Dumb question: is adding 2 handed weapon style to 2 handed sword cumulative or redundant?

Shusaku

Hi, well, you invited us to ask dumb questions, and everyone seems to be asking quite intelligent ones, so I thought I might boldly go forth with this one:

I'm playing a kensai, and while I believe I probably added something by combining 2 handed sword & 2 handed weapon style abilities, it niggles at me that perhaps there are redundancies here - that I've just selected the same skill twice without adding anything, or much. What's the truth here?

TJ_Hooker

They are cumulative.

Dee

More to the point:

Two Handed Sword is a specific weapon proficiency, referring to a specific class of large swords that require two hands to wield. You only benefit from Two Handed Sword proficiency or specialization when wielding a Two-Handed Sword.

Two Handed Weapon Style is a weapon style, referring to any melee weapon requiring two hands. Halberds, Two-Handed Swords, Quarterstaffs, and Spears are all two-handed weapons and benefit from this weapon style.

As @TJ_Hooker pointed out, their effects are cumulative. So if you specialize in Quarterstaffs and put two pips in Two Handed Weapon Style, you'll get the improved speed factor, enhanced critical threat range, and added damage/Thac0/APR bonuses from both.

Shusaku

Thanks so much to both of you. I'm consistently amazed by the speed with which people reply here, the willingness to be helpful, and the depth of knowledge so freely shared!

What a great forum!

ZanathKariashi

Two-handed Sword gives +hit (up to +3 at GM)/damage (up to +5 at GM)/speed (-4 at GM)/extra attack (up to +1 at GM)

Two-handed style gives +speed (-4 at **)/+tiny spec of damage (+1 per * spent, total of +2)/doubles your crit range for two-handed melee weapons for the first point spent.

The only reason you take two-hand style (or single weapon style for 1hders) is for the doubled crit range (raises your crit chance fro 5% to 10%) that spending one * gives.

SionIV

If you're going to be using two handed weapon, always pick Two-handed weapon style.

I usually go for something like.

5 points Two Handed Sword (My First 5 points)
2 points Two handed Weapon Style (After i have maxed my first weapon pick)
5 points Halberd (There are some amazing halberds in the game, especially once you get end game)

ambrennan

5 points Two Handed Sword (My First 5 points)
2 points Two handed Weapon Style (After i have maxed my first weapon pick)

What are you talking about? You cannot assign more than two points to any skill at character creation.

Lord_Tansheron

You can if you make a new BG2 character. In BG1 it doesn't work, though, you are right about that.

SionIV

ambrennan said:

5 points Two Handed Sword (My First 5 points)
2 points Two handed Weapon Style (After i have maxed my first weapon pick)

What are you talking about? You cannot assign more than two points to any skill at character creation.

1.) I'm also having in mind the fact that you level up.

2.) In BG2 (Which i play the most) you can put 4 into one weapon at character creation.

3.)

2 Two handed sword
2 Two handed Weapon style

And then you put the rest into Two handed sword once you level up.

I hope that makes it more clear.

atcDave

Well since this is BG not BG2, I would create a new character using two handed weapons with 2 pips in two handed sword (or halberd or quarter staff...) and two pips in two handed weapon style. Then take all additional pips in the weapon until you reach five (well, four at the end of BG).