“Staff Mace” and weapon style proficiencies.
Blunderbuss
Member Posts: 6
While doing a little independent research on different staff options in Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, I stumbled upon a curious little item: the Staff Mace (https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Staff_Mace).
This is supposedly a Quarterstaff +2 which “transforms” into a mace. It seems as though it is always wielded as a one-handed weapon in-game despite reportedly falling within the quarterstaff proficiency. This got me thinking: if one was to give something like the Staff Mace to a character, what would be a complimentary weapon style to put proficiency points into?
Two-Handed Weapon Style? If the Staff Mace is indeed counted as a quarterstaff, then this makes sense. However, this quarterstaff is unusual in that it seems to be wielded with one hand, rather than two, which makes me think that Two-Handed Weapon Style may not apply.
Singe Weapon Style? Again, if the Staff Mace is wielded in one hand, this makes sense. However, the fact that it is counted as a quarterstaff (and is in the quarterstaff proficiency) could mean that it wouldn’t be recognized as a valid weapon for Single Weapon Style.
Two Weapon Style? Sort of an extension of Single Weapon style, in that if it is eligible for one, then I imagine it would be eligible for the other as well. If the Staff Mace is wielded in one hand and you dual-wield with another weapon, would you get the benefit of Two Weapon Style, despite the Staff Mace technically being a quarterstaff (which is typically a two-handed weapon)?
I could see good arguments for all of these scenarios and thus thought I would pose the question here to see if anyone has any further insights to share.
This is supposedly a Quarterstaff +2 which “transforms” into a mace. It seems as though it is always wielded as a one-handed weapon in-game despite reportedly falling within the quarterstaff proficiency. This got me thinking: if one was to give something like the Staff Mace to a character, what would be a complimentary weapon style to put proficiency points into?
Two-Handed Weapon Style? If the Staff Mace is indeed counted as a quarterstaff, then this makes sense. However, this quarterstaff is unusual in that it seems to be wielded with one hand, rather than two, which makes me think that Two-Handed Weapon Style may not apply.
Singe Weapon Style? Again, if the Staff Mace is wielded in one hand, this makes sense. However, the fact that it is counted as a quarterstaff (and is in the quarterstaff proficiency) could mean that it wouldn’t be recognized as a valid weapon for Single Weapon Style.
Two Weapon Style? Sort of an extension of Single Weapon style, in that if it is eligible for one, then I imagine it would be eligible for the other as well. If the Staff Mace is wielded in one hand and you dual-wield with another weapon, would you get the benefit of Two Weapon Style, despite the Staff Mace technically being a quarterstaff (which is typically a two-handed weapon)?
I could see good arguments for all of these scenarios and thus thought I would pose the question here to see if anyone has any further insights to share.
Post edited by Blunderbuss on
2
Comments
Whether that makes sense or not is debatable, but that's how it works. The Staff Mace is treated as a one-handed weapon regardless of its proficiency.
And thank you, semiticgod, for sharing your knowledge! I think that your explanation makes sense (and I would personally be inclined to agree), but as this is a computer game and everything ultimately comes down to coding and programming, I wasn’t sure if the “quarterstaff” technicality would be an issue in how the game recognizes weapon choices and proficiency bonuses.
Again, I appreciate your insight!