why is it...? (weapons)

[bunnies]

...when dual wielding I can only equip a morning star in my main hand and not in my off-hand. All other single hand weapons are interchangeable with my off-hand!

Also the morning star is both piercing and bludgeoning damage. Does this mean it still damages creatures immune to piercing/ immune to bludgeoning?

[Magrus]

I think that may be because of the nature of the weapon, the fact of how it's used. I was sad about that myself, but it DOES make sense after seeing a friend use on in real life. You can't swing two of those, and attempting to do so would kill or maim you I'm sure of it.

I believe that it does, I'm not sure how it works as when I use say, Magic Weapon on my morning star with my cleric, it adds +1 bludgeoning damage. So it may only mean part of the damage goes through as piercing, or all of it. I don't know for sure.

[Ripe]

I don't have a picture before me right now, but isn't Morning Star basicly a spiked iron ball conected by chain to a handle? If my memory works corectly than it's listed as P/B because it deals both damage at the same time but it main damage is bludgeon. When you swing it and hit someone most damage is done by a iron ball and spikes on top are just "icing on a cake" so if you wish you may say that 1/3 (or 1/4, 1/5, 1/6) of damage is Piercing and 2/3 (or 3/4, 4/5, 5/6) is Bludgeon. You may assign any division as you like as long as bludgeon has at least 1 point of damage more than piercing (just my house rule, not an official one).

[Magrus]

*nods* Morning star's have come through in a few different ways. Some are just spiked maces, other's are essentially a spiked mace with a chain between the handle and the ball with the spikes on it.

In the game, it's the latter, which would account for the fact it can't be used in your off-hand I'm guessing. Just one of those weapons, along with the whip, that can't be an off-hand weapon because of how it has to be used to be effective.

[jerold_chan]

Although this may be getting a little *off topic*, I agree with Magrus that it is near impossible to be able to use two Morning Stars at the same time. The main thing is because the iron spike ball is very heavy and the momentum when spinning it around in circles is how the user controls it. As soon as the user slows the spin of the Morning Star, it becomes very hard to handle and the chance of the user hitting themselves is very high.

Due to this, the user requires heaps of strength on BOTH arms and high coordination to be able to use two Morning Stars.

[Screaming Johny]

Two Damage Types

Sigh, unfortunately this is an area where the game mechanics do not work quite as they should. Weapons with two types of damage should not be subjected to DR for only one type. That is if swinging a morningstar at someone with piecing DR or bludgeoning DR (not both), the damage should still get through. But in the game it is the opposite. DR to EITHER type (or both) will reduce the damage. This makes weapons with two types of damage less attractive in NWN instead of more attractive.

[bunnies]

Well that puts a different spin on things. My previous weapon combo was Katana/warhammer for slashing/bludgeoning damage. Once I had a decent morning star I equiped that to give all damage types. Now it seems that a creature with either pierce or bludgeon resistance will essentially reduce my attack!

Anybody have ideas for a better weapon combo?

[Magrus]

Katana and rapier/short sword would give you slashing/piercing. Then you can switch off to another pair if you have someone immune to those two. I quickbar different combo's. I usually have 3 weapons, and if I'm dual-wielding I quickbar them into different combinations. If you face off against an undead thing, have a combo for bludgeoning damage ready and you can just click to switch back when your done.