Two Hands Are Better Than One

by Donald D. Miller
 
- - - - -
Dragon 127 - - - Dragon

Table 1
Weapon Categories by Length, Weight, and User's Race
- Dwarf Elf Gnome Half-Elf Hobbit Half-orc Human
Secondary 1'4"
5 1/2 lbs.		 1'8"
3 1/2 lbs.		 1'2"
2 1/2 lbs.		 1'9""
4 lbs.		 1'
2 lbs.		 1'9"
5 lbs.		 2'
5 lbs.
Primary 2'6"
8 1/4 lbs.		 3'2"
5 1/4 lbs.		 2'2"
4 lbs.		 3'6"
6 1/4 lbs.		 2'
3 lbs.		 3'6"
7 1/2 lbs.		 3'9"
7 1/2 lbs.
One-handed 2'6"
11 lbs.		 3'2"
7 lbs.		 2'2"
5 lbs.		 3'6"
8 1/2 lbs.		 2'
4 lbs.		 3'6"
10 lbs.		 3'9"
10 lbs.
Two-handed 4'
27 1/2 lbs.		 5'
17 1/4 lbs.		 3'6"
12 1/2 lbs.		 5'6"
20 1/2 lbs.		 3'
10 lbs.		 5'6"
24 1/2 lbs.		 6'
25 lbs.
Pole arms 8'
16 1/2 lbs.		 10'
10 1/2 lbs.		 7'
7 1/2 lbs.		 11'
12 1/2 lbs.		 6'
6 lbs.		 11'
15 lbs.		 12'
15 lbs.

"I ready my crossbow, draw my sword,
raise my shield, and with my free hand . . ."
This statement, though not likely to
occur in an AD&D® game unless someone
is running a Type V demon as a player
character, illustrates some basic questions
about the game rules. A character has, at
most, two hands free with which to use
weapons -- but which weapons should he
use with two hands? Or, if he chooses to
use two weapons, which ones can he use?
A halfling trying to use a 3' long sword
with one hand would be like a human
trying to swing a two-handed sword with
one hand.

Several categories of weapons are hereby defined. A primary weapon is one used
one-handed in the user's favored hand; a
secondary weapon is used one-handed in
the hand not favored by the user, at the
same time the user has a primary weapon.
Primary weapons may be used in either
hand, though if used in the hand not
favored, the weapon has a penalty to hit
targets of  - 2.  One-handed weapons are
used only in one's favored hand and not
with a secondary weapon.  Two-handed
weapons can only be used with both
hands at once.  Pole arms are two-handed
weapons mounted on a haft, and are well
described in  Unearthed Arcana. Thus, all
secondary weapons can be primary weapons, all primary weapons can be one-handed weapons, and any one-handed
weapon can be used with two hands
(though it produces no bonus to do so,
except in the case of the bastard sword).

The reverse of each of the above statements, however, is not necessarily true.
The way in which a weapon may be
used depends mainly on its length and
weight. (Who's going to lift a 200-lb. hammer?) The balance and mobility of a weapon, reflected in its speed factor, also affect
its use. Due to the difficulty involved in
using a weapon in one's "off hand," secondary weapons are necessarily small and
light, and have speed factors of no more
than four. Primary and one-handed weapons usually have a length between onethird and two-thirds the user?s height,
with primary weapons being the lighter of
these weapons, having speed factors of six
or less. Larger and excessively heavy
weapons require two hands to be wielded
effectively. Weapons longer than the character is tall should be considered as pole
arms, and their length should not exceed
twice the user's height. (No, I haven't forgotten about pikes.)

Since humans are the dominant species
in the AD&D game (my apologies to all
dwarves and elves reading this article), the
way demi-humans use weapons is based
on human usage. A little time in the nearest library can give an interested individual an idea of how a certain weapon was
normally used, and this information may
be extrapolated with ease.

The  DMG provides a list of the average
strengths of each of the demi-human races
(page 15), so the weight a demi-human is
able to lift can be stated as a percentage of
the weight a human can lift. After deciding appropriate length and weight limits
for humans in each of the weapon categories, each of the demi-human races is
allotted their percentage of the acceptable
human weight. Usable weapon lengths are
calculated in a similar manner, using the
ratio between the average heights of
humans and other races.

Since elves and half-elves are generally
smaller and lighter than humans, their
weaponry is limited to smaller and lighter
weapons. With the elvish bonuses for
using bows, long swords, and short
swords, elves are not greatly handicapped
by these limitations. Dwarves and half-orcs may lose the use of some weapons
due to length, but they are not penalized
in respect to weapon weights. Due to their
muscular stature, dwarves are able to use
heavier weapons than normal humans
can. Gnomes and halflings, being the
smallest of the demi-human races, are
limited to using the smallest and lightest
weapons. A bonus to the weight allowed
for gnomes and halflings has been given to
put them on more competitive terms with
the other races.

