Ambidexterity [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ambidexterity [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
RazielK
08-10-07, 11:58 PM Where is it located?

I haven't seen it in the PHB, Complete Warrior, PHBII, anything.
Kesan
08-11-07, 12:36 AM If I'm not mistaken, Ambidexterity was a feat from the old 3.0 Player's Handbook and then was done away with when 3.5 was released.
Novacat
08-11-07, 01:54 AM If I'm not mistaken, Ambidexterity was a feat from the old 3.0 Player's Handbook and then was done away with when 3.5 was released.
Specifically, it was rolled in with Two Weapon Fighting, if I recall correctly.
TheAnthroDM
08-11-07, 02:01 AM Player's Handbook ver 3.0

Specifically, it was rolled in with Two Weapon Fighting, if I recall correctly.

If I recall it eliminated all off-hand penalties. So it's not rolled in.
Zousha_Omenohu
08-11-07, 02:09 AM Though if you look in Complete Adventurer, there's a feat called Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting that does something similar, and Ambidexterity did get retooled to 3.5, but not as a feat. It's now a class feature of the Tempest prestige class in the same book.
SilentOne
08-11-07, 02:21 AM If I recall it eliminated all off-hand penalties. So it's not rolled in.
You're recalling correctly, but misremembering what "all off-hand penalties" entailed. Without the feat, you got a -4 penalty on attacks with your off hand, this was the penalty the feat eliminated. If you look at the 3.5 TWF, you'll notice that it goes from -6/-10 (notice the extra -4 on the off hand) to -4/-4 with a one-handed off hand, or -2/-2 with a light off hand. The old TWF just reduced the penalties by 2, or 4 if you had a weapon smaller than you were, light in 3.5 terms. So really, they did get rolled into one, and the off-hand penalties were eliminated, just not the two-weapon fighting penalties.
Kouk
08-11-07, 12:14 PM Getting rid of Ambidexterity makes TWF more viable for more characters; one feat instead of two.

For "flavor" of having a character be just as good with one hand as the other - there is no "handedness" mechanic built into the game, just implied in some places. So everyone pretty much is ambidextrous already, just not when using both hands at the same time.
TiwazTyrsfist
08-11-07, 12:20 PM SilentOne is correct.

Ambidexterity was a Prereq for Improved Two weapon Fighting.

3.0, you technically needed to specify if your character was right or left handed, as you suffered a -4 penalty to doing ANYTHING using your off hand. For example, Suppose you couldn't use your main hand, and had to pick a lock. Take a -4 on your pick lock roll.

3.5 you can use either hand with no penalty. For example, if you were wielding two different weapons, and choose to attack with only one, you can attack with either by itself with no penalties.

Ambidexterity removed the -4 off hand penalty.
TWF reduced your penalties for fighting with 2 weapons by 2.

In order to get the effect of 3.5 TWF you needed to take both feats in 3.0
RazielK
08-11-07, 02:07 PM It was also a prereq for Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting in Epic Handbook.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RazielK 08-10-07, 11:58 PM	Where is it located? I haven't seen it in the PHB, Complete Warrior, PHBII, anything.
Kesan 08-11-07, 12:36 AM	If I'm not mistaken, Ambidexterity was a feat from the old 3.0 Player's Handbook and then was done away with when 3.5 was released.
Novacat 08-11-07, 01:54 AM	If I'm not mistaken, Ambidexterity was a feat from the old 3.0 Player's Handbook and then was done away with when 3.5 was released. Specifically, it was rolled in with Two Weapon Fighting, if I recall correctly.
TheAnthroDM 08-11-07, 02:01 AM	Player's Handbook ver 3.0 Specifically, it was rolled in with Two Weapon Fighting, if I recall correctly. If I recall it eliminated all off-hand penalties. So it's not rolled in.
Zousha_Omenohu 08-11-07, 02:09 AM	Though if you look in Complete Adventurer, there's a feat called Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting that does something similar, and Ambidexterity did get retooled to 3.5, but not as a feat. It's now a class feature of the Tempest prestige class in the same book.
SilentOne 08-11-07, 02:21 AM	If I recall it eliminated all off-hand penalties. So it's not rolled in. You're recalling correctly, but misremembering what "all off-hand penalties" entailed. Without the feat, you got a -4 penalty on attacks with your off hand, this was the penalty the feat eliminated. If you look at the 3.5 TWF, you'll notice that it goes from -6/-10 (notice the extra -4 on the off hand) to -4/-4 with a one-handed off hand, or -2/-2 with a light off hand. The old TWF just reduced the penalties by 2, or 4 if you had a weapon smaller than you were, light in 3.5 terms. So really, they did get rolled into one, and the off-hand penalties were eliminated, just not the two-weapon fighting penalties.
Kouk 08-11-07, 12:14 PM	Getting rid of Ambidexterity makes TWF more viable for more characters; one feat instead of two. For "flavor" of having a character be just as good with one hand as the other - there is no "handedness" mechanic built into the game, just implied in some places. So everyone pretty much is ambidextrous already, just not when using both hands at the same time.
TiwazTyrsfist 08-11-07, 12:20 PM	SilentOne is correct. Ambidexterity was a Prereq for Improved Two weapon Fighting. 3.0, you technically needed to specify if your character was right or left handed, as you suffered a -4 penalty to doing ANYTHING using your off hand. For example, Suppose you couldn't use your main hand, and had to pick a lock. Take a -4 on your pick lock roll. 3.5 you can use either hand with no penalty. For example, if you were wielding two different weapons, and choose to attack with only one, you can attack with either by itself with no penalties. Ambidexterity removed the -4 off hand penalty. TWF reduced your penalties for fighting with 2 weapons by 2. In order to get the effect of 3.5 TWF you needed to take both feats in 3.0
RazielK 08-11-07, 02:07 PM	It was also a prereq for Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting in Epic Handbook.