benefits of a small off-hand weapon??

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A bunch of online guides recommend smaller off-hand weapons...like dagger, short sword, kukri, etc. Assuming i had all the 2 weapon fighting feats/skills...like ambidexterity, 2 weapon fighting, improved 2 weapon fighting, etc., does using a small off-hand weapon net you extra bonus attack points??

Also, is it worth it more to get a strong off-hand weapon, or use a smaller weapon and get attack bonuses. (or is it extra attack?? i dunno)

 

Blackthorne TA is correct. One thing to keep in mind is that if you use a double headed weapon, it is considered two weapon fighting with a light weapon in the off-hand. Thus, if one uses a two headed sword, then one would get the equivalent of a longsword in each hand without suffering the penalites of actually having a longsword in the off-hand.

 

IIRC rapier is a light weapon, although medium-sized, so you could dual-wield two rapiers to save some feats (Focus, Specialisation, Improved Crits etc). Plus, if you take Weaponmaster levels, you can only choose one weapon for the bonuses.

Alternatively, you can just dual-wield two katanas or bastard swords and screw the rest with the uber damage. Especially with the increased to-hit bonus from high Weaponmaster levels.

IMHO, the classic big weapon in main hand and a different, smaller weapon in the off hand scenario isn't worth it unless you don't care for Weapon Focus, aren't elligible for Specialisation and can spare a second feat for Improved Criticals for your other weapon. Khemsa's example is way better.

Especially if you're a paladin or ranger or use the rare spells of other classes that affect the weapon directly, you're better off with a two-headed weapon than with anything else. One feat for everything, only one weapon to find, minimum penalties. Even better than the two katana scenario.

[ October 28, 2005, 14:21: Message edited by: chevalier ]

 

Because of an unkown reason, a rapier does not considered as a light weapon (but description still says it's light).

So, if you equip a rapier on your off-hand you get penalty from it.

 

That sucks. Well then, I guess dual kukris for the crits aren't that bad.

 

Dual Kukris are a very powerful and popular combination, especially in the hands of a Weapon Master.

 

And if theyre not a Weapon Master...mainly heading in the direction of an assassin...since im (4)rogue/(2)ranger/(1)barb....

So is the better critical range (18-20/x2) a better deal than using dual longswords/katanas/bastard swords?

 

Ordinarily, no; the damage output isn't quite upped enough. However, when you consider the feats gained by Weapon Masters (increase critical multiplier, increase threat range) things begin to look rosier. Then factor in the Epic feats Overpowering Crititcal and (in particular) Devastating Critical, and you have weapons of mass destruction. For DEX-based types (which seems to be the direction you're going in) you're probably better off with shortswords than kukris, not least because you'll need all the help you can get against crit/sneak immune enemies.

 

On another hand, at Weapon master lvl13, you get to choose another weapon of choice, so it's possible to make a high AB machine while dualwielding two different types of weapons, while retaining the WM bonuses on both.

Devastating criticals are a complete overkill when the enemy is not immune to critical hits/doesnt have high AC/some weird extreme Fort saving throw.
On PvP servers though, characters relying solely on Devastating criticals arent competible, simply because no character can afford to be vulnerable to them, thus compromising other strenghts to allow resistance to Devastating criticals. Shifter/Dwarven defender Risen lords come to mind, lvl10 pale masters,...

 

the penalties with both feats and 2 medium weapons (instead of one med one small) should come to -4/-4, and with a medium/small -2/-2. So it's up to you if you care about that extra -2. At later levels it might not matter, since you're attack bonus is around 17, (should be like +17 by level 10 actually at the latest if you're a decent pure fighter).

The other thing to remember is that fighting with a 2handed weapon is also pretty usefull. It does good damage and if the rules are the same in NWN as they are in 3.0, then you do 1.5X strength damage and DOUBLE power attack damage with a 2handed weapon. So great sword power attack for 5 does 10 more damage, etc. etc.

 

As i recall it, two-handed weapons use 1.5 times your strenght modifier and double weapons use full strenght modifier on it's primary attack and 0.5 on it's secondary. Same goes for dualwielding, full strenght on main hand, half on off hand.

Double strenght modifier on twohanders would really rock though