Thieves, Nightblades, and Two Hands on a Weapon

Since ACKS was published, there's been ongoing confusion as to whether thieves can wield a one-handed weapon with two hands. With an errata-fixing reprint scheduled, I'd like to clear this up.


The following text would replace the language on p23 for Thieves:

Because of their need for stealth and free movement, thieves cannot wear armor heavier than leather, and cannot use shields or true two-handed melee weapons such as great axes or polearms. They may use any missile weapons and any one-handed melee weapons. They may fight with a one-handed weapon in each hand, or wielding a one-handed weapon with two hands ”

 

Does that make it clear?

Yep! I could see some literalists going “Well, this means that they can’t fight with just one one-handed weapon in one hand”, but it definitely makes it clearer to me.

That language is clear to me. As long as we’re looking at two-handed weapon errata, though, I think there are a couple of other points that should be clarified:

  1. Does a character with the Fighting Style (Two-handed Weapon) proficiency only get his damage bonus when he uses a strictly two-handed weapons, such as a great axe, or does it also apply when he uses a standard-sized weapon, such as a battle axe, in two hands?
  2. Is a staff a strictly two-handed weapon that deals 1d6 damage, or a standard-sized weapon that can be used in one or two hands for 1d4 or 1d6 damage, respectively?

I think 2. was answered in the warlock thread: Its standard-sized and warlocks can only use one hand dealing 1d4 damage.

In the Warlock thread, it was ruled that, because the Warlock gave up the two-handed weapon style proficiency in return for a custom power, he can only use a standard-sized staff in one hand for 1d4 damage. That contradicts the ruling in this thread, which states that two-handed weapon proficiency is not necessary to use a standard-sized weapon in two hands. Unless using a standard-sized weapon in two hands without the benefit of two handed proficiency is one of the benefits of having Fighting 1 instead of Fighting 0, or is one of a Thief’s custom powers, then a Warlock ought to be able to use a standard-sized staff in two hands just like a Thief can.

That’s not really the ruling in this thread, and I think you’re conflating two things (fighting styles versus weapon proficiencies).

The thief and nightblade did NOT give up their two-handed fighting style. They are only proficient with one-handed weapons, but may still fight in the two-handed style. The warlock traded away its two-handed fighting style, and so gains no benefit from wielding a weapon in two hands.

You’re right. Thief takes two-weapon and two-handed as its styles and all missile and all one-handed as its proficiencies. My bad.