Dual Wielding in Tabletop Games.
- Dungeons & Dragons features specific and explicit rules on dual-wielding that vary depending on the edition.
- AD&D's first and second editions allowed you to dual-wield melee weapons and make two attacks per round, provided your off-hand weapon was smaller than your main weapon, and your attack rolls with both were made at penalties of -2 and -4 respectively. This could be offset with a good Dexterity score, which lowered your penalties based on your ranged attack modifier. Second Edition's Player's Options (Combat and Tactics and Skills and Powers, as well as the Complete Fighter's Handbook) added Weapon Style specializations and Ambidexterity, which when put together could eliminate all penalties for dual-wielding and even allow you to wield two same-length weapons at once with a second specialization, provided you could wield them with one hand. Rangers also receive bonuses for dual-wielding.
- In the 3.0 and 3.5 editions, characters receive heavy penalties when attacking with two weapons. You can receive lower penalties by using a light weapon in your off-hand or by using a single double-headed weapon. Several feats can be taken to lower your penalties further. There are specialized weapons for certain tailed races that can act as a second or third equipped weapon with special training.
- As of 4th Edition, holding a weapon in each hand doesn't allow you to make two attacks by default, but certain feats give you benefits for dual-wielding, and quite a few Ranger powers require you to dual-wield. And Fighters have gotten into the act as well with the Tempest build from "Martial Power", which gives dual-wielding powers to the Fighter, and which, with a Ranger multiclass feat, can even wield two one-handed weapons like the Ranger can (since Fighters are usually limited to two light weapons or a one-handed weapon and a light weapon).
- As of 5th Edition, hearkening back towards some of 3.x' sensibilities, characters may wield a second weapon in their other hand (no mention of off-hands this edition) and attack with it at the cost of a Bonus action. This limits the feasibility of dual-wielding somewhat: you only have 'one' Bonus action a turn — there is no switching in or altering other actions to allow for multiple Bonus actions, and you generally have better uses for such limited but important actions in your game turns; additionally, without feats of training, the extra attack cannot gain benefits from your offensive statistics with regards to damage dealt.
- Exalted typically averts this, which is slightly odd given its strong anime influences. Wielding two weapons doesn't give you an extra attack unless you use a flurry, which you can do just as easily with one weapon. Those trained in the Fire Dragon style of Immaculate Martial Arts are the exception, who wield two (relatively, in comparison to the BFS most Exalted wield) short blades. Short and hook daiklaves, which Fire Dragon stylists use, are designed explicitly to be dual-wielded, and are usually found in matched pairs. Possibly in someone's ribcage.
- Third Edition, with its more standardized weapon stats, where weapons are instead differentiated by their size tags, allows dual wielders to make use of whichever weapon they think is more advantageous for each attack and parry. If they wield two identical weapons, they instead gain a bonus to clash attacks, same as wielding a single two-handed weapon. The main bonus of dual wielding comes from the ability to use the magical powers of two artifact weapons, instead of just one.
- Feng Shui, in contrast, does not give you any penalties at all for Dual Wielding any kind of weapon due to the game running largely on the Rule of Cool and the fact that many heroes in both kung fu movies and Heroic Bloodshed liked to dual-wield weapons. Golden Comeback, the Dragon supplement for the game, allows you to use many of the gun schticks in the original book for melee weapons if you're not a guy who uses Ki Manipulation like the regular martial artist, meaning that you can use the schtick normally reserved for Guns Akimbo against named characters, Both Guns Blazing, to lay on the hurt using two swords or other melee weapons.
- Games Workshop games:
- Many combat orientated troops from Warhammer and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar dual wield weapons in close combat. Typically using a weapon in each had in these games gives bonuses to combat, such as additional attacks.
- Warhammer examples:
- The Chaos Lord Vardek Crom has a special rule that enables him to switch between a sword-and-shield and a sword-and-axe stance so that he can tailor his attacks to his opponent.
- Some Skaven are able to triple-wield by holding certain specialized weapons in their tails, but they must be specially trained to do so.
- In Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, the Curselings of the Arcanite Cults are able to triple wield during battle with the main body fighting with a burning blade and a threshing flail, while the parasitic homunculus that grows out of them wields a mystical Staff of Tzeentch.
- In Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay characters are able to use a weapon in both hands. Unlike in the core game however, this does not grant any extra attacks as the off-hand weapon is mainly used for parrying (much like in real life).
- Warhammer 40,000 examples:
- Although Sword and Gun is the most common armament for combat specialists, many of the more attack focused troops and characters wield a pair of close combat weapons such as Lightning Claws.
- The cyborg assassins of the Adeptus Mechanicus known as Sicarian Ruststalker forgo ranged weapons in favour of wielding a pair of deadly transonic weapons. Their standard armament is a chordclaw and the knifelike transonic razor but they can upgrade these to a pair of transonic blades, longswords that, in both 7th and 8th Edition, allow the Ruststalkers to hit harder in combat.
- The Tyranid Hive Tyrant known as the Swarmlord quad-wields, carrying a Bone Sabres in each of its four hands, granting it extra attacks and allowing it to parry its opponent’s blows.
- In Dark Heresy wielding a pair of weapons gives a character extra attacks if they have the right mix of Talents, for a maximum of four every turn.
- Ironclaw has a set of Gifts for wielding two weapons at once, mostly it gives a bonus to parries, especially if using a main gauche
in the off-hand. - Iron Kingdoms: In Warmachime, Vladimir Tzpeski, the dark prince of Umbray, dual-wields a sword and a twin-bladed dagger. As do Supreme Archdomina Makeda, Tyrant Xerxis and all the skorne Praetorian swordsmen.
- Often appears in Magic: The Gathering art. It's sometimes associated with the ability Double Strike, which enables a creature to deal damage twice, but is often simply a visual. The weapons being used can be a bit unorthodox.
- The Fabled Hero is dual-wielding spiked whips.
- The Silverblade Paladin has made the dubious decision to simultaneously use a rapier and a scythe while also riding a horse.
- The Deft Duelist is more realistic, following the classic "rapier and dagger" mold and strikes first instead of hitting twice.
- The artwork for Kinsbaile Cavalier is a knight holding two shortswords/daggers, its ability gives knights you control Double Strike, and the flavor text provides a bit of interesting trivia concerning the Kithkin that hints at the whole race being able to duel-wield.
- The Hearthfire Hobgoblin has a pitchfork and a trowel.Hobgoblins are best left alone. They sharpen their farm implements far more than is necessary for their work in the fields.
- The Fabled Hero
- In Psionics: The Next Stage in Human Evolution the Ambidexterity technique allows you to do this if you have the blades or clubs skill at expert or higher.
- In The Witcher: Game of Imagination it is penalized and the weaker hand can only hold knives and lighter weapons. With proper set of perks, the penalty can be decreased and additional attacks are allowed, but in general it follows rules of rapier fencing, where the knive-hand is used to parry and sudden stabbing.
