Is the sansetsukon (san-setsu-kon) really a 2-handed weapon?

[Sanjiv]

I'm not trained in one myself, but what do you guys think about the stats and properties applied to the three-section staff? I'm ambivalent, because I can see how they had to adapt an unconventional weapon into Pathfinder's existing weapon set. But I'm having a hard time imagining how my character would use the weapon in such a way as to reflect the stats.

[Ronin_Knight]

this video certainly suggests it should be, and also possibly a double weapon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba97dtU1R_c

[Zhayne]

It's like a quarterstaff (a 2h weapon) with hinges, basically, isn't it?

On a semi-related note, I'm kind of surprised Nunchaku aren't 2h weapons ... you only swing with one, but I don't think I've ever seen anybody not involve his other hand in using them outside of TMNT.

[Imbicatus]

Personally, I think it should have the option of a double weapon or a reach weapon. A two handed strike is common in kata forms for the weapon, as shown here.

Edit: Double ninja'd

[Ascalaphus]

Perhaps a more dramatic demonstration is in order?

Based on that, I'm not entirely sure it should be a two-handed weapon, but it should definitely have reach attacks as well as close/double attacks.

[Kazaan]

Zhayne wrote:

It's like a quarterstaff (a 2h weapon) with hinges, basically, isn't it?

On a semi-related note, I'm kind of surprised Nunchaku aren't 2h weapons ... you only swing with one, but I don't think I've ever seen anybody not involve his other hand in using them outside of TMNT.

Making Nunchaku 2-h would mean you must use two hands to wield them. Even making them 1-h would mean you can swing them harder using 2 hands; this doesn't work either because the handle is too short to get two hands on the same end and swing harder. Remember that swapping hands is a free action so just attacking normally following BAB sequence can still involve it going from one hand to the other without involving TWF at all. And if you want to be able to switch them from one hand to the other to get extra attacks, well, that's what Flurry is for.

Regarding the Sansetukon, you'd hold it by two sections and swing the third section at the target or swing the third section around in a circle to create a defensive barrier. It's kind of like a big Nunchaku but with one extra segment; so whereas with a Nunchaku you'd hold by one handle and swing the other, with the Sansetsukon you hold by the extra handle to add a bit more leverage and stability to your swing.

[Ascalaphus]

In the movie fragment I showed, the warrior uses the sansetsukon one-handed quite a few times. So the strict requirement for using 2h weapons with two hands for every strike doesn't really fit. On the other hand, it looks like he has to grab it to stabilize it again after those one-handed reach strikes.

Mostly, I keep thinking "that really looks like an exotic fighting style".