Wielding a weapon in each hand but only attacking with one at a time

[ZanThrax]

Is there anything in the rules regarding wielding two weapons without actually two-weapon fighting?

Quote:

If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. When fighting in this way you suffer a –6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a –10 penalty to the attack with your off hand.

Does this mean that the penalties happen as soon as I wield the second weapon, or only when I make an extra attack with that weapon?

[Rynjin]

Only when you make an extra attack.

You can hold two swords and just make your normal number of attacks, and take no penalty. In this case you have a sword equipped in both hands, but you're not really "wielding" both of them.

If you make a single extra attack though, ALL of your hits take the penalty. There's no stopping in the middle.

[Nefreet]

Happens to two-weapon fighters all the time. You just killed BBEG #1 and now need to move over to BBEG #2, so you spend a move action to get there and a standard to swing with one weapon (no penalty). Next round you use a full-round action to swing with both (each at -2). Easy peasy.

[ZanThrax]

Mostly I was thinking of the second weapon being a whip, or perhaps a trip weapon that wouldn't be used most of the time. If I attacked on my turn with just the whip, would I be able to take AoO with the sword in my other hand? Or vice-verse?

[Glutton]

Read this.

[ZanThrax]

Thanks Glutton! That seems to make my idea of using one weapon for attacking and a different one for attacks of opportunity actually valid - I would have guessed that it wasn't.