MUST I dual wield with a weapon in each hand?

[Plutocracy]

Is there a way to have an attacking weapon in your main hand, a potency item in your left hand and NOT swing the potency item when attacking?

My favored soul wields a longsword and I want to use a potency item in my off hand to boost heals/spells. However, I don't want to suffer a huge penalty to attack rolls with my longsword because I am swinging with my useless +1 Superior potency X item as well.

Is there a way to turn off TWF and just swing with my main hand? I know I could use a shield with potency, but they are much harder to find and typically a much lower potency.

[k1ngp1n]

No you cannot. Weapons wielded are weapons swung.

[Plutocracy]

Thanks for info, that's what I thought.... Too bad, scepters aren't really a "weapon". We should be able to control that mechanic.

[Setin_Myways]

I think this is a valid concept and I hope it is investigated by the devs. As a mage, I carry an item for the additional spell points and I would like to be able to swing a dagger from time to time, however, the fact that I always swing both weapons makes this fairly useless/fatal to do in a combat situation. As a wiz, I will incur spell failure if i try to use a shield as mentioned above.

I do not see why I could not simply hold a septer in one hand and only swing the other. I would think I would need much more training to swing both and it is much less likely for a person not skilled in 2wf to attempt to swing both items. I watched 'Hero' last night with Jet Li and most the swordsmen used a sword in a single hand, but held thier scabbard in their off hand, using it more or less like a shield.

Anyway, i would like to see this be a toggleable option, where you need to turn 2wf on or off like power attack or other similar combat feats.

Hopefully others see the value in such a change.

[dcp101]

Scepters are bludgeoning weapons. It's always been that way from PnP.

Here's the most famous one!

http://lordsofaviron.com/images/Asmodeus_1.jpg

[Beherit_Baphomar]

Sup pot comes on all types of weapons. Including longswords.
It won't do as much damage as a min II but better than a dagger or sceptre.

[MrWizard]

but you should be able to say, just use my main hand.
good point.

I would bind and attune that scepter so it won't break.

You also get some good minuses to hit and screw up your attack chain having that in your hand..

yea, you are right, they need to rethink that.
Scepter should equal shield since you are not using it as a weapon for gosh sake.

[moorewr]

IN PnP thsi would be easy - as DM I'd say "Well, you're justing holding the off-hand weapon, so if it's light we can just ignore it." Not sure how you'd make that distinction in DDO.. yet another stance?

[Drakos]

Scepters are bludgeoning weapons. It's always been that way from PnP.

Here's the most famous one!

http://lordsofaviron.com/images/Asmodeus_1.jpg
Yes, but in PnP you aslo can choose not to use it as a weapon when carruing it in the off-hand, which is what the OP is asking for.

Now, although it is a decent idea, I seriously dought it will be changed in DDO.

[dcp101]

Yes, but in PnP you aslo can choose not to use it as a weapon when carruing it in the off-hand, which is what the OP is asking for.

Now, although it is a decent idea, I seriously dought it will be changed in DDO.

I never debated his opinion of not wanting to swing it as a weapon. The post was in response to his saying scepters were not weapons.

[Plutocracy]

Scepters are bludgeoning weapons. It's always been that way from PnP.

Here's the most famous one!

http://lordsofaviron.com/images/Asmodeus_1.jpg

I know scepters can be used as a weapon, but in PnP you can also choose not to swing your off hand weapon (ala metamagic rods or just not feeling like taking the penalty).

Also, it simply make sense that my character can choose to do either/or rather than be compelled to TWF.

Yes, I can use a superior potency longsword, but a +1 superior potency longsword is no Retribution (for mid level DPS), or cursespewer/imp. curse spewer (to make my Blade Barriers/insta kills more effective).

[Missing_Minds]

I have asked for/suggested in the past that TWF be considered a stance, not an obligation.

Then again given the fact that weighted in one hand would effect the other hand, it is probably a coding issue and to try to "separate" it out, make break what you hold in your off hand.

[geoffhanna]

I suppose one might envision a triple wield, if dual wielding with your hands is bothering you.

You'd need a special purpose feat though.

[WirelessJoe]

Forgive an ignorant reply as I've never played anything but a TWF and never used a shield, but shouldn't you take some kind of penalty for holding something in your off-hand? I agree you should have the option not to swing with it offensively. Perhaps scepters/wands/etc. could have the option to be used either as an off-hand weapon, or to be treated like shields (without a blocking mechanic, or the bash or smite or whatever it's called), just held in the off hand?

(I look forward to the education I'm about to receive regarding the mechanics of this).

[Chai]

In PnP you can specify that you only take an attack with your main hand. This does not grant the penalty that you get for TWF for that round, even if holding two weapons. It would be nice to see something like that implemented in DDO.

[JollySwagMan]

Is there a way to have an attacking weapon in your main hand, a potency item in your left hand and NOT swing the potency item when attacking?

Yes, but not a melee weapon in your main hand. So you could have a Sup Potency VI wep in the off hand and a returning throwing weapon equipped when kiting through BBs.

[CountHenri]

Well the simple solution is to use weapon sets/hotbar to quickly swap to what you need...

The mechanism is there for melee/casting/melee gear swaps learn to use it...

Hmmm sorry if that sounds tetchy - been lowby pugging again...

The horror, the horror...

[Eye_Five]

Probably the easiest way to implement this would be a toggle (stance) that, when activated, treated your off hand as a shield, regardless of what is held. If your off hand is holding a shield, there is no need to activate the stance and activation of the stance does nothing (maybe even just have the icon grayed out). If your off hand is holding a weapon, stance activation causes the weapon to be treated as a "no bonus to AC, no bonus to DR" shield. All weapon effects that do not require an attack still apply.

Disclaimer: By "probably the easiest," I mean to indicated that I'm guessing and have no real knowledge of how easy it would actually be. I, therefore, to not mean to imply that it would be easy at all or that I believe it would be a good use of resources to pursue this course of action.

Edit: OK, actually CountHenri's solution is the easiest, as it requires nothing of the devs...

[TheDjinnFor]

I think this is a valid concept and I hope it is investigated by the devs. As a mage, I carry an item for the additional spell points and I would like to be able to swing a dagger from time to time, however, the fact that I always swing both weapons makes this fairly useless/fatal to do in a combat situation. As a wiz, I will incur spell failure if i try to use a shield as mentioned above.

By putting the SP item on before you shrine and removing the item after the spellpoints have been spent (through buffs, usually) you don't need to carry it around the whole quest, as it will not deduct from your current spellpoints (only your maximum) when you remove it.

To topic:

The potency item issue, on the other hand, can't really be avoided, but I'd argue that to be honest either you're casting spells or you're meleeing, not both. At low levels, you throw spells, then when you're out of SP you equip a greataxe and dive in, master's touch style.

I don't think I've ever tried to melee at the same time as I run around with a Potency item on, but that's just me.