POLL: Favorite Off-Hand Weapon

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As with any AtFI poll, of course I have to give ground rules.

1. For the purposes of this discussion, we'll assume that there are no weapon conflicts. Assume that your party consists of no NPCs that would be better off with the weapon.

2. Assume you are playing your favorite class (unless that happens to be a single class mage or sorcerer). Some of the weapon choices are only going to be available or be of any use to particular classes. For example the Scarlet Ninja-To is nice, but only to classes with the HLA of Use Any Item. Similarly Dak'kon's Zerth Blade is only of use to bards and FMT.

Explanations for your choice are always welcome.

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 29 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Favorite Off-Hand Weapon (29 votes.)

Favorite Off-Hand Weapon (Choose 1)
* Crom Faeyr - 41% (12)
* Belm - 10% (3)
* Kundane - 7% (2)
* Scarlet Ninja-To - 10% (3)
* Dak'kon's Zerth Blade - 7% (2)
* Angurvadal - 7% (2)
* Spectral Brand - 0% (0)
* Defender of Easthaven - 17% (5)

 

Just a few others that work well as the off-hand weapon:

Equalizer
Arbane's Sword
Yamato
Runehammer
Hindo's Doom

The off-hand weapon is situational for me. Equalizer is great if I need the protections from charm or confusion. Similarly, negative plane protection from spectral brand, runehammer and angurvadel are priceless at times. The ever-popular kundane/belm work great with the answerer for tearing down magic resistance. However, for most fighting I think Crom Faeyr is best.

 

Firetooth as a melee weapon. Has an undocumented +1 attack per round, and has a higher enchantment and does more damage than Belm to boot.

 

Don't make me choose! Really, there's no beating Crom Faeyr, but the Scarlet Ninja-To and Dak'kon's Zerth Blade get major props.

 

@Camdawg
The problem with firetooth as an offhand weapon is that you can't dual wield missile weapons even when they are set to melee mode.

Offhand i've always prefered Crom Fayer since it removes the need to take the evil path with Wrath Sarevok and i can stay goody-goody.

 

Tough choice, but I just had to choose the Scarlet Ninja-To. It's a wicked weapon and priceless in the hands of a thief dual/multiclasses, especially Sarevok/thief.

 

Dak'kon's Zerth Blade (natch).

Who'd say no to +1 Stoneskin/day, +1 Haste/day, +1 MI/day and +1 err... Spook/day? (Of course, you could always use that 1st level slot for Infravision, if you're into powergaming )

<-- And it looks really cool, I mean... just look...

 

Looking cool is important. Why didn't they make ninja-to's look like a shorter version of the katana as it should be, instead of a longsword?

 

Because ninja-to have straight blades, making them easier to conceal. Wakizashi should have curved blades, though, so they got that one wrong.

 

@pseudospawn
Ah, didn't know that. Noticed the undocumented bonus in an editor and hadn't tried it in game yet. Nevermind then.

 

And they just plain won't go into the off-hand slot, since their default mode is missile. Cam may be speaking of a mod, though.

EDIT: Or not. >_> (I blame my slow typing.)

I would. Haste leaves you fatigued, so an extra one per day would mean nothing since it'll be among the last I use before resting. And Infravision is a second level spell, not first. Melf's Minute Meteors might be a better pick for an extra spell, or Flame Arrow or something else damaging; perhaps even Hold Person to immoblize your target for an easier whoopin'. The first level slot goes to Magic Missile, because it is so incredibly useful to have something to shoot off in someone's face at a moment's notice when you suspect that they're about to cast a big spell, or just something to supplement your dual-fisted barrage to take down Stoneskins in seconds.

 

Well, those were just examples of how it could be useful. Your other ones are equally valid. And Infravision is level 1; I think you're thinking of Detect Evil which is lvl 2 mage and lvl 1 priest. Although, that was a joke in reference to the "worst spell" thread so not really worth arguing over.

 

Dak'kon's Zerth Blade is good but if you change your equipped weapon you have to rest again to use the extra spells...

Assuming I'm playing a rogue (Thief or Bard) I voted for Kundane (no need for UAI and available rather early in the game) my character would certainly be using Belm in his main hand.
4 attacks with a rogue is always nice.

 

Certainly my list is not comprehensive. I tried to pick what I felt would be the most popular. Some of the others that T2B listed I think are more appropriate for quickslots as opposed to offhand weapons. I think this is especially true for Arbane's and the Equalizer. Although I wished I had included Yamato (same theory as DoE - which currently is getting some pretty significant props) and Runehammer is also a good choice.

I went with Crom. I usually play melee based characters, and I usually have a 19 strength in SoA. I usually save all the girdles for other characters and my PC can wield Crom. With 3.5 attacks per round, I think the bonus damage I get with the strength bonus makes up for the one fewer attack I'm getting using an extra attack per turn weapon. The damage difference between 25 strength and 19 strength is +14 vs. +7. So with 3.5 attacks per round I'm dealing an extra 24.5 damage per round, which is probably more than what I'd get with one extra attack.

 

The Equalizer - saves my priests from having to memorize an overabundance of Chaotic Command spells. I like using it with my PC in a dual wielding position.

I really don't use the weapons mentioned as off-handers.

 

Does the attacks per round wrap around after 10? I've had some wierd things happen where I had so many hastes spells and items that it actually reduced my a/p/r. For instance (I don't know what I did for this) I once had my priest throwing his energy blades at 6 per round rather than 9, and no, there were no slowing effects on him. This concern is the only thing keeping me from making a fighter/thief just to dual wield Belm and Scarlet. 11/2 attacks per round. Give him improved haste and he's got better than a GWW.

 

I went with Defender of Easthaven. FoA+Defender of Easthaven is my favorite weapon combo. Damage reduction is really cool IMO and there are few other ways to bolster it, plus it is the same proficiency as FoA, which helps save prof. points that you could use elsewhere (for a missle weapon alternative, for instance).

On why I chose it over the others:

Crom Faeyr: Way too easy to get 25str in other ways, especially with the character types that I tend to play (a halforc barbarian, for instance, can get 25str without magic equipment by the time Irenicus' dungeon is finished).

Belm: It just bugs me for some reason, but I'd give it my pick for #2 favorite off-hand weapon.

Kundane: Never used it, but isn't it pretty much exactly the same as belm?

Scarlet Ninja-to: IIRC this one is for monks (or UAI characters) only. Monks are better being unarmed, my thieves prefer staff of the ram, and I don't like bards because they use overpowered arcane spells

Dak'kon's Zerth Blade: I don't generally like to play arcane magic users.

Angurvadal/Spectral Brand: too late in the game

 

Please explain.

 

19str + rage + draw upon holy might (bhaalpower)

Yes it doesn't last very long, but certainly lasts long enough for most fights (especially since you have multiple uses of rage). Once you have some str increasing items, or boost the strength permanently using the numerous available avenues, it seems like strength is one of the most easily boostable stats in the game. This is even further true in my case since I love fighter/clerics and ranger/clerics, and they have many str increasing spells.

 

I have never understood why people like the FoA so much. Until you get the last head, there's really nothing that special about it. Crom Faeyr kills all but the most powerful golems in one hit (I consider golems to be the biggest annoyances in the game besides pro magic weapons). The slow effect from FoA is nice but doesn't even compare to stun from CF, which is effective all the way through ToB (seriously, CF was the last thing Mellisan saw). Dragons Breath halbeard has much better elemental damage and better physical damage too. Defender of Easthaven is however an excellent offhand weapon. Put that on a highlevel barbarian along with harden and you can almost see the bad guys crying out of frustration.