War domain and the bastard sword

[krunchyfrogg]

I was looking though the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, and there is a deity granting the War domain with Bastard Sword as the favored weapon. I wouldn't have thought of it otherwise.

How is this handled?

Can a Cleric who has chosen the War domain, use a Bastard sword one handed, or does it need to be used two handed?

 

[Dr. Zoom]

The war domain gives a free weapon focus with the deity's favored weapon plus a free martial weapon proficiency with the weapon if the cleric does not have this proficiency. So if the bastard sword were a deity's favored weapon, the cleric would get a free martial weapon proficiency with the bastard sword, meaning he could use it two-handed without penalty. If he used it one-handed, he would get a -4 attack penalty, however.

 

[Hypersmurf]

If he used it one-handed, he would get a -4 attack penalty, however.

Ooh, this is my favourite question for the FAQ!

p21: "If you’re Medium-size, you have to be proficient with a bastard sword to use it in one hand; if you’re not proficient, you don’t have the option to use the sword one-handed at all."

p27: "A bastard sword is a Medium-Size weapon. It follows all the rules for Medium-Size weapons, except that a Medium-Size creature wielding the sword in one hand takes a –4 attack penalty with it unless she has Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword)."

I'm sure glad we have an FAQ to clarify ambiguous points in the rules for us!

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

Take the metal domain, that will give you an Exo WP plus Weapon Focus

 

[Grayhawk]

Ooh, this is my favourite question for the FAQ!

p21: "If you’re Medium-size, you have to be proficient with a bastard sword to use it in one hand; if you’re not proficient, you don’t have the option to use the sword one-handed at all."

p27: "A bastard sword is a Medium-Size weapon. It follows all the rules for Medium-Size weapons, except that a Medium-Size creature wielding the sword in one hand takes a –4 attack penalty with it unless she has Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword)."

I'm sure glad we have an FAQ to clarify ambiguous points in the rules for us!

-Hyp.

Do you feel that these quotes are in contradiction?

I may be wrong, but the way I read it it says the following:

Without martial weapon proficiency you can wield a bastard sword in two hands with a -4 penalty. You don’t have the option to use the sword one-handed.

With martial weapon proficiency you can wield it two-handed without any penalties and one-handed with a -4 penalty.

With both martial weapon proficiency and exotic weapon proficiency (bastard sword) you can do both without any penalties.

(The above assumes a medium sized wielder).

Granted, the FAQ could have been clearer, but doesn't 'proficient with a bastard sword' only indicate martial weapon proficiency?

If it does, the two FAQ quotes make sense, even though it doesn't do much for clarity the way they've spread out the information.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The full Q&A:

Does the penalty for not having a Martial Weapon
Proficiency feat stack with the penalty for not having an
Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat? For example, what
happens if a sorcerer uses a bastard sword in one hand and
does not have either the Martial Weapon Proficiency or the
Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat for a bastard sword? Is her
penalty a straight –4 for not having the Exotic Weapon
Proficiency, or does she suffer a –4 for not having the
Martial Weapon Proficiency in addition to the –4 for not
having the Exotic Weapon Proficiency because a bastard
sword requires special training to use with one hand?
No, you don’t get two penalties for nonproficiency. You’re
either proficient with a weapon or you’re not.
If you’re Medium-size, you have to be proficient with a
bastard sword to use it in one hand; if you’re not proficient, you
don’t have the option to use the sword one-handed at all.
Assuming that the sorcerer in your example is Medium-size,
she would have to use the sword in two hands and would suffer
the –4 nonproficiency penalty when doing so.

-Hyp.

 

[mooby]

Take the metal domain, that will give you an Exo WP plus Weapon Focus

... in the wrong weapon


looks like your character will be able to use the bastard sword, but with 2 hands. of course, you still have a feat (or two, if human) to play with, and can take exotic wp in the bastard sword.