Weapon Sizes and the Bastard Sword

[Krelios]

Anyone with martial weapon proficiency can use a bastard sword two-handed. They can thus use a large bastard sword two-handed at a -2. If a character happens to have EWP:Bastard Sword, he can opt to use the bastard sword one-handed at no additional penalty. Meaning it's still a -2 for the size difference but he can use it two-handed or one-handed at his discretion. There is no rule for using a large one-handed weapon in two hands to negate the size penalty in 3.5.

 

[glass]

I think correctly, the bastard sword should have two entries...

two-handed martial weapon and one-handed exotic weapon

...and if it did, you'd be right, but it doesn't.

...and specify, that you cannot use the exotic entry (not even untrained) unless you possess the feat.

No, it specifies you can't use it one handed without the feat, but we aren't trying to use it one handed here, so that doesn't apply.

However, I think the part I put in bold up there makes clear, that the EWP feat is actually relevant, since it changes how the weapon is designated in relation to the wielder, and that designation is what is important.

No it doesn't. It is still a one handed weapon for an appropriately sized character, regardless of how many hands it is used in or what feats the character has.


glass.

 

[Goolpsy]

3.0 and 3.5 answer... = yes you can use it but

3.0 = well you have the feat to use the one and a half weapon in one hand.. and making it twohanded just means you can two handed instead... fully legal..

3.5 = u have only taking the exotic feat to wield it one handed... so for wielding a large bastard sword twohanded.. you would have to take -2 to size.. and -4 for using such a large weapon (just as if you tryed a normal bastard sword without the feat) so its a -6 penalty altogether..
You can still wield it though

 

[Infiniti2000]

Anyone with martial weapon proficiency can use a bastard sword two-handed. They can thus use a large bastard sword two-handed at a -2. If a character happens to have EWP:Bastard Sword, he can opt to use the bastard sword one-handed at no additional penalty. Meaning it's still a -2 for the size difference but he can use it two-handed or one-handed at his discretion. There is no rule for using a large one-handed weapon in two hands to negate the size penalty in 3.5.

A Large one-handed weapon becomes a two-handed weapon for a Medium character, regardless of proficiencies. Even with EWP, the character would need to use two hands and still take the -2 penalty.

 

[Thanee]

...and if it did, you'd be right, but it doesn't.

Well, it does say something similar, tho.

No it doesn't. It is still a one handed weapon for an appropriately sized character, regardless of how many hands it is used in or what feats the character has.

Sword, Bastard: A bastard sword is too large to use in one hand without special training; thus, it is an exotic weapon. A character can use a bastard sword two-handed as a martial weapon.

For someone without the special training, a bastard sword clearly is not a one-handed weapon, it's impossible to use it that way, not even with a penalty.

It's a two-handed martial weapon then.

And since the weapon's designation is dependant on the wielder, the EWP feat would IMHO change the way the weapon can be used then, too. Seems the most logical way to me at least.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Hypersmurf]

For someone without the special training, a bastard sword clearly is not a one-handed weapon, it's impossible to use it that way, not even with a penalty.

I strongly disagree

For someone without the special training, a bastard sword is a one-handed weapon, with the note that it's too large to wield in one hand.

It is not a two-handed weapon; it is a one-handed weapon that can be wielded two-handed (like any other one-handed weapon) but not one-handed (unlike most other one-handed weapons).

-Hyp.

 

[Thanee]

It's not *just* a one-handed weapon. It's a one-handed exotic weapon.

A non-proficient wielder can use it two-handed as a martial weapon.
For that user it *is* a two-handed martial weapon.
And that's all that is important, what the weapon is for the wielder, not what it is in general.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Hypersmurf]

It's not *just* a one-handed weapon. It's a one-handed exotic weapon.

A non-proficient wielder can use it two-handed as a martial weapon.
For that user it *is* a two-handed martial weapon.

No, for that user, it is a one-handed exotic weapon used two-handed as a martial weapon.

Not used as a two-handed martial weapon.

The distinction is important. Word order matters.

-Hyp.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

For that user it *is* a two-handed martial weapon.

Err, no, it isn't.

That's rather Hyp's point - a two-handed metal-bladed weapon has 10 HP and 10 Hardness. A one-handed metal-bladed weapon has 5 HP and 10 Hardness.

The bastard sword is a one-handed metal-bladed weapon, and so has 5 HP and 10 Hardness.

It is a one-handed metal-bladed weapon regardless of how a particular user is wielding it.

 

[Thanee]

It is a one-handed metal-bladed weapon regardless of how a particular user is wielding it.

No, it's not.

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.

So a typical one-handed weapon wielded by a halfling has more hit points then!?

Bye
Thanee