Light: A light weapon is used in one hand. It is easier to use in one's off hand than a one-handed weapon is, and can be used while grappling (see Combat). Add the wielder's Strength modifier to damage rolls for melee attacks with a light weapon if it's used in the primary hand, or half the wielder's Strength bonus if it's used in the off hand. Using two hands to wield a light weapon gives no advantage on damage; the Strength bonus applies as though the weapon were held in the wielder's primary hand only.
So on the face of it, wielding a light weapon in your off hand benefits from half the strength bonus but is not penalised at all by a negative strength modifier.
So my halfling rogue has 9 Str and uses TWF daggers. How much damage does he do? The above suggests 1d3-1 in the right hand, 1d3 in the left.
|
You only gain half of the bonus with the off hand. It is specifically calling out the bonus and not modifier because if the modifier is a negative, it is applied in full as normal. It is a case of specific over general.
So your halfling rogue with a 9 strength TWF with daggers would do 1d3-1 and 1d3-1.
Yes, but there is still a noticable difference between the twohands, even if it is not obvious here...and for the first couple levels really. I bring this up because your offhand also only gets half the bonus from power attack.
And, unlike with strength and double slice, I do not know of any way to remove this penalty. Well...monks don't face it. Their flurry of blows do not have offhands. Their unarmed strikes are also never offhand either, which means it could be dipped for some regular TWF build, I suppose.
But yes, you are correct about the bonus/modifier argument.
|
|
Yes, but there is still a noticable difference between the twohands, even if it is not obvious here...and for the first couple levels really. I bring this up because your offhand also only gets half the bonus from power attack.
And, unlike with strength and double slice, I do not know of any way to remove this penalty. Well...monks don't face it. Their flurry of blows do not have offhands. Their unarmed strikes are also never offhand either, which means it could be dipped for some regular TWF build, I suppose.
Huh?
While it is true that the off hand attack only gains half the bonus from Power Attack, how is that relevant to the question at hand, exactly? The character in question only has a 9 strength.
Huh?
While it is true that the off hand attack only gains half the bonus from Power Attack, how is that relevant to the question at hand, exactly? The character in question only has a 9 strength.
Ah, forgot that bit. Piranha strike works the same way though.
So it is relevant since it is another part of the problem of offhand attacks that continues to exist even if you do not see the halving of strength bonuses.