Weapons and fighting styles

I want to make sure I understand the weapons and fighting styles allowed by a class and how they relate to the proficiencies dealing with weapons and fighting styles.

  1. In the ACKS Core rulebook, I note that the Assassin may “fight … with a weapon in each hand” and the sample Bravo Template includes Fighting Style (Two-Weapon Fighting). Therefore, the Bravo receives the benefits noted under Fighting Style (Two-Weapon Fighting) when fighting with a weapon in each hand.
    May a class that cannot fight with a weapon in each hand choose Fighting Style (Two-Weapon Fighting) (assuming that Fighting Style is on the class’s proficiency list)? If so, what benefits are received?
  2. A Jutland Bard wants to wield a long bearded axe (Great Axe) like his showoff Barbarian brother. To do this, he would need to take both Fighting Style (Two-handed Weapon) and … Martial Training (axes)? However, Martial Training is not on his class list, so he cannot do this and is limited to using a Battle Axe with two hands. Is this correct?
    Thank you for your help!

Keep in mind the following:

  1. There are benefits to using a particular fighting style as allowed by class. For example the Assissin can fight with a weapon in each hand and thus gains a +1 to attack. A Fighter can use a shield and gain a bonus to AC.
  2. Further to the benefits granted by the class for what weapons and weapon styles they can use, classes are also granted access to weapon style proficiencies which when taken add their benefits to the ones already granted. In your Assassin example, an Assassin fighting with two weapons AND taking the two weapon fighting proficiency would gain a +2 to attack.
    I cannot comment on the Bard as I’m unfamiliar with the class.

I had a chance to look at the Bard.
The Bard can use any missle weapon and any 1 handed melee weapon. They may also wield a weapon in each hand. They may NOT use two-handed weapons.
Fighting Style (Two-handed weapons) provides a bonus for using a weapon with two hands (either a weapon that can only be used two handed or one that has the option). It does not provide the ability to do so if the class does not permit it.
Martial Training is a proficiency provided to cleric/divine type classes (as a class prof) to allow them to expand thier list of usable weapons. Bards, unfortunately, do not gain access to this prof.
To answer your question then, your poor Bard cannot match the might and fury of his Barbarian brother. He will be limited to using a battle axe single handed, and no amount of training will change this.
This is based on MY reading of the Fighting Style prof. It seems unlikely that a single prof would provide both the ability to wield a weapon type AND an additional bonus. That would make it a very potent prof indeed.

I believe Mr. Fox has the right of it.

Hello everyone!
I’m sorry to see confusion on this. I’m afraid the written rules did not capture my intent in a clear way, due to my use of the word “fighting style” to mean two different things, and my use of the word “two-handed” to mean two different things.
Fighting Style can mean (1) a class’s allowed methods of using weapons and (2) a proficiency which increases the benefit of fighting in a way already allowed by the class.
Two-handed can mean (1) a weapon designed exclusively for use with two-hands, such as a Great Axe, and (2) using two hands on one weapon, such as using two hands on a quarterstaff.
Fighting Style, Definition #1 is perhaps the most confusing. All characters can fight with one weapon in one hand, and all characters can make ranged attacks with missile weapons open to their class. There are 3 fighting styles that vary from class to class, though: (a) weapon and shield; (b) two hands on weapon; and (c) weapon in each hand (dual-wielding). How a class can wield its weapons is distinct from what weapons it can wield.
Of the core classes:
A mage can fight with two hands on weapon (1 fighting style).
A cleric can fight with two hands on weapon or with weapon and shield (2 fighting styles).
A thief can fight with two hands on weapon or with weapon in each hand (2 fighting styles).
A fighter can fight with two hands on weapon, weapon in each hand, or weapon and shield (3 fighting styles).
The ability to fight with two hands on a weapon is distinct from the ability to fight with an actual “Two-Handed Weapon”. For example, even though a Thief cannot fight with a two-handed weapon such as a pole-arm, he could still fight with two hands using a one-handed weapon such as a sword.
So, with this in mind, to answer the specific questions:

  1. In the ACKS Core rulebook, I note that the Assassin may “fight … with a weapon in each hand” and the sample Bravo Template includes Fighting Style (Two-Weapon Fighting). Therefore, the Bravo receives the benefits noted under Fighting Style (Two-Weapon Fighting) when fighting with a weapon in each hand.
    APM: That’s correct. What does that mean in game terms? “Characters fighting with two weapons still make 1 attack, using the primary weapon, but they gain a +1 bonus to the melee attack throw from having the second weapon. If the second weapon is magical, its magical bonus may be added to the attack throw (stacking with another weapon the way a shield stacks with armor), but not to the damage roll. Dual wielding does not give additional attacks.” That’s the default for any class capable of fighting with a weapon in each hand. Because the Bravo has Fighting Style (Two Weapon Fighting) he then gets an additional +1 to his attack throw, for a total +2.
    May a class that cannot fight with a weapon in each hand choose Fighting Style (Two-Weapon Fighting) (assuming that Fighting Style is on the class’s proficiency list)? If so, what benefits are received?
    APM: If a class cannot fight with a weapon in each hand, it cannot choose Fighting Style (Two Weapon Fighting).
  2. A Jutland Bard wants to wield a long bearded axe (Great Axe) like his showoff Barbarian brother. To do this, he would need to take both Fighting Style (Two-handed Weapon) and … Martial Training (axes)? However, Martial Training is not on his class list, so he cannot do this and is limited to using a Battle Axe with two hands. Is this correct?
    APM: Although it’s not explicitly stated, bards and thieves can fight with two hands on a weapon. They just aren’t trained to fight with Two Handed Weapons. So, in the case of the Jutlandic Bard, he could fight with a battle axe with two hands, but he could not fight with a great axe at all.