Two-Weapon Fighting Questions

[C-Note]

6E1 92 states: "Two-Weapon Fighting is the ability to use the Combat Maneuver Multiple Attack (6E2 73) with greater skill and accuracy than normal when using two weapons (one in each hand)."

 

6E2 73 states: "Multiple Attack allows a character to:

• make multiple strikes against a single target with a single attack
• make multiple strikes against a single target with multiple forms of attack
• make multiple strikes against multiple targets with a single attack
• make multiple strikes against multiple targets with multiple forms of attack"

 

If you look at the bold highlighted conditions, does this mean the the second (offhand) weapon does not need to be used at all in a Multiple Attack?  That the primary weapon can be used in both attacks without incurring the initial -2 OCV penalty?

[Chris Goodwin]

On 3/10/2021 at 9:33 AM, C-Note said:

6E1 92 states: "Two-Weapon Fighting is the ability to use the Combat Maneuver Multiple Attack (6E2 73) with greater skill and accuracy than normal when using two weapons (one in each hand)."

 

6E2 73 states: "Multiple Attack allows a character to:

• make multiple strikes against a single target with a single attack
• make multiple strikes against a single target with multiple forms of attack
• make multiple strikes against multiple targets with a single attack
• make multiple strikes against multiple targets with multiple forms of attack"

 

If you look at the bold highlighted conditions, does this mean the the second (offhand) weapon does not need to be used at all in a Multiple Attack?  That the primary weapon can be used in both attacks without incurring the initial -2 OCV penalty?

 

To answer the question you've asked, the second weapon does not ordinarily need to be used in a Multiple Attack.  However, 6e1 pp. 92-93 states...

 

 

Quote

[Two-Weapon Fighting] allows a character to ignore the first -2 OCV modifier when making two or more attacks with Multiple Attack. (In other words, the character’s first two Attack Rolls are at no OCV penalty from Multiple Attack; any Attack Rolls in the same Multiple Attack sequence are at the standard cumulative -2 OCV per Attack Roll.)

 

Two-Weapon Fighting allows the character to ignore the first -2 OCV modifier when using two weapons.  So you would specifically need to be using one weapon in each hand, and using them both in the Multiple Attack, in order to ignore the first -2 OCV penalty, regardless of the conditions you noted in boldface listed in 6e2 p. 73.  

 

6e2 p. 78 states the following: 

 

Quote

Off Hand penalties do not apply to Multiple Attacks even if the special effect of the attack is that the character makes an attack with each hand, fights with two weapons, or the like. The overall attack is considered to be made with the character’s good hand.

 

If you're using Multiple Attacks, you don't apply the Off-Hand penalty (6e2 p. 49), even if your Multiple Attack consists of using a weapon in each hand.  Note that the cumulative -2 OCV for making a Multiple Attack is separate from the Off-Hand penalty (which, per 6e2 p. 49 is typically only used in Heroic Campaigns), but the Multiple Attack exclusion would override Off-Hand penalties even in this case, unless the GM decides otherwise.  

 

In conclusion, Multiple Attack applies a cumulative -2 OCV per attack whether or not you're using one weapon in each hand, and these penalties apply instead of Off-Hand penalties.  If and only if you are using one weapon in each hand, and also have the Two-Weapon Fighting Skill, then you ignore the first -2 OCV for Multiple Attack.  

 

I hope this helps and is clear; if not, please ask a follow-up question and one of us will try to clarify.