fighting with a 'defending' double weapon....

[Andion Isurand]

If I am fighting with....

lets say, a defending +X quarterstaff (once for each end).....

and I transfer the enhancement bonus on attack rolls, on only one end of the staff, to an AC bonus.....

Can I attack my opponent using the other end of the staff using my full enhancement bonus to attack rolls, and still recieve the previously listed AC bonus?

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

"Double weapons have separate magical bonuses for their diffrent heads." (DMG p.184)

If you have a double weapon (say a quarterstaff that actually has an enchantment on both ends), you'd have something like a +1 defending / + 1 defending quarterstaff. The weapon would cost 16600 gp. Since its 2 heads are independant, you could have 1 give you the AC bonus and the other still act as a regular +1 weapon.

The next question would be, does the wielder incur 2-weapon fighting penalties if he uses the 2nd head for defense and the 1st for offense?

maitre D

 

[Andion Isurand]

Or it could be asked, whether attacking with a quarterstaff normally ( without going for additional off-hand attacks ) invloves using both ends?

 

[kreynolds]

The next question would be, does the wielder incur 2-weapon fighting penalties if he uses the 2nd head for defense and the 1st for offense?

AFAIK, you actually have to use the weapon to gain the AC bonus, meaning you can't just hold it. So, to gain the bonus to AC, you have have to use the end of the quarterstaff that provides the AC bonus. For example, if you transfer the +1 bonus from one end to your AC, but you only attack with the other end, you don't get the bonus to your AC. If you transer both bonuses, the only way you can actually gain both of them is to use both ends.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

Or it could be asked, whether attacking with a quarterstaff normally ( without going for additional off-hand attacks ) invloves using both ends?

Since you're not using the defending end, you wouldn't get the defending bonus. Just as if one end was flaming and the other was shocking, you couldn't deal shocking damage unless you actually used that head.

You could still attack and get the defending bonus, but you wouldn't get the attack bonus...

So to answer my own question, if you want to have the bonus, you'll have to use the head, so in a round, assuming you only attack once with each head, you'd incur all appliable TWF penalties AND the attack with the 2nd head wouldn't get the +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls...

Maitre D

 

[Hypersmurf]

So to answer my own question, if you want to have the bonus, you'll have to use the head, so in a round, assuming you only attack once with each head, you'd incur all appliable TWF penalties AND the attack with the 2nd head wouldn't get the +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls...

That's right.

You're not even required to actually make a swing with the second end... but if you want to attack with your 'offensive' end and also get the AC bonus from the 'defensive' end, you have to take a Full Attack Action and take the TWF penalty on the 'offensive' hit.

It's similar to how you can 'fight defensively' without making an attack roll - you still have to take an Attack Action to do it, you just don't use the Attack Action to try and hurt somebody.

-Hyp.

 

[Andion Isurand]

AND the attack with the 2nd head wouldn't get the +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls...

With 'defending' weapons, I thought only the enhancement bonus to attack rolls was transfered into AC.... as if you were using the Expertise feat...

Why should the enhancement bonus to weapon damage go away while the weapon is defending?

 

[Hypersmurf]

With 'defending' weapons, I thought only the enhancement bonus to attack rolls was transfered into AC....

No.

The enhancement bonus of the weapon is transferred.

That includes attack bonus, damage bonus, and the ability to penetrate DR.

I also believe the weapon temporarily loses its extra hardness, hit points, and immunity-to-damage from weaons of lesser enhancement, since it temporarily is a weapon of lesser enhancement, but some feel that that is overdoing it.

-Hyp.

 

[Andion Isurand]

The 'defending' ability gives me the slight impression, that there is a chance it may need an errata. Has there been an errata, or a ruling made about this issue?

If so, please post URL.

 

[Hypersmurf]

There is nothing wrong with it, and it does not require any errata.

DMG p183 : Magic Weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. They apply these bonuses to both attack and damage rolls when used in combat.

DMG p186: A defender weapon allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the sword's enhancement bonus to his AC.

The only thing unclear about it is the use of the term "sword", which is obviously a holdover from previous editions. The fact that both attack and damage bonuses are a part of "the sword's enhancement bonus" is crystal-clear.

Noteworthy is the fact that a +3 Defending weapon with all of its enhancement transferred to AC gains no damage bonus, but is still eligible for its +1 masterwork bonus on attack rolls...

-Hyp.