Pathbuilder 2e Question for a Noob

[Gr8Tortuga]

Thanks in advance if you have a moment for this: How do you equip two weapons in Pathbuilder to illustrate Dual Wielding? Is it possible?

Warmest Regards,
Gr8Tortuga

[Dr. Frank Funkelstein]

You can add any number of weapons, but Pathbuilder does not show what you wield, except for a "stow" option, that moves a weapon to the "gear" tab.

A VTT like foundry has handling for your hands, on a physical table you would manage that yourself.

[Gr8Tortuga]

Thanks for clarifying! Much appreciated.

Any ideas for how to best "get it right" if I'm playing at a table?

[Perpdepog]

Gr8Tortuga wrote:

Thanks for clarifying! Much appreciated.

Any ideas for how to best "get it right" if I'm playing at a table?

I imagine all you'd really need is to tell people which of your attacks you have in your hands, and then only use those attacks. There aren't really any special rules for duel wielding in PF2E; that stuff is simulated with feats like Double Slice. Just remember that, if you're wielding your longsword and your main-gauche, you can't also use your hand crossbow and you should be golden.

[BotBrain]

Perpdepog wrote:

Gr8Tortuga wrote:

Thanks for clarifying! Much appreciated.

Any ideas for how to best "get it right" if I'm playing at a table?

I imagine all you'd really need is to tell people which of your attacks you have in your hands, and then only use those attacks. There aren't really any special rules for duel wielding in PF2E; that stuff is simulated with feats like Double Slice. Just remember that, if you're wielding your longsword and your main-gauche, you can't also use your hand crossbow and you should be golden.

/

Aye this is a big thing to know if you're coming from 5e. Dual wielding, on its own, doesn't confer any special abilities.

[Conscious Meat]

Right, just be clear -- preferably in exploration mode, before combat begins -- what's you're wielding and what you're doing with it.

It's entirely legal to start a combat with your shield raised, for instance -- but doing so is represented by the Defend exploration activity, which means that you were traveling at half speed at best, and that most characters will only have one other hand in which to be wielding things. If, for instance, your character has a one-handed weapon, a shield, *and* a lantern, it's going to be important to be explicit which of those you have ready. With certain items that can be used with one or two hands, one also needs to be clear since it takes an Interact action to go from one to two hands, and sometimes it takes an Interact action to go from two to one (e.g. jezails).

If you really do a lot of juggling as to what you're equipping, you could always use some physical tokens, differently-colored dice, cards or w/e to help you keep track.

[Skhayman]

I'm looking for someone from Paizo who can answer my questions about systems. For example: is it possible to exceed the 10d6 fireball maximum with the Arcanist's Potent Magic exploit?

[Tridus]

Skhayman wrote:

I'm looking for someone from Paizo who can answer my questions about systems. For example: is it possible to exceed the 10d6 fireball maximum with the Arcanist's Potent Magic exploit?

I'm pretty sure that's a PF1 question so you're in the wrong forum... but also, don't get your hopes up. Paizo doesn't tend to answer that kind of question these days.

[Squark]

Skhayman wrote:

I'm looking for someone from Paizo who can answer my questions about systems. For example: is it possible to exceed the 10d6 fireball maximum with the Arcanist's Potent Magic exploit?

No. The exploit increases your caster level, but that won't change the spell's cap on damage dice. The exploit would actually have to say it did something like that, instead of just, "Whenever the arcanist expends one point from her arcane reservoir to increase the caster level of a spell, the caster level increases by 2 instead of 1."

[Perpdepog]

Squark wrote:

Skhayman wrote:

I'm looking for someone from Paizo who can answer my questions about systems. For example: is it possible to exceed the 10d6 fireball maximum with the Arcanist's Potent Magic exploit?

No. The exploit increases your caster level, but that won't change the spell's cap on damage dice. The exploit would actually have to say it did something like that, instead of just, "Whenever the arcanist expends one point from her arcane reservoir to increase the caster level of a spell, the caster level increases by 2 instead of 1."

I believe you need something like the Intensify Spell metamagic if you want to exceed the limits on CL bumps to spells.

[Claxon]

BotBrain wrote:

Perpdepog wrote:

Gr8Tortuga wrote:

Thanks for clarifying! Much appreciated.

Any ideas for how to best "get it right" if I'm playing at a table?

I imagine all you'd really need is to tell people which of your attacks you have in your hands, and then only use those attacks. There aren't really any special rules for duel wielding in PF2E; that stuff is simulated with feats like Double Slice. Just remember that, if you're wielding your longsword and your main-gauche, you can't also use your hand crossbow and you should be golden.

/

Aye this is a big thing to know if you're coming from 5e. Dual wielding, on its own, doesn't confer any special abilities.

Yeah, this is very important to point out compared to PF1 or D&D.

In PF2, the number of attacks you can make depends on your actions. Every character by default has 3 actions, and a basic strike takes 1. Wielding 2 weapons changes nothing about that (by default). A character with 2 weapons and nothing else (feats) to support it can make the same number of attacks as a two-handed weapon user.

Characters using two-weapons primarily see a benefit by taking feats that help support that play style.

Fighters typically take Double Slice (two actions, but no MAP on the 2nd strike)
Rangers typically have Flurry Edge (which reduces MAP penalty) and Twin Takedown (2 strikes for 1 action, but 2nd attack has MAP, also requires you to target your hunted prey).
Rogues have Twin Feint. 2 actions, normal MAP, but enemy is off-guard against second attack.

Basically, if you don't play a class with access to feats that interact with two weapon fighting, you really shouldn't bother. And not every class has feats to support it. You could take multiclass dedications to get access to those feats, but honestly two weapon fighting isn't generally worth pursuing (IMO) except for the rogue and flurry ranger.

[Claxon]

And honestly, if your playing a flurry ranger, you're likely better off playing an archer flurry ranger. Having to spend actions to hunt different prey, move, and attack means your turn rotations aren't great. By playing an archer you at least take out the need to move as often.