can switch which hand is your primary and which hand is your off-hand in 3.5.Actually, there was a "Rules of the Game" article to that effect, though the only comments in the PH on the topic are chapter 6 ("you can be right- or left-handed") and the glossary entry for "off-hand" ("your weaker or less dextrous hand"), neither of which suggest even slightly the counter-common-usage reading that your handedness isn't fixed.
j3st3r
04-26-07, 03:34 AM In 3.5 there actually still is ambidexterity: PrC Tempest has it. It will completely remove the -2 penalty while using light off-hand weapons or halves the penalties with one-handed weapons (from -4 to -2).
KurenaiYami
04-26-07, 05:00 AM Similarly, there is no mechanical reason for your character's sex (gender) to be fixed, so feel free to change that at will also.

Technically, a rare few prestige classes rely on gender, so there is a small mechanical reason. That and there are spells that are designed to change your gender. Neither of those exist for handedness.
Bedevere
04-26-07, 01:14 PM In theory, mirrors of opposition might create duplicates that have opposite handedness to the original, though this might make it too easy to work out the fake, in game terms.

I might have to try that in a game I run, if I can think of a way to make the hints subtle enough, without being TOO subtle...
ShinAkuma2
04-26-07, 10:18 PM No, not really, he's making it up.

Closest to that is the definition of "off-hand" in the glossary of the Player's Handbook, which refers to your "less dextrous" hand. Doesn't say anything about it being fixed. There is certainly no mechanical reason for it to be fixed, as which hand is which is all a matter of fluff anyway.

*facepalm*

Do you own a PHB? Please, open it to page 110. See the line where it says, "Your character can be right- or left-handed"? Yeah, there's your handedness. It's something you define as part of your character, just like hair, eye, and skin color.
Nathreet
04-26-07, 10:59 PM In theory, mirrors of opposition might create duplicates that have opposite handedness to the original, though this might make it too easy to work out the fake, in game terms.

I might have to try that in a game I run, if I can think of a way to make the hints subtle enough, without being TOO subtle...

Dang, this is too good to pass up. Lemme think... I know I can come up with the solution. Got it! Say, "He swings his sword <do a swinging motion with your LEFT hand> at his double for 5 damage. Ok, you see two guys fighting eachother that look just like your friend. What do you want to do?" Don't make swinging motions on every attack, or it will be too obvious that there is something about them. For that matter try other gestures too. For example: "He (the real PC) counter attacks and slices straight down through the other's left shoulder for 7 damage."
KurenaiYami
04-27-07, 12:41 AM *facepalm*

Do you own a PHB? Please, open it to page 110. See the line where it says, "Your character can be right- or left-handed"? Yeah, there's your handedness. It's something you define as part of your character, just like hair, eye, and skin color.

Madness. Such a tiny sentence in a place where it seems so out of place. Also not in the index.

