Damage?

[JustCurious]

BG2 is my first time with D&D, but I was wondering why they can't just list the damage that your character does? I'm using a lvl 11 monk right now but I also have a short sword +2 that is 0 speed factor. So with my fists I strike 5/2 a round while with the short sword I do 7/2. Based on speed alone I'd obviously go with the short sword, but do my fists do more damage than this 1D6+2 short sword? How can I tell what kind of damage my fists are doing? Thanks.

[GNoBB]

Well firstly monks only get one attack per round with any weapon, they get several with their fists only(i think in one of the earlier patches this was bugged?)
And the amount of damage monks do is listed in the kit description in the game, and when you make your character.
Basically, speed factor is meaningless as far as I can tell, only counts for backstabs in some wierd way, and maybe for whether your attack can be interrupted.
1d6 means one 6 sided dice.
2d4 means two 4 sided dice.
Its all reasonably simple once you figure it out.

[Astafas]

The short sword you're using is Kundane, right? That sword is a bit special: the description lists its speed factor as 0. However, it does not say that the sword actually gives you an extra attack. Others short swords won't, though.