Off-hand weapon?

[Primitive Screwhead]

Ambidextrous states you get a free melee attack "...as long as you are using a double weapon or a secondary off-hand weapon."

What is the definition of off-hand? Is it any melee weapon of at least one size category smaller than you?

 

[Morrus]

You can still dual-wield (or use a double weapon) without ambidexterity, but you get a -2d6 penalty to all attacks in the round - generally speaking, any weapon you can use with one hand can be used as an off-hand weapon. Some weapons also have the shield property, which means you just need to have it in the off-hand and you get a DEFENSE bonus, so you don't have to use it to attack.

There's a short sidebar on dual-wielding and double weapons in the three Core books which summarises it.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Cold you post said side-bar?

If I am reading this correctly:

Any character can 'dual-wield' and attack twice in a single action with penalties; primary weapon at -2D, off-hand weapon at -4D

Taking the Ambidextrous exploit reduces the 'dual-wield' penalties by 2D; primary at normal, off-hand at -2D

Both weapons have to be single-hand weapons {the same size category as the character or smaller}.

No other restrictions.

Questions:
Ranged Dual-Weild?
Mixed melee/ranged Dual-Weild? Rapier and Pistol?
Natural attack {Kick/Head-butt} can always be used off-hand even when wearing a shield?
Dual natural attacks {Kicks/Head-butt} can always be used even when both hands are occupied {shackled}?

 

[Morrus]

No, not quite. I'm not at a PC right now, so this is a very paraphrased version.

If you are dual-wielding you get one extra attack per round if you have attacked twice in the round. You have to declare this at the start of your round and make your three attacks, and you get -2d6 to all of them.

You have to use AGI as your attack attribute; not STR (melee) or INT (ranged).

If you have the Ambidexterity trait, the -2d6 goes away.

You can dual wield with any weapons you can hold in one hand, ranged or melee. Makes no difference. Rapier and pistol is actually a fighting style I used with a musketeer, and it's pretty cool.

You can't generally use unarmed attacks as a dual-wield unless you have some kind of exploit or something that says otherwise.

Alternatively, your off-hand weapon can be used for defense if it has the Shield trait, as long as you do not attack with it. You get a flat DEFENSE bonus in that case. Shields are normally used in this way, but can be used to attack as a dual-wield, losing their DEFENSE bonus.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Okay...

So 'unarmed' is not a 'weapon'. But a Cestus {a glove with brass-knuckles built that adds 1D to unarmed damage} is? And a Boxing Glove {a padded glove that adds 1D to unarmed 'stunning' damage} isn't?

I don't see any exploits that would enable an unarmed attack as an off-hand except the 'One-Two' exploit in the Boxing tradition... besides, just pay 20gp for a pair of Cestus instead.

Is there a penalty for fighting unarmed {not a weapon} versus a weapon?


Also:

Boxing Gloves grant a bonus +1D to unarmed attack, but change the damage from lethal to stunning.

stunning damage? What's that? I can't find a reference to stunning damage anywhere. Shouldn't this deal normal damage with a potential to move the target along the 'Tiredness' Track {or a new 'punch-drunk' track} as opposed to having a new mechanic?

 

[Morrus]

No, a cestus attack is still an unarmed attack. It adds to unarmed damage. A boxing glove is also an unarmed attack, and increases unarmed damage.

Stunning damage means that when someone is reduced to zero HEALTH they simply fall unconscious and are not dying.

Hmm. It's in Future Equipment, but not Fantasy Equipment. That's odd! Errata!

There's no penalty for attacking an armed opponent other than the fact that he probably does more damage than you.

 

[Morrus]

Back on my PC. This is the relevant section from the manuscript (I don't have the laid-out file yet).

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Okay.

I would recommend moving the Cestus out of the weapon listing and into the gauntlet listing for clarity.

Thanks

 

[User_Undefined]

You might also want to read through the web Reference Document. It says that ambidexterity allows you to make a free offhand attack with a -2d6 penalty, not that it removes the penalty for two weapon fighting. I haven't been through everything, so there might be a few other legacy errors.