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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ketjak" data-source="post: 2317289" data-attributes="member: 1083">What does two-handed mean?The FAQ is attempting to rectify a problem caused by poor terminology. The problem is the SRD (and printed books) has one term (“two-handed”) in use to describe two different traits of a weapon. One use of the term references how a weapon is used (actually “a weapon wielded with two hands”) and the other the size of the weapon relative to its user (actually “a big weapon that normally requires two hands to use”). This is one more problem that should be ironed out in the next edition or errata’d in this one. IMO the problem is with the use of the term to describe weapon sizes. It was probably done to keep the rules easier to read, without realizing it came at the expense of being harder to understand. Instead think of the weapon size categories (light, one-handed, two-handed) as 1, 2, 3 or least, lesser, great (to borrow the nice alphabetized magnitude sequencing I first saw used to describe dragonmark feats in Eberron CS). Size 1 or least weapons (formerly light) cannot be wielded with two hands unless otherwise noted. (I am not certain how this change applies to weapons used by users in a different size category than the weapon was made for.) (Of course, this means the classic two-handed overhead dagger strike has only dramatic effects, so with a little editing the designers can keep STR bonus x 1.5 while eliminating the PA loophole. For now I’ll keep it simple.)Size 2 or lesser weapons (formerly one-handed) may be wielded with two hands unless otherwise noted. Size 3 or greater weapons (formerly two-handed) must be wielded with two hands unless otherwise noted. (The lance is a weapon that is “otherwise noted” to be wielded with one hand while mounted.)Power Attack grants any weapon of any size that is wielded with two hands (could be a Size 3 greatsword or a Size 2 long sword) 2x damage, not the normal 1x.If you use one term per meaning, the problem clearly rests in the Power Attack description. Here's the full PA feat, format courtesy of Creative Mountain Games:My read is PA is intended to work with weapons wielded with two hands based on the entire first sentence of the benefits section. (A straight substitution becomes a bit confusing in the section covering double weapons and requires an educated guess as to the first replacement. That can be cleared up with a small change to the rules governing double weapon use to reflect the actual terminology.A full rewrite might look like:Once resolved, I’d say PA can’t give a 2x damage bonus (for a “weapon wielded with two hands”) out of a lance wielded by a mounted user, because though the lance is clearly a Size 3 (greater) weapon it is not wielded with two hands in that case. Whether or not the lance can be used with two hands while mounted is an exercise for the user.Does that make sense?</blockquote>

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