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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Novem5er" data-source="post: 4190208" data-attributes="member: 57859">I agree! Personally, I'd much rather use two hands with a longsword b/c (alas) my sword arm is not the strongest <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> But you're referencing back to history and realistic fighting. However, I think the topic on hand is the D&D game. Not that I disparage your remarks at all, as you bring up excellent points.My point is that this is a game, that defines people by their roles, not personal likes and dislikes. Your point about putting an off-hand on your primary weapon is great, and with 4e we finally have some rules to go with that (versatile weapons, +1 damage?). In past editions, though, if you told your DM you were going to use your mace two-handed, he'd shrug at you and say "it's still d8 damage".With no benefit for using two hands on a one-handed weapon, the only reason NOT to duel-wield in most D&D situations was because of the outrageous penalties attached to doing so.I will agree that it's silly that roughly half of all rangers are two-weapon specialists. However, it is EQUALLY silly that dwarves prefer axes to swords, 4 to 1. All elves are proficient with longswords? What's so "elvish" about longswords that every elf trains with one from a young age? And what's with clerics and "blunt" weapons? Was there some historical reason that our D&D clerics used strictly maces and morning stars for upwards of 25 years... and if there was a historical reason, was it so deeply ingrained into the identity of the European fighting holy-man that it HAD to be a rule in the game?No. There are no good reasons for half this stuff from an outside, logical perspective. The reason half the stuff in D&D exists is to differentiate races, classes, and monsters from each other. Elves use longswords because they're both sleek and slender. Dwarves use axes because both are sturdy and forceful. Clerics use maces because Paladins use swords and we can't have two holy warriors using the same damn weapons <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":P" title="Stick out tongue    :P"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":P" />Thus, Rangers duel-wield because they don't use shields, they don't get bonuses for using longswords two-handed, and because that's what players have expected for almost 20 years now.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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