Robert Fisher

As I covered in Against multiple attacks, I don't think multiple TH rolls in one round are a good way to model fighting with two weapons. Here are some other ideas.

The real problem is deciding what you think the advantages & disadvantages of fighting with two weapons should be. Once you know that, coming up with mechanics that reflect that should be easy.

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• Fighting with two weapons gives a +1 TH. If the TH roll is even, the primary weapon hit. Otherwise, the secondary weapon hit.

Some additional rules that could be used with that...

• Using two hands with one weapon gives a +1 to damage.
• Drop the two handed weapons lose initiative rule.
• Weapon length overrides initiative when first entering melee range.

Some people like to give the two weapon fighter the option to have either a +1 TH or a +1 to AC. I don't like that unless the AC adjustment for shields is upped to +2. A shield should be a superior defensive option to fighting with two weapons.

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(Appropriated from WSmith from Dragonsfoot. Although I first remember reading it on a C&C forum.)

Make one TH roll. If successful, roll the damage for both weapons. Drop the lower damage roll.

What if one of the weapons is magical? Roll TH & the damage for both weapons simultaneously. If the damage for the magical weapon comes out higher than the damage for the other weapon, add its bonus to the TH roll.

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Consider these categories:

• weapon & shield
• one one-handed weapon
• two (one-handed) weapons
• (one) two-handed weapon

I'm tempted to deferentiate "small" one-handed weapons from other one-handed weapons, but let's keep this simple.

Let's rank them in terms of "most offensive" & "most defensive" style. Here's a first pass at it:

Offensive rank:

1. two-handed weapon
2. two weapons
3. one one-handed weapon
4. weapon & shield

Defensive rank:

1. weapon & shield
2. two weapons
3. two-handed weapon
4. one one-handed weapon

It's tempting to rank two-handed weapon last on defense. The extra reach of a two-handed weapon, however, is crucial.

OK, so what should that mean?

• weapon & shield: TH -1; AC +1
• one one-handed weapon: AC -1
• two (one-handed) weapons: TH +1
• (one) two-handed weapon: Damage +1

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Just a crazy thought:

A character weilding two weapons must choose each round whether he is attacking with one weapon or two. If he's attacking with just one weapon (either one) just resolve the attack normally. If he's attacking with two weapons this round, the player must make two TH rolls. If either fails, the entire attack fails. If both hit, roll damage for both weapons.

Rationale: Two-weapon fighting is devestating, but difficult.

But will all high level characters then use two weapons?

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Another (&, IMHO, fairly realistic) option is simply to make the player whose character wields two weapons choose one weapon to attack with each round.

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Against multiple attacks
Classic D&D

last updated 10 months ago #