Damage Bonus for Wielding 2H weapons?

Boaster

In Dragonlance, in the few times I've played it, the game has some actual bonus for players who use two-handed weapons: spears, halberds, lances, two-handed swords, staves, etc.

If I recall correctly, the damage bonus for wielding two handed weapons was Strength based and was +50% (150%) the normal damage bonus.

For example, if wielding a two-handed weapon (Spear) and your normal damage bonus before weapons is +2, it becomes +3. Or if your base was +4, it would become +6.

Presently, there's not much benefit for two-handed weapons, other than being able to switch to a bow/arrow (presently you cannot be a Sword/Shield or Sword/Axe wielder and also equip a two-handed weapon). Even single weapon wielding characters have a proficiency that adds AC and improves Critical Hit rates.

Just throwing this out there. Or maybe a third proficiency for TWO HANDED weapon style that adds an AC bonus?

ajwz

The bonus the develpoers give for using 2 handed weapons is making the magical 2handed weapons much more powerful than the 1 handed weapons. You get +4 and +5 two handers while still getting +2 or +3 one handers. However the difference is not that pronounced in bg1 or by the end of TOB, so a little bit more lovin would be nice

Cheesebelly

As I see it, two handed weapon's real bonus is the fact that some are super powerful. More specifically in Baldur's Gate 2 (Silver Sword, Soul Reaver, Gram the Sword of Grief, Psion Blade and Carsomyr, Ixil's spike, Wave and Ravager) are all super deadly weapons which do insane amount of damage or have some special abilities which make it worth it.

In Baldur's Gate 1, aside from the Two Handed Sword +3 and Spider's Bane, none are really worth it.

I for one would love to see further implemented bonuses for Two handers (especially spears since they don't get an awful lot of screenplay)

ElectricMonk

Yeah, I'd say that two-handed weapon wielders get a lot of advantages via the actual weapons you can attain throughout the BG series. That advantage is still very pronounced when you're ultra high level and in ToB. @Cheesebelly mentioned several of them. The Silver Sword and Ravager have a chance to simply slay an enemy on hit. This is apart from the fact that two-handed weapons often have some base damage bonus over one-handed weapons. There are some spears and staffs that aren't too shabby as well.

Admittedly, most of the great two-handed weapons are found in BG2, not in BG1, but it's an important part of BG1 that there aren't powerful magical weapons just lying around. Maybe one or two slightly enchanted spears, staffs, haldberds, etc. could make an appearance somewhere along the Sword Coast.

Boaster

jaysl659 said:

Admittedly, most of the great two-handed weapons are found in BG2, not in BG1, but it's an important part of BG1 that there aren't powerful magical weapons just lying around. Maybe one or two slightly enchanted spears, staffs, haldberds, etc. could make an appearance somewhere along the Sword Coast.

This could be supplemented also by a proficiency bonus for TWO HANDED weapon style. Presently as it stands, it's nice that it's there but not worth a whole lot. The Critical bonus is pretty sweet though.

MooseChangerPat

Well the Staff of Striking was also a rather powerful two handed weapon in TSC, if not limited in uses. I think that a great way to improve the bonus for bg1 two handed weapon wielders would be to perhaps introduce some new weapons in the new areas. Obviously if they are powerful, they would need some sort of powerful guardian, or perhaps be ridiculously expensive, but this kind of thing could go a long way to improving the usuage of two handed weapons. Also... I'm pretty sure there is a damage bonus for two handed weapons, as I seem to recall my characters being able to inflict much more damage with them than when wielding a sword an shield.

Tanthalas

@MooseChangerPat

That may have been due to the difficulty options.

MooseChangerPat

... I didn't know difficulty options effected that o_O Although I always played on the normal difficulties myself, so I don't know.

Tanthalas

Well, I think normal shouldn't affect your damage though. But with the easier options your damage is increased by a percentage.

MooseChangerPat

Really? I thought difficulties only made a difference to the damage inflicted upon you.

Tanthalas

@MooseChangerPat

I just fired-up vanilla BG1 to check, and I was wrong, easier difficulties don't increase the damage you deal.

MooseChangerPat

Ohohoho! I love it when I'm right Of course I was slightly cheating since I'm playing Baldur's Gate as we speak xD

Tanthalas

Lol

MooseChangerPat

Heh, at least with the TOB engine, you can put proficiency points onto two handed weapon style, and as such there is still a bonus that can come of it.