Characters who are notably larger or
stronger than average may be given a
bonus in the weapons they are able to use.
A 5'-tall dwarf should be able to use the
weapon restrictions for either dwarves or
elves (whichever is better). Table  1 shows
the maximum allowable lengths and
weights of weapons that a character of
one of the various races could  use in each
of the weapon categories. Remember that
1 lb. equals 10 gp weight, and refer to
pages  26-27 in  Unearthed Arcana.

Certain weapons require a little special
consideration. Spear-type weapons (javelins, lances, pikes, etc.), due to their easier
balance and ample handle space, should
be considered as being half their actual
length. Flexible weapons (flails, whips,
etc.) should not be allowed for use with
another weapon because of their difficulty
to control. Since the bastard sword was
designed to be used with either one or two
hands, its user should be given a bonus in
its use with two hands; the actual bonus is
left to the DM's discretion. Remember that
swords should not be used as pole arms.

All of the weapons in  Unearthed Arcana
are listed in Table 2, along with how they
may be used by a demi-human, semihuman, or human character. The weapons
are listed as primary (P), secondary (S), onehanded (1), or two-handed (2). Pole arms
are listed as two-handed weapons for easier
reference. Please remember that the listings in Table 2 are minimum figures, and
that a weapon listed as being secondary
could always be used as a primary, one-, or
two-handed weapon. Consequently, the
next time a dwarf swings his battle axe, he
had better use both hands. Depending
upon the campaign, the classification for
some weapons may vary (e.g., some half-orcs might use two-handed swords, some
halflings might use hand axes one-handed
or spiked bucklers as secondary weapons,
some elves might use halberds, etc.). Nonetheless, a careful look at weapon sizes and
weights is encouraged.

[A variation on the use of two weapons
at once appeared in DRAGON® issue #68,
page 7 (“Be a two-fisted fighter”), reprinted
in the Best of DRAGON Magazine Anthology vol. 4, page 45. Variant height and
weight tables for humans and demihumans appeared in DRAGON issue #91,
page 10 (“Realistic vital statistics”).]

Table 2
Required Numbers of Hands for Weapons
 
Weapon Type Dwarf Elf Gnome Half-Elf Halfling Half-Orc Human
Aklys 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Atlatl and javelin 1 1 - 1 - 1 1
Axe, battle 2 2 2 2 - 2 2
Axe, hand P P 1 P 2 S S
Bardiche 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Bec de corbin 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Bill-guisarme 2 - - - - 2 2
Blowgun 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Bo stick - 2 - 2 - 2 2
Bow, composite, long - 2 - 2 - 2 2
Bow, composite, short 2 2 - 2 2 2 2
Bow, long - 2 - 2 - 2 2
Bow, short 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Caltrop 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Club 2 P 2 P 2 P P
Crossbow, hand 1 1 1 1 2 1 1
Crossbow, heavy 2 - - 2 - 2 2
Crossbow, light 2 2 2 2 - 2 2
Dagger S S P S P S S
Dart 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Fauchard 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Fauchard-fork 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Flail, footman's 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Fork, military 2 2 2 2 - 2 2
Garrot 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Glaive 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Glaive-guisarme 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Guisarme 2 2 2 2 - 2 2
Guisarme-voulge 2 - - - - 2 2
Halberd <-> - - 2 - 2 2
Hammer P P 1 P 2 S S
Hammer, lucern 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Harpoon 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
Hook fauchard 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Javelin 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Jo stick 2 P 2 P 2 P P
Knife S S S S S S S
Lance, heavy - - - - - 2 2
Lance, light 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Lance, medium 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Lasso 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mace, footman's 1 2 2 2 2 1 1
Mace, horseman's P P 1 P 2 S S
Man catcher 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Morning star<1> 2 2 <-> 2 - 2 2
Pick, footman's, military 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Pick, horseman's, military P P P P 1 P P
Pike - 2 - 2 - 2 2
Ranseur 2 2 - 2 - 2 2
Sap S S S S S S S
Scimitar 2 P 2 P 2 P P
Sling 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Spear 1 1 2 1 2 1 1
Spetum 2 2 2 2 - 2 2
Spiked Buckler S S S S - S S
Staff, quarter <-> - - - - 2 2
Staff sling - 2 - 2 - 2 2
Sword, bastard - 2 - 2 <-> 2 1
Sword, broad 2 2 2 1 - P P
Sword, falchion 2 2 2 1 - P P
Sword, khopesh 2 2 2 1 - 1 1
Sword, long 2 2 2 P - P P
Sword, short P P P P 1 P S
Sword, two-handed <-> - - - - - 2
Trident 2 1 2 1 2 1 1
Voulge 2 - - 2 - 2 2
Whip 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

<1> According to the MM, gobs can use morning stars.

<Thanks to Steven Hill for noting a mistake on the table, and his thoughtful post regading this article!>
 


THE FORUM

Donald Miller's article in issue #127, "Two
Hands are Better Than One" was very interesting,
but I feel I must disagree with his treatment
of the subject on some points.

