Would these concepts be applicable to using a 1-handed weapon with both hands? I'm particularly thinking about the warhammer, buy I suppose my question applies to any weapon that can be wielded with 2 hands.
Would these concepts be applicable to using a 1-handed weapon with both hands? I'm particularly thinking about the warhammer, buy I suppose my question applies to any weapon that can be wielded with 2 hands.
It certainly could; using a one-handed weapon in two hands does offer the same offensive capability as a two-hander, but also allows use of a shield when necessary. The downside is that the shield's power loses relevance over the course of the character's career, and also costs a fair amount of your WBL to keep relevant (in exchange for offensive prowess that could've been acquired with that money); think of it as a defensive version of applying a bite attack to your repertoire.
Due to the nature of optimization (for a basic player, let's just call it "specialist favoritism") and its numerical relationship with the Pathfinder rules chassis, you should really only focus on one and just increase the other passively, otherwise it follows the old saying, "A man who chases two hares catches neither."
I'll also post one of my FAQ questions here in hopes that it provides insight as to why I say what I say:
A: It all boils down to playstyle and purpose. Dual-Wielding is about making sure you get a hit in and allows for many attacks, making dealing with multiple foes much easier (since you can cut more with two weapons than with one). The Sword & Board package is about being able to deal damage as well as actively protecting themselves on a higher level. While these may seem more effective than a two-handed weapon, in appearance they are right.
In mechanics, they aren't as effective in dealing damage as a Two-Handed Weapon. Two-Handed Weapons generally have a larger damage dice output, and allow extra additions of damage allocated to a single target. Dual-Wielding is great for dealing against many foes, or delivering an onslaught of blows, but these attacks won't be as consistent or effective as a Two-Handed Weapon, and going against multiple foes is null thanks to the Cleave Feat (and its upgrades); Sword & Board packages are great with dealing against a foe whose offense is great and simple (like a Two-Handed Fighter), but they fall short against a foe whose attacks are numerous, and will eventually succumb to the number of attacks (and those random Natural 20 rolls) the Dual-Wielding Fighter throws out.
In short, it's akin to that of RPS (Rock, Paper, Scissors, for those who didn't see the abbreviation). Two-Handed Fighters slaughter Dual-Wielding for overall effectiveness, Sword & Board Fighters outlast any Two-Handed Fighter, and Dual-Wielding Fighters overwhelm those who use a Sword & Board.
A warhammer wouldn't be a bad weapon, even as a back-up; that being said, I end up finding bludgeoning weapons as being nothing but back-up weapons, because slashing and/or piercing weapons usually have the better statistics. The critical multipliers are usually X4 or 18-20/X2, the best multipliers for a two-hander to use; they also have solid weapon damage dice, which can take the higher progression if going for a damage dice build.
Unfortunately, a quick rundown of weapons shows that a bludgeoning weapon has neither the proper/good critical multipliers, nor the solid damage dice you'd want for a damage dice build. In fact, the only mechanical benefit of a bludgeoning weapon over any other type is to overcome the damage reduction that Bludgeoning bypasses (which is obviously DR/Bludgeoning). By the late game, if you possess the Penetrating Strike feats like any good Fighter would, most damage reduction that requires damage type is irrelevant, as you bypass it anyway.
Of course, using a bludgeoning weapon such as a Warhammer makes for some interesting flavor, in which case more power to you. But as far as the mechanics are concerned, there are stronger options at your disposal. Whether you deem them necessary to your character or not is up to you; I'm merely speaking from an objective optimization standpoint, similar to what my guide would recommend.
Well, the flavor is driven by the Giantslayer AP, and the ability to wield weapons 1 size larger. 2-handing the Hammer of Thunderbolts is pretty sweet. It's just not obvious from the 2-handed archetype that the bonuses apply with any weapon wielded as a 2-hander. Thanks.
Well, the flavor is driven by the Giantslayer AP, and the ability to wield weapons 1 size larger. 2-handing the Hammer of Thunderbolts is pretty sweet. It's just not obvious from the 2-handed archetype that the bonuses apply with any weapon wielded as a 2-hander. Thanks.
It appears that I misread the question. I do appreciate the context, as it does affect the answer. In short, that depends on how the ability is worded.
For the Two-handed Fighter archetype, here's the language presented:
At 3rd level, when a two-handed fighter makes a single attack (with the attack action or a charge) with a two-handed weapon, he adds double his Strength bonus on damage rolls.
As the fighter class feature, but the bonuses only apply when wielding two-handed melee weapons.
At 7th level, when a two-handed fighter makes a full attack with a two-handed weapon, he adds double his Strength bonus on damage rolls for all attacks after the first.
At 11th level, as a standard action, a two-handed fighter can make a single melee attack with a two-handed weapon.
At 15th level, when using Power Attack with a two-handed melee weapon, the bonus damage from Power Attack is doubled (+100%) instead of increased by half (+50%).
At 19th level, as a standard action, a two-handed fighter may make a single melee attack with a two-handed weapon at a –5 penalty.
Almost every ability explicitly requires a two-handed weapon to be used. There is this FAQ here that was spawned due to the interactions of a Bastard Sword (which is damn confusing). Here's the important bits bolded:
A bastard sword is a one-handed weapon (although for some rules it blurs the line between a one-handed and a two-handed weapon).
The physical properties of a bastard sword are that of a one-handed weapon. For example, its hardness, hit points, ability to be crafted out of special materials, category for using the Craft skill, effect of alchemical silver, and so on, are all that of a one-handed weapon.
For class abilities, feats, and other rule elements that vary based on or specifically depend on wielding a one-handed weapon, a two-handed weapon, or a one-handed weapon with two hands, the bastard sword counts as however many hands you are using to wield it.
For example, if you are wielding it one-handed (which normally requires the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat), it is treated as a one-handed weapon; Power Attack only gets the one-handed bonus, you cannot use Pushing Assault or Shield of Swings (which require a two-handed weapon), and so on.
If you are wielding it with two hands (whether or not you have the Exotic Weapon Proficiency to wield it with one hand), it is treated as a two-handed weapon; Power Attack gets the increased damage bonus, you can use Pushing Assault or Shield of Swings (which require a two-handed weapon), and so on.
An unusual case of the handedness rule is an ability that allows you to treat a two-handed weapon as a one-handed weapon. For example, the titan mauler's jotungrip (which allows you to wield a two-handed weapon with one hand) allows you to wield a bastard sword in one hand even without the Exotic Weapon Proficiency, and (as the ability states) treats it as a one-handed weapon, therefore it is treated as a one-handed weapon for other effects.
From this FAQ, we can construe that with a Bastard Sword as the given example, a weapon that can be wielded as both a one-handed or two-handed weapon equally, if you are using it two-handed, it is treated as a two-handed weapon for the purposes of class abilities, feats, and other rules elements besides its physical properties (which is hardness, hit points, special material interactions, crafting DCs and costs, etc).
This means that a one-handed weapon wielded with two hands counts as a two-handed weapon for the purposes of using the Two-Handed Fighter class features.
All of your text is good. Thanks. My player has 15 days in-game to do some tinkering, and I'm just trying to help him in the right direction (he's very new). He may end up dual-wielding the 2 hammers (he already has Aggrimosh).