In the rules it says you can choose to attack with an equipped weapon or bare handed. Why would a character ever choose to attack bare handed? Also if you choose to attack with both of your actions can you use your equipped weapon for each attack?

If both of your actions are attacks, you can definitely utilize whatever weapon you have equipped for both attacks.

It would be possible to have two hands worth of shields equipped and still attack with a bare fist. I am not suggesting it is a good idea, just that it could be done.

In Descent First Edition, it was possible to be swallowed into an Ice Wyrm's stomach. In this case, the hero ONLY had his fists that he could attack with (no other weapons were allowed). Swallow works differently in Descent Second Edition.

While playing the shadow rune finale "The Man Who Would Be King," My heroes elected to have their only ranged character (the necromancer) unequip all weapons for the duration of the second encounter to ensure I couldn't Dark Charm attack the other heroes with him. He did attack a zombie once or twice with bare hands.

While playing the shadow rune finale "The Man Who Would Be King," My heroes elected to have their only ranged character (the necromancer) unequip all weapons for the duration of the second encounter to ensure I couldn't Dark Charm attack the other heroes with him. He did attack a zombie once or twice with bare hands.

This is actually a very good reason to do this. Sometimes by later in the campaign, some heroes have such powerful weapons that having them turned back onto themselves is not much fun. Another way this could happen is with Chaos Beasts and their morph ability.

Of course, also note that by the time you are late in a campaign, trying to do significant damage with just a fist is almost impossible.

In shadows of nerkhal there is a quest (Respected Citizen, Act 1) where you have to beat up a drunk guy with your bare hands while chasing him down an alley with demons and monsters everywhere.

You know, a Tuesday.

ROTFLMFAO !!!

Seriously. Rolling.