dual wielding throughout the editions

[OgreBattle]

There was a post before about two weapon fighting in AD&D compared to D&D3e, but I've forgotten where it was.

Basically, how has the idea of using a weapon in each hand changed over D&D editions? Compared to using greatweapons

[talozin]

There was a post before about two weapon fighting in AD&D compared to D&D3e, but I've forgotten where it was.

Basically, how has the idea of using a weapon in each hand changed over D&D editions? Compared to using greatweapons

AD&D 1E allowed you to use an offhand weapon that had to be either a dagger or a hand axe. You took penalties to hit for both the main and off hand by default, and higher Dexterity gradually alleviated those penalties -- I think with a 16 Dex you no longer took a penalty to either hand.

There was no concept of specializing in dual-wielding in 1E; weapon specialization was only introduced in Unearthed Arcana and was strictly focused on individual weapons at the time. Not until the Complete Fighter's Handbook, I think, came out for 2E did style specialization become a thing.

[spongeknight]

There was a post before about two weapon fighting in AD&D compared to D&D3e, but I've forgotten where it was.

Basically, how has the idea of using a weapon in each hand changed over D&D editions? Compared to using greatweapons

Yeah, dual wielding in second edition was fucking insane. If you sunk your weapon proficiencies into it you became a straight-up monster at level 1 with two attacks to everyone else's one- and this was the edition where you almost certainly didn't have a con bonus to HP and rolled your hit die at first level, so one hit could easily kill you. Oh yeah, you died at 0 HP instead of -10 too. You only got better as you leveled up more, assuming you got magic types of whatever weapons you were wielding, because there was no "one and a half" strength bonus on two-handed weapons so having two weapons with enhancement bonuses did more damage than a single weapon with enhancement bonuses. And greatweapons had awful speed factors too, meaning they went slower in initiative. The only reason to ever have a two-hander in AD&D is if you hyper-specialized in one weapon and the DM promised to give you sweet magical upgrades for it, otherwise two-weapon fighting was vastly superior.

Edit- forgot to mention that this was true only for fighter types who got enough proficiency points to make it work.

Then in 3rd edition monster hit points went through the roof and the 1d6+1/1d6+1 damage you were throwing out at level three went from "terrifying melee machine" to "joke." A joke that cost you two feats no less.

[nockermensch]

There was a post before about two weapon fighting in AD&D compared to D&D3e, but I've forgotten where it was.

Basically, how has the idea of using a weapon in each hand changed over D&D editions? Compared to using greatweapons

In AD&D 2, dual wielding katanas (specially if you were a Dex 19 elf) was a ticket to victory and fame. It was crazy good. Picking ambidexterity allowed you to dual wield while suffering some significant penalties to your attack roll. High Dex diminished these penalties, and IIRC completely negated them at 19. (at very least, made them irrelevant).

Wielding a greatweapon meant a larger damage dice, but with your full strength bonus applying on both hands, hit points being smaller overall and you being able to move and full attack each round there was no reason to let an additional attack by round pass.

D&D 3 famously made two weapon fighting a worse choice for fighter types, creating hilarious cognitive dissonance on R. A. Salvatore fans because Drizzt went from complete badass to a joke build.

[CCarter]

AD&D: one extra attack, -2/-4 to hit, Dex adjustment offsets penalties.
Drow ignore the usual penalties. Shields only give a +1 AC bonus and great weapons are only a point or two damage usually (slightly more against Large targets)...not using two weapons is potentially worthwhile at higher levels, given enough attacks or a nifty enough magic shield.

AD&D-2: same but its rangers instead of drow. Two weapon style specialization offsets 2 points of penalties for both weapons and lets you use two weapons the same size; ambidexterity offsets the last 2 points.

3.0: separate feats required for Ambidexterity and Two Weapon Fighting, and at best -2/-2. Minimum BAB of +9 to take Improved TWF (IIRC) and TWF doesn't apply to ranged attacks. Every man and his dog is two weapon fighting with a one level dip in ranger; synergy between Power Attack and TWF enrages Andy Collins, who rewrites it in 3.5 to not work on light weapons and boost the damage ratio further for two-handed weapons. Tempest class for two weapon fighters can reduce offhand penalties to 0, but is mostly designed to let characters use Whirlwind with TWF for some reason.

3.5: as 3.0 except that its relatively easier to pick up a move-and-full-attack routine, and more feat options in splats (e.g. Improved Buckler Defense, Two Weapon Pin, Style feats in Complete Warrior).