First, [I disagree with] his maximum weapon
lengths and weights for humans. He has the
maximum weapon length for a secondary weapon
as 2?, when the wakizashi (which [in Oriental
Adventures] is commonly used in the secondary
hand) has length of 2-3? (presumably averaging
at about 2?6?). For the length of primary and
one-handed weapons, he uses the user?s height
(presumably 6? for the average human) times
two-thirds, then comes up in his table with the
figure 3?9?; however, the bastard sword (which
can be used one-handed) has length of 4?6?. He
gives 15 lbs. as the maximum weight for a pole
arm, when the halberd weighs 17.5 lbs.

I propose the adjustments in Table 1 as allowable
weapon lengths and weights, for an average
human of 10 strength and 6? height.

Table 1
Maximum Weapon Values
Weapon Maximum length Maximum weight
Secondary  2'6" 5 lbs.
Primary 4'6" 7.5 lbs.
One-handed 4'6" 10 lbs.
Two-handed 6' 25 lbs.
Pole arms 12' 17.5 lbs.

Donald Miller then goes on to calculate the
weapon lengths, weights, and weapons allowable
for characters of the demi-human races, of
average height and strength. But characters,
particularly player characters, are seldom
average. It would therfore be more reasonable
instead to state the maximum weapon lengths
and weights as functions of height and strength.
For simplicity of derivation and calculation, I
assume that weapon lengths and weights allowable
are linear functions of height and strength
(see Table 2). This will allow maximum weapon
lengths and weights to be calculated for individual
characters, and will mean that a character
with wimpy strength will not be able use a twohanded
sword simply because he is a human.

Donald Miller rounds his length limits to the
nearest inch; I would recommend rounding
them up to the next half foot (and next 5 gp for
weights), as all weapon lengths (except for the
dagger) are given in half feet (and weights in 5
gp) increments and to allow for the fact that the
lengths and weights given are averages, and we
wish to give upper limits (if someone finds that
an average-size weapon is slightly too long, he
will simply get a slightly shorter one).

This system seems to work for low and medium
strengths but may need adjustment for very
high strength (as it stands, you need a 25
strength to wield a two-handed sword with one
hand, given that you are tall enough to do so). A
possible adjustment would be to give double the
increment of allowed weight for each strength
point beyond 15 and an increment for each
category of exceptional strength (i.e., 01-50, 51.
75, etc.). This would then allow someone who is
8? tall and has 18/91 strength to use a twohanded
sword one-handed.

I would also like to suggest the following
adjustments for individual weapons:

Short sword: This is stated in the Players
Handbook, page 38, to be 2? long, but is noted
on page 37 as being 15-24? long, I suggest that a
character with sufficient strength to use it and
more than the minimum height required to use
a dagger (length 15?) be allowed to use one.

Battle axe: This weapon seems unusually long,
being nearly three times as long as a hand axe
and longer than the long sword. A more reasonable
average length might be 3?.

Hand axe: Currently, this has the same weight,
length, and average damage as a hammer, so
why did anybody bother putting an axe blade
on it? A better weight might be 40 gp.

I also suggest that allowable speed factors be
based on a character?s dexterity rather than
being a fixed value. A character should not be
able to use in his primary hand any weapon
with a speed factor greater than half his dexterity,
or any weapon in his secondary hand that
has a factor of greater than one-third of his
dexterity.

Table 2
Weapon Sizes Per Height and Strength of User
- Pole arm Two-handed One-handed Primary Secondary
Length-height ratio* 2.0 1.0 0.75 0.75 0.40
Weight-strength ratio** 1.75 2.5 1.0 .75 .5
* Number shows length in feet of weapon, per foot of the user?s height.
* * Number shows weight in pounds of weapon, per pound of the user?s weight.

In "Be a Two-Fisted Fighter" (DRAGON issue
#68), Roger Moore wrote that ambidexterity
could simply be considered a matter of having
very high dexterity. This is not true; I myself am
nearly completely ambidexterous but am not
particularly dexterous. Ambidexterity is having
both hands being equal or interchangable and
is, as far as I can see, partly a matter of natural
tendencies, but mostly a matter of tuition. I
would therefore suggest the following:

Ambidexterity Non-Weapon Proficiency: This
proficiency allows a character to attack with
both hands equally when using two weapons
(both being at - 3 to hit, plus the Reaction/
Attacking Adjustment). It also lets the character
use larger weapons in his secondary hand at the
expense of using a smaller one in his primary.
That is, weapons can be used in any combination,
as long as the totals of the lengths, the
weights, and the speed factors of the two weapons
are not greater than those of the totals of
primary and secondary weapons allowable, and
both weapons are permissible as primary weapons
(see Table 3).

Table 3
Weapon Sizes: Ambidexterity Proficiency
- Total of 2 weapons Maximum individual weapon
Length-height ratio* 1.15 .0.75
Weight-strength ratio** 1.25 .75
Speed factors/dexterity point 0.83 0.5
* Number shows length in feet of weapon, per foot of the user?s height.
* * Number shows weight in pounds of weapon, per pound of the user?s weight.

In addition, a character with ambidexterity
may use either hand ?one-handed? without
penalty.

Timothy Makinson
Dunedin, New Zealand
(Dragon #141)