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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 231539" data-attributes="member: 3146">Both of these rule changes taken together will dramatically reduce the relative effectiveness of two handed weapons. Personally, I think this is a bad thing since I rather appreciate that in 3e, warriors with greatswords are fearsome brutes capable of dealing out huge amounts of damage rather than fools who just don't realize that they'd kick twice as much [edited] dual wielding longswords or with bladesong (as it was in 2e).Depending upon how you deal with the cover granted by a shield, it may not effect the balance between weapon and shield and two weapon styles. (Although the dual wield weapon and spiked shield model will become insanely effective). Having a shield grant cover could be a real pain if you give the enemy as much cover as the PC gets and even more painful if it is directional (thus allowing the enemy to get around it with his 5 foot step). Personally, I wouldn't want to deal with any more directional cover bonusses than I already have in the game (the shield spell and tower shield--at least tower shields don't see as much use).Removing the to-hit penalty from the primary weapon will definitely increase the damage from dual wielding characters. If you remove the "2nd weapon must be light" and "1/2 str bonus to damage on 2nd weapon", you will create an environment where dual wielding bastard swords is clearly the best way to deal damage.  (Which seems rather silly to me).Perhaps most significantly, by increasing the damage dealing capabilities of your PCs, you will give them significant advantages against monsters of their CR. Trolls are supposed to dish out more damage per round than most PCs can. If PCs with an 18 strength, two bastard swords, and weapon specialization are dealing out 2d10+12 points of damager per round (or 3d10+18 at 6th level--more if Barbarian levels, rage and bull's strength are called in) then you will have to throw more or tougher foes at them in order to challenge them. This will really increase the deadliness of your campaign (for PCs and villains alike).Of course, none of this will hurt your game if your players are the kind of players who play fighters with a 12 strength, 14 dex, and 8 con but a 17 charisma. If they're powergamers though be prepared for a dramatic increase in powerful dual-wielders--either that or a dramatic increase in the amount of shield facings you have to keep track of in combat.</blockquote>

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