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

[Hypersmurf]

A strict rule inteperation would yield the following situations:

An ogre wielding a medium greatsword in one hand would still receive a two handed disarm bonus due to the weapon classification despite only using one hand.

A halfling utilizing a medium longsword would not receive the two handed bonus against disarm attacks despite using two hands.

Incorrect.

"The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all."

An ogre wielding a medium greatsword is using a one-handed weapon. A halfling using a medium longsword is using a two-handed weapon. The measure of effort is altered by one step. The designation changes when the weapon is wielded by a creature of inappropriate size.

A medium creature wielding a one-handed weapon in two hands is still a creature of the appropriate size, and by the rules, the designation does not change.

-Hyp.

 

[jgsugden]

Like many other things in life, The Sage's responses may contain peanuts.

It isn't the Sage's job to fix broken rules. It is his job to help people understand the rules.

If there is an area uncovered by the rules, it is his job to say, "The rules do not cover this issue." As long as he makes that clear, he'd be fine to suggest house rules to deal witht he situation.

In situations like this, where a clear rule is present, it is his job to know and report how to apply the rule correctly.

Even though some of his 'creative' rulings might contain peanuts, those peanuts are not appropriate. If people are going to quote his rules as official, they need to be 100% official.

 

[satori01]

Incorrect.

"The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all."

An ogre wielding a medium greatsword is using a one-handed weapon. A halfling using a medium longsword is using a two-handed weapon. The measure of effort is altered by one step. The designation changes when the weapon is wielded by a creature of inappropriate size.

A medium creature wielding a one-handed weapon in two hands is still a creature of the appropriate size, and by the rules, the designation does not change.

-Hyp.

See this is what happens when you dont use those particuliar 3.5 rules and dont crack a book to read the rules... bad Sage, this is all your fault

My bad... perhaps I should add a sig declaring my answers may contain peanuts.

 

[pawsplay]

The Sage is wrong.

p.113
"Light, One-Handed, and Two-Handed Melee Weapons: This designation is a measure of how much effort it takes to wield a weapon in combat. It indicates whether a melee weapon, when wielded by a character of the weapon's size category, is considered a light weapon, a one-handed weapon, or a two-handed weapon."

And the one-handed entry specifies what happens when you wield a one-handed weapon in two hands.

Someone should tell him.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Even HS has been wrong on occasion.

But when I'm wrong, it doesn't change the official rules.

WotC's introduction to the Sage Advice online chat in September ran:
"Skip Williams compiles the FAQ documents and writes the Sage Advice column for Dragon magazine. He is also the one who answers the questions at our Sage Advice chats. Skip 'The Sage' Williams is considered THE D&D expert. While he has changed his mind on rulings from time to time (especially after spending some time researching instead of answering off the top of his head), his responses are considered 'official'."

If Skip were to (hypothetically) say a longsword does bludgeoning damage, then there are people who will pull the above quote out and say "It's official".

If Skip decides that an invisible creature cannot grant a flanking bonus, there are people who will say "It's official".

If Skip declares that a longsword wielded in two hands is a two-handed weapon, again, we have people noting "It's official".

And when Skip says "Table 7-5 in the Player's Handbook lists weapons as light, one-handed or two-handed strictly as a matter of convenience"... what does that mean? Convenient for what? Does it mean it's not a real rule? How do we tell the real rules from the matters of convenience?

-Hyp.

 

[pawsplay]

I think it means that this is one of those times he needs to make an official correction to an official answer. Hey, everybody makes mistakes. He was probably thinking about D&D 3.14159.

 

[Ottergame]

Seems funny to me that a human cannot weild a longsword in two hands and get all the benefits, while a halfling could weild that same exact longsword in two hands and get the benefits. If their strengths were the same, the halfling would be doing MORE DAMAGE and be harder to disarm with the same weapon.

If an ogre could weld the weapon in one hand, then by god, a human should be able to weild it with both and get all the bonuses for weilding a two handed weapon.

Now, as for light weapons, their shafts are to small or are just to light to get much use from using two hands, with that I can easily see.

 

[Camarath]

Seems funny to me that a human cannot weild a longsword in two hands and get all the benefits, while a halfling could weild that same exact longsword in two hands and get the benefits. If their strengths were the same, the halfling would be doing MORE DAMAGE and be harder to disarm with the same weapon.

From SRD

One-Handed: A one-handed weapon can be used in either the primary hand or the off hand. Add the wielder’s Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with a one-handed weapon if it’s used in the primary hand, or 1/2 his or her Strength bonus if it’s used in the off hand. If a one-handed weapon is wielded with two hands during melee combat, add 1-1/2 times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Seems funny to me that a human cannot weild a longsword in two hands and get all the benefits, while a halfling could weild that same exact longsword in two hands and get the benefits. If their strengths were the same, the halfling would be doing MORE DAMAGE and be harder to disarm with the same weapon.

No, he wouldn't, because he'd receive a -4 penalty for being size Small (cancelling the +4 for wielding a two-handed weapon), and because the human wielding the longsword in two hands does exactly the same damage as the halfling, since both 2-for-1 Power Attack and 1.5x Str bonus explicitly apply to both two-handed weapons and to one-handed weapons wielded in two hands.

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

If an ogre could weld the weapon in one hand, then by god, a human should be able to weild it with both and get all the bonuses for weilding a two handed weapon.

An ogre can't weld the weapon in one hand. He needs one hand to hold the sword, and the other to hold the welding torch...

But apart from that, that's exactly what happens. A Large one-handed weapon is considered a two-handed weapon to a Medium creature. So the human does get all the bonuses.

I'm not sure what you're complaining about.

-Hyp.