I retract my previous statements, aside from the fact that it doesn't matter mechanically.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
k1mus4b1 04-25-07, 09:46 PM	I am about to DM a campaign and one of my players is asking me a question about two feats. He is debating on either taking Ambidexterity, or Two Weapon Fighting. I read them both and was kind of confused. Essentially, I thought they were rather the same, except Ambidexterity says you take no penalty using your off-hand, but implies that you still take a penalty while fighting with two weapons; however it doesnt say how much less of a penalty you take. I wasn't sure of what to tell him because I couldn't see a difference, so I turned to the web. I am trying to follow v3.5 rules, and one website that I came upon said Ambidexterity is for v3.0 and in v3.5 has been changed to Two Weapon Fighting. Is Ambidexterity now called Two Weapon Fighting and I should just tell him to go with that one, or is there actually a difference, and what is it?
Jaxgaret 04-25-07, 09:50 PM	TWF and Ambidexterity have been condensed into one feat in 3.5 - TWF. Just as a point of interest, all characters are considered ambidexterous in 3.5.
ShinAkuma2 04-25-07, 11:21 PM	Just as a point of interest, all characters are considered ambidexterous in 3.5. Don't fill the poor boys head with LIES. ahem But to be serious, you do have to pick whether you're left- or right-handed during character creation. It's right before the section of your PHB with the equipment, and after the section detailing alignments and deities.
ridiculous 04-25-07, 11:30 PM	In 3,5 it is all covered by TWF as explained by other posters In 3.0, ambidexterity takes off the penaly to the off hand, making the penalty -6/-6 or -4/-4 (instead of -6/-10 or -4/-8 without any feat) if you use a light weapon in your off hand. In 3.0, TWF takes off -2 of the penalty, making it -4/-8 or -2/-6 with a light weapon in the off hand With both, the penalty is reduced to -4/-4 or -2/-2 with a light weapon
Jaxgaret 04-26-07, 01:08 AM	Don't fill the poor boys head with LIES. ahem But to be serious, you do have to pick whether you're left- or right-handed during character creation. It's right before the section of your PHB with the equipment, and after the section detailing alignments and deities. What, really? I could have sworn that you can switch which hand is your primary and which hand is your off-hand in 3.5. :confused:
KurenaiYami 04-26-07, 01:25 AM	What, really? I could have sworn that you can switch which hand is your primary and which hand is your off-hand in 3.5. :confused: No, not really, he's making it up. Closest to that is the definition of "off-hand" in the glossary of the Player's Handbook, which refers to your "less dextrous" hand. Doesn't say anything about it being fixed. There is certainly no mechanical reason for it to be fixed, as which hand is which is all a matter of fluff anyway.
navar100 04-26-07, 01:43 AM	It allows characters to say: "I have a surprise for you. I'm not left handed." "I have a surprise for you. I'm not left handed either." Or something to that effect. :)
Nom 04-26-07, 03:33 AM	Doesn't say anything about it being fixed. There is certainly no mechanical reason for it to be fixed, as which hand is which is all a matter of fluff anyway.Similarly, there is no mechanical reason for your character's sex (gender) to be fixed, so feel free to change that at will also. I could have sworn that you can switch which hand is your primary and which hand is your off-hand in 3.5.Actually, there was a "Rules of the Game" article to that effect, though the only comments in the PH on the topic are chapter 6 ("you can be right- or left-handed") and the glossary entry for "off-hand" ("your weaker or less dextrous hand"), neither of which suggest even slightly the counter-common-usage reading that your handedness isn't fixed.
j3st3r 04-26-07, 03:34 AM	In 3.5 there actually still is ambidexterity: PrC Tempest has it. It will completely remove the -2 penalty while using light off-hand weapons or halves the penalties with one-handed weapons (from -4 to -2).
KurenaiYami 04-26-07, 05:00 AM	Similarly, there is no mechanical reason for your character's sex (gender) to be fixed, so feel free to change that at will also. Technically, a rare few prestige classes rely on gender, so there is a small mechanical reason. That and there are spells that are designed to change your gender. Neither of those exist for handedness.
Bedevere 04-26-07, 01:14 PM	In theory, mirrors of opposition might create duplicates that have opposite handedness to the original, though this might make it too easy to work out the fake, in game terms. I might have to try that in a game I run, if I can think of a way to make the hints subtle enough, without being TOO subtle...
ShinAkuma2 04-26-07, 10:18 PM	No, not really, he's making it up. Closest to that is the definition of "off-hand" in the glossary of the Player's Handbook, which refers to your "less dextrous" hand. Doesn't say anything about it being fixed. There is certainly no mechanical reason for it to be fixed, as which hand is which is all a matter of fluff anyway. facepalm Do you own a PHB? Please, open it to page 110. See the line where it says, "Your character can be right- or left-handed"? Yeah, there's your handedness. It's something you define as part of your character, just like hair, eye, and skin color.
Nathreet 04-26-07, 10:59 PM	In theory, mirrors of opposition might create duplicates that have opposite handedness to the original, though this might make it too easy to work out the fake, in game terms. I might have to try that in a game I run, if I can think of a way to make the hints subtle enough, without being TOO subtle... Dang, this is too good to pass up. Lemme think... I know I can come up with the solution. Got it! Say, "He swings his sword <do a swinging motion with your LEFT hand> at his double for 5 damage. Ok, you see two guys fighting eachother that look just like your friend. What do you want to do?" Don't make swinging motions on every attack, or it will be too obvious that there is something about them. For that matter try other gestures too. For example: "He (the real PC) counter attacks and slices straight down through the other's left shoulder for 7 damage."
KurenaiYami 04-27-07, 12:41 AM	facepalm Do you own a PHB? Please, open it to page 110. See the line where it says, "Your character can be right- or left-handed"? Yeah, there's your handedness. It's something you define as part of your character, just like hair, eye, and skin color. Madness. Such a tiny sentence in a place where it seems so out of place. Also not in the index. I retract my previous statements, aside from the fact that it doesn't matter mechanically.