Sage... Dragon... Advice... what?

[Zaruthustran]

Someone just posted a Q&A from the latest Sage Advice in Dragon.

(Utter crap)

A Medium character wielding a Medium longsword is wielding a two-handed weapon!? Despite several references in the book to "a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands"?

The 3.5 Weapon Sizing system is bad enough without the Sage making it worse by making up rules that don't follow the text!

-Hyp.

Man, what little respect for The Sage's rulings I once had just flew out the window. It's sad when fans on a messageboard are better rules lawyers than the guy WotC/Paizo showcase as the ultimate rules lawyer.



-z

 

[Orco42]

Who needs the Sage anyway?

Thats what these boards are for. Just ask a question and within minutes you will have the rules and many interpritations of those rules.

 

[Nightfall]

Yeah but if you need Scarred Lands interpretations, you have only me!

 

[Liquidsabre]

because people will now quote it and claim they're right.
-Hyp.

I'm curious what will people be quoting exactly and what will they use it to support?

So the equipment table labels the weapons 1-handed/2-handed according to medium size characters. I'm not catching the significance of this statement. It doesn't seem like a big deal to me at all, beyond someone new to the game getting headaches over the size of their weapons whether they can use them 1 or 2 handed and what the damage may be.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

I'm curious what will people be quoting exactly and what will they use it to support?

So the equipment table labels the weapons 1-handed/2-handed according to medium size characters. I'm not catching the significance of this statement. It doesn't seem like a big deal to me at all, beyond someone new to the game getting headaches over the size of their weapons whether they can use them 1 or 2 handed and what the damage may be.

The only signifigance is that this kills all of the one-handed-lance-with-power-attack cheese, which any sensible DM would do anyways.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm curious what will people be quoting exactly and what will they use it to support?

A two-handed weapon receives a +4 bonus on disarm checks.

Two-handed weapon is a clearly-defined term in 3E: it refers to a weapon with the "two-handed weapon" designation on table 7-5.

A longsword is a one-handed weapon. When wielded in two hands, it is not a two-handed weapon; it is a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands. That phrasing is used in several places in the core rules.

As a one-handed weapon, it does not qualify for the bonus to disarm checks. Regardless of how many hands you use to hold it, it is not a two-handed weapon.

The Sage claims otherwise, but the text does not support his ruling.

-Hyp.

 

[Nightfall]

I never make any such claims! Only that if you're using a greatsword, two handed, you need to yell "Vangal's Bloody Ire!" as you chop off the heads of your victims.

Course it's better dual wielding battleaxes.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Duly appointed Evangelist, Herald, and Sage of the Scarred Lands.

Out of curiosity... what exactly does "duly appointed" mean in this case?

-Hyp.

 

[Plane Sailing]

A two-handed weapon receives a +4 bonus on disarm checks.

Two-handed weapon is a clearly-defined term in 3E: it refers to a weapon with the "two-handed weapon" designation on table 7-5.

A longsword is a one-handed weapon. When wielded in two hands, it is not a two-handed weapon; it is a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands. That phrasing is used in several places in the core rules.

As a one-handed weapon, it does not qualify for the bonus to disarm checks. Regardless of how many hands you use to hold it, it is not a two-handed weapon.

The Sage claims otherwise, but the text does not support his ruling.

-Hyp.

Strangely, although the sage isn't right by the letter of the rules, it makes sense to me that if you are holding a weapon in two hands it is harder to disarm you than if you are holding it in one hand. The sheer size of a weapon is not as material as the quality of the grip which you have on it (cf locked gauntlet benefit).

If the rules don't state that wielding a weapon in two hands makes it harder to disarm then they are illogical and wrongly designed.

Regards

 

[Darklone]

Out of curiosity... what exactly does "duly appointed" mean in this case?

-Hyp.

It means:

The Pimp Daddy of the Scarred Lands and d20 stuff. *hums "Big Pimping" by Jay-z*