Attacking with Two Weapons (Player’s Handbook)

Attacking with Two Weapons (Player’s Handbook)

Attacking with Two Weapons (Player’s Handbook)





Attacking with Two Weapons


A tricky fighting style available only to warriors and rogues is that of
fighting with two weapons simultaneously. The character chooses not to use a shield
in favor of another weapon, granting him a greater number of attacks, with a
penalty to his attack rolls (rangers are exempt from the attack roll penalty).


When using a second weapon in his off-hand, a character is limited in his
weapon choice. His principal weapon can be whatever he chooses, provided it can be
wielded with one hand. The second weapon must be smaller in size and weight
than the character’s main weapon (though a dagger can always be used as a second
weapon, even if the primary weapon is also a dagger). A fighter can use a long
sword and a short sword, or a long sword and a dagger, but he cannot use two
long swords. Nor can the character use a shield, unless it is kept strapped onto
his back.


When attacking, all characters but rangers suffer penalties to their attack
rolls. Attacks made with the main weapon suffer a -2 penalty, and attacks made
with the second weapon suffer a -4 penalty. The character’s Reaction Adjustment
(based on his Dexterity, see
Table 2) modifies this penalty. A low Dexterity score will worsen the character’s
chance to hit with each attack. A high Dexterity can negate this particular
penalty, although it cannot result in a positive modifier on the attack rolls for either weapon (i.e.,
the Reaction Adjustment can, at best, raise the attack roll penalties to 0).


The use of two weapons enables the character to make one additional attack
each combat round, with the second weapon. The character gains only one additional
attack each round, regardless of the number of attacks he may normally be
allowed. Thus, a warrior able to attack 3/2 (once in the first round and twice in
the second) can attack 5/2 (twice in the first round and three times in the
second).




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