Power attack and double weapons

[IcyCool]

So, it suddenly occured to me that I've got no idea how Power Attack interacts with Double Weapons. If you are using just one end of a double weapon, then you get the 2 for 1 power attack of a two handed weapon, right? How is Power Attack affected when you use the double weapon for two weapon fighting?

 

[S'mon]

AIR it says one end does 1-for-1 and the other is counted as Light & gets no benefit, ie it sucks.

 

[IcyCool]

AIR it says one end does 1-for-1 and the other is counted as Light & gets no benefit, ie it sucks.

Could you give me a page reference or quote from the SRD where it says that?

 

[atom crash]

POWER ATTACK [GENERAL]

Prerequisite: Str 13.

Benefit: On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.

Special: If you attack with a two-handed weapon, or with a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands, instead add twice the number subtracted from your attack rolls. You can’t add the bonus from Power Attack to the damage dealt with a light weapon (except with unarmed strikes or natural weapon attacks), even though the penalty on attack rolls still applies. (Normally, you treat a double weapon as a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. If you choose to use a double weapon like a two-handed weapon, attacking with only one end of it in a round, you treat it as a two-handed weapon.)

A fighter may select Power Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Added emphasis mine, of course.

 

[RigaMortus2]

But each end gets x1.5 Str, right? Since for purposes of Str modifier to damage it is still considered a two-handed weapon (going off the weapon chart in the PHB). Remember, when it comes to two-handed weapons and Str bonus to damage, it is a matter of how the weapon is made (two-handed) and not actually how you wield it.

And when it comes to one-handed weapons, it is a matter of you wield them (one-handed OR two-handedly).

 

[Blue Sky]

But each end gets x1.5 Str, right?

Not if you're wielding it as a double weapon. One hand funtions as a normal attack (full bonus to strength), and the other end functions as an off-hand weapon (half bonus to strength).

 

[RigaMortus2]

Not if you're wielding it as a double weapon. One hand funtions as a normal attack (full bonus to strength), and the other end functions as an off-hand weapon (half bonus to strength).

As I said, it doesn't matter how the weapon is wielded, what matters is it's type. And if you look at the chart, the weapon's type is two-handed. All two-handed weapons benefit from x1.5 Str.

 

[IcyCool]

As I said, it doesn't matter how the weapon is wielded, what matters is it's type. And if you look at the chart, the weapon's type is two-handed. All two-handed weapons benefit from x1.5 Str.

Does anyone have a rule quote to deny or back this up?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Does anyone have a rule quote to deny or back this up?

Well...

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.

And, as has been clarified many times, the .5x Strength on off-hand weapons is not a penalty, so therefore:

Sword, Two-Bladed: A two-bladed sword 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.

does not apply.

 

[IcyCool]

And, as has been clarified many times, the .5x Strength on off-hand weapons is not a penalty, so therefore ...

Thanks, I knew there had to be a reason to take a double weapon besides the "cool" factor.