Excerpt: Weapons (MERGE)

[FireLance]

The leaked picture from GAMA gives the ranger a choice between nature and streetwise.

Nature and Dungeoneering, actually.

 

[HeinorNY]

Note that even legendary samurai didn't try to fight with 2 long swords at once.

Truth to be told, there WAS a legendary samurai who fought with two katanas!
Tom Cruise.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Truth to be told, there WAS a legendary samurai who fought with two katanas!
Tom Cruise.

Dang! That changes everything!

 

[FireLance]

But I don't think it fits for Fighters (at least not under the Defender role concept) or Paladins (I suppose we don't need to talk about casters...)...

A two-weapon defender is just a two-handed defender with two smaller weapons instead of one big one. Conceptually, the weapon in the off hand can also be used to parry.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

A two-weapon defender is just a two-handed defender with two smaller weapons instead of one big one. Conceptually, the weapon in the off hand can also be used to parry.

He should be carrying a shield or just wear heavy armor and carry a big sword/axe/polearm. Yes, that's my limited world view and I am sticking to it.

 

[Gloombunny]

A two-weapon defender is just a two-handed defender with two smaller weapons instead of one big one. Conceptually, the weapon in the off hand can also be used to parry.

I would say that a two-weapon defender is just a sword-and-shield defender with a smaller, pointier shield.

(In real combat, the difference between a shield and an off-hand weapon is not so big as RPGs would have us believe.)

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Nature and Dungeoneering, actually.

I stand corrected. I blame insomnia!

 

[HeinorNY]

Conceptually, the weapon in the off hand can also be used to parry.

Maybe that will be a Ranger Utility Power. A stance that gives you a bonus to AC for wielding an off-hand weapon.

Off-hand Parry Ranger Utility 2

Encounter Martial, Stance
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons
Minor Action Personal

Effect: You gain a +1 bonus to AC.

 

[vagabundo]

TWF just got more realistic. (it was also a pain in the ass to calculate the penalties depending on what feats you had, way too complex, hopefully fixed)

Being able to wield two equal sized weapons was ridiculous. I do like the default two weapon style is an either/or attack. It will be nice to see what feats/powers are generally available to augment this fighting style.

Maybe you could designate the off-hand to do something useful through a feat (AC, damage or to-hit). Or you roll the second weapons damage on a a critical. Simulating a two weapon strike.

I hated the fact that all weapons were very similar or crazy in 3e. Weapons should encourage a differentiation of fighting style and, from this preview, I think 4e is well on the way to doing this.

EDIT: What the hell are they going to do with Drizzt? I suppose exception based design. Feat: Drow-Bad-Ass-Figthing Style...

 

[ProfessorCirno]

I would say that a two-weapon defender is just a sword-and-shield defender with a smaller, pointier shield.

(In real combat, the difference between a shield and an off-hand weapon is not so big as RPGs would have us believe.)

Maybe in a fancy schmancy duel, but when you're in the middle of a war, you can have your little pigsticker, I'll take my very sizable life insurance.