We came across the following issue Saturday night: our dwarf was wieldign an Urgrosh as a double weapon (axe & spear). When doing so, does he get the full 1.5x strength damage bonus since - although its a double weapon - he does have both his hands on a single weapon? Or should he get it only if he's wielding it with both hands as a single (axe OR spear)? We could see both sides of the argument, and couldn't find a clear answer with an quick dive into both the PH and the DMG.
My group came across the same thing. We decided that the player must decide, on a round by round basis, whether he will be using it as a double weapon or a 2 handed weapon. Only when using it specifically as a 2 handed weapon does he get the 1.5 multiplier.
We felt that using it as 2 weapons, spear and axe, would require weilding it in a manner that would not allow him to put his entire strength behind an attack.
Hope this helps.
A double weapon may be used either as a 2-handed weapon, using 1 end of it, or as a one-handed weapon and a light weapon, following the rules for 2 weapon fighting - that is, +Str mod for whichever side they choose to be the one-handed weapon, and +1/2 Str mod for whichever side they choose to be the light weapon, plus the penalties to hit for using 2 weapons.
If you use a double weapon as a 2-handed weapon, and have multiple attacks per round, I believe that you can switch which side of the weapon you can use each hit. (free action) This is the only part I'm not completely sure on.
A double weapon may be used either as a 2-handed weapon, using 1 end of it, or as a one-handed weapon and a light weapon, following the rules for 2 weapon fighting - that is, +Str mod for whichever side they choose to be the one-handed weapon, and +1/2 Str mod for whichever side they choose to be the light weapon, plus the penalties to hit for using 2 weapons.
If you use a double weapon as a 2-handed weapon, and have multiple attacks per round, I believe that you can switch which side of the weapon you can use each hit. (free action) This is the only part I'm not completely sure on.
I like what you are saying. However, 2 attacks would require a full action which would not allow for any other actions except a 5 foot step. If a character has multiple attacks, using them would constitute a full round action and I felt that switching in the manner you state would be similar to drawing a weapon.
Discussions like this are great. Allows me to make the best decision on different matters.
As far as PHB pg 113 is concerned you can fight with a double weapon as two weapons incurring all the penalties OR "the character can also choose to use a double weapon two-handed, attacking with only one end; most wizards who wield quaterstaffs use them this way."
It seems clear that if you want two-handed STR damage you can only use one end of the weapon at a time (per round). If you want to use both ends in a round you have to wield the double weapon as two single weapons.
igi
So long as the person isn't taking the extra attack as if they were wielding two weapons, I don't see any issue allowing them to switch what side they hit with during a full attack sequence with a double weapon. It shouldn't be any more difficult than attacking multiple opponents, and that doesn't carry any penalties.
My group has run into this numerous times. Each time we hash it over and try something new, with little success, coming back to this: A two bladed sword gets 1.5 Str damage to both attacks. This is mostly because to use it effectivly a character would need Two weapon Fighting and Exotic Weapon Proficiancy. A character with just Two Weapon Fighting using a long sword and short sword does almost as much damage with out using the "extra" feat for Exotic Weapon Proficiancy.
As a group we voted to keep the "old" 3.0 edition version of Bull Strength, Bears Endurance and so on. Adding in odd numbered bonus to Str and then recalculating bonus damage for "off-hand" strength damage bonus was just too time consuming for the damage "payoff" provided. So, in favor of flavor and simplicity we went with 1.5 bonus damaget to both ends.