Voluntarily using off-hand

[JoeNotCharles]

One of my players (two-blade ranger) just got a magic weapon, and wants to wield it in his off hand. Fair enough - now his main hand gets +1 damage from Two-Weapon Fighting, and his off-hand gets +1 hit and damage from a +1 weapon.

But he's using the off-hand for his basic attacks and all his single-weapon At-Wills (including Off-Hand Strike). His argument is that he's carrying two weapons, and if a power doesn't specify whether to use main hand or off hand he should be able to pick which he hits with. For the powers which DO specify (either "main and off-hand", or just "off-hand" in the case of Off-hand Strike) he's following that.

My argument is that your main hand is defined as the one you make most of your attacks with, so if his basic attack and all his single-weapon At-Wills are made with his magic scimitar it is in his main hand by definition, and he must use his other weapon for Off-Hand strike.

On the other hand (heh) I can easily picture a character with two different weapons, say an axe in one hand and a sword in the other, chopping with the axe for one attack and stabbing with the sword in the next. What my player's doing only seems objectionable to me because it seems designed to get an extra +1 to hit with Off-Hand Strike.

I suppose he's giving up +1 damage with most of his attacks in exchange for getting the same to hit with Off-Hand Strike as with all his other attacks, which doesn't seem all that sneaky. But I'd like to know - is this officially allowed?

 

[Eldorian]

If a power does not specify what hand the weapon must be wielded in, then it can be wielded in either. This only makes sense, since if you have powers which require different types of weapons, for example many fighter powers do, and you use different types of weapons in main and offhand, then you need to be able to switch which hand you're using for any given attack.

 

[Siberys]

By RAW, he's right; he can use either for his attacks. See the off-hand property, emphasis mine;

Off-Hand (An off-hand weapon is light enough that you can hold it and attack effectively with it while holding a weapon in your main hand. You can’t attack with both weapons in the same turn, unless you have a power that lets you do so, but you can attack with either weapon.).

 

[N0Man]

Yup, your player (and Siberys) are right. He can do that, and it's explicitly stated in the rules.

Forget 3E's dual wielding rules, 4E is a different animal.

 

[Flipguarder]

One of my players (two-blade ranger) just got a magic weapon, and wants to wield it in his off hand. Fair enough - now his main hand gets +1 damage from Two-Weapon Fighting, and his off-hand gets +1 hit and damage from a +1 weapon.

But he's using the off-hand for his basic attacks and all his single-weapon At-Wills (including Off-Hand Strike). His argument is that he's carrying two weapons, and if a power doesn't specify whether to use main hand or off hand he should be able to pick which he hits with. For the powers which DO specify (either "main and off-hand", or just "off-hand" in the case of Off-hand Strike) he's following that.

My argument is that your main hand is defined as the one you make most of your attacks with, so if his basic attack and all his single-weapon At-Wills are made with his magic scimitar it is in his main hand by definition, and he must use his other weapon for Off-Hand strike.

On the other hand (heh) I can easily picture a character with two different weapons, say an axe in one hand and a sword in the other, chopping with the axe for one attack and stabbing with the sword in the next. What my player's doing only seems objectionable to me because it seems designed to get an extra +1 to hit with Off-Hand Strike.

I suppose he's giving up +1 damage with most of his attacks in exchange for getting the same to hit with Off-Hand Strike as with all his other attacks, which doesn't seem all that sneaky. But I'd like to know - is this officially allowed?

Just wondering, even if it wasn't officially allowed by the rules, what possible reason could there be to not allow it? It has absolutely no bearing on balance.

 

[Pickles JG]

If you ban this he may switch the magic weapon to his main hand & be all around better off ....