Well, this is 3.5 and it doesn't state anything that contradicts my assumption.
Yes, it does.
In fact the rules support my position.
No, they don't.
Your position is held only by the assumption that "things are as they used to be."
No, it isn't.
It's phrased more explicitly in 3.0, because of some of the assumptions the 3.0 PHB makes about the default size of weapons. Those assumptions are not valid in 3.5 any more, so you need to look at the rules in several places.
I'll show you.
Light, One-Handed, and Two-Handed Melee Weapons: This designation is a measure of how much effort it takes to wield a weapon in combat. It indicates whether a melee weapon, when wielded by a character of the weapon’s size category, is considered a light weapon, a one-handed weapon, or a two-handed weapon.
Two-Handed:
Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively. Apply 1-1/2 times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with such a weapon.
Inappropriately Sized Weapons: A creature can’t make optimum use of a weapon that isn’t properly sized for it. A cumulative –2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference between the size of its intended wielder and the size of its actual wielder. If the creature isn’t proficient with the weapon a –4 nonproficiency penalty also applies.
The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all.
Two-Handed Melee Weapons
Quarterstaff5
Axe, orc double5
Flail, dire5
Hammer, gnome hooked5
Sword, two-bladed5
Urgrosh, dwarven5
5 Double weapon
Quarterstaff: A quarterstaff is a double weapon. You can fight with it as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with two weapons, just as if you were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.
A creature wielding a quarterstaff in one hand can’t use it as a double weapon—only one end of the weapon can be used in any given round.
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So. A quarterstaff is a two-handed weapon. A two-handed weapon requires two hands to wield effectively - it cannot be used in one hand. A creature one size larger treats a quarterstaff as a one-handed weapon - it can be used in one hand, but with a -2 penalty. A creature wielding a quarterstaff in one hand can't use it as a double weapon.
By the 3.5 rules, a Medium creature
cannot wield a Medium quarterstaff in one hand. It is a two-handed weapon. It says so in the table. There's nothing in the weapon description to override that.
A Large creature
can wield it in one hand. If he does, he cannot use it as a double weapon.
That's what the line in the weapon description means.
It's there to prevent a first level character using a Small quarterstaff in each hand and using both as a double weapon to get four attacks a round. It's not there to say that a human can use a Medium quarterstaff in one hand.
The rules contradict your assumption. They do not support your position. A Sage response is not required.
-Hyp.
