There's a sentence in the EotE Beta book that reads,

"Many one-handed melee weapons can be wielded in two hands to make them steadier and allow the wearer (sic) to apply more force to his blows."

There's nothing about handedness in weapon descriptions. Is this expanded upon in the complete rulebook?

The individual weapon descriptions in the core book do say whether or not it requires two hands.

If your talking about 'off-hand use' there are no rules. Apparently everyone in this Star Wars game is ambidextrous.

I think he's talking about doing more damage if you use a vibro sword with both hands instead of just one.

IE in d20 systems you did +1 damage for using a Long Sword with both hands.

Is it in the EotE CB? Don't recall it being there. Sounds like they maybe intended to give a bonus to damage if a one handed weapon was used two-handed. Probably was dropped.

I'd consider asking the GM for a boost die.

Well, there is no equivalent of a D&D +1 damage in this scale of combat. A Boost die is too much and doesn't really adequately represent the give and take of using a one handed weapon with two hands (you may hit harder but you swing and maneuver slower and it's harder to connect). Adding a point of damage doesn't really work either because it doesn't take into account what I just mentioned.

I would suggest not giving any extra dice or adding points of damage outright but instead allowing the PC to spend Advantages, say two or three, to add a point of damage. This idea basically says you don't get any bonus to hit but because you are using two hands on this normally one handed weapon you can spend some Advs to get extra damage.

Well, there is no equivalent of a D&D +1 damage in this scale of combat. A Boost die is too much and doesn't really adequately represent the give and take of using a one handed weapon with two hands (you may hit harder but you swing and maneuver slower and it's harder to connect). Adding a point of damage doesn't really work either because it doesn't take into account what I just mentioned.

What are you basing this on? All but the smallest of weapons were seldom wielded in one hand unless the other was unavailable. Use of a sword or axe (or baseball bat) in one hand is possible, but two handed-use is going to make maneuvering it faster rather than slower. Obviously short blades and hatchets (and a baton) are exceptions, but that's why I said "All but the smallest of weapons".

Hello.

Light ranged weapons are those that can generally be wielded in one hand, ...

Heavy ranged weapons are those that generally must be wielded in or directed with both hands, ...

Melee weapons can be either one- or two-handed, ...

(SW EotE CRB pg 154)

Gaffi sticks require two hands to wield. (SW EotE CRB pg 166)

A Vibro-ax requires two hands to wield. (SW EotE CRB pg 167)

These are the only two melee weapons with a specific "handedness"-mentioning; any other melee weapon has no such entry in the description. The weapon-table on SW EotE CRB pg 161 offers no extra-data. And the generall descritption for melee weapons indicates nothing special about what might happen, if you use a one-hand weapon two-handedly. And in the combat-section of the book I have found no advice about how to handle such a situation either.

I have not found the line you, BradPlogsted, have quoted. Where is it?

What would I do?

1. I would look at the pictures of the weapon and ask myself: Would such a weapon be reasonably wielded in only one hand (like the combat knife) or more liekly in two hands (light sabre) or something inbetween (vibrosword)?

2. If it is a one hand weapon based on my reasoning, I would then ask: would it be possible that this weapon could be used with two hands, and that in a way that based on the circumstances with a reasonable benefit ? (combat/vibroknife: no, truncheon: maybe, virbosword:yes)

3. How would this benefit look like? "Apply more force to his blows" - sounds like more damage - like what? +2 damage per net-success or +1 extra damage per 2 advantages, maybe reducing the number of advantages by 1 in order to create a critical injury, or maybe generally adding an extra 1/2 of the brawn characteristics (rounded down) to the damage? I guess I would discuss this with the gamers at the table, how we would like to handle this - on a circumstantial basis or as a general (house-)rule applicable for the players' characters as well as their opponents ...

Best wishes!

Mad

Hello.

Light ranged weapons are those that can generally be wielded in one hand, ...

Heavy ranged weapons are those that generally must be wielded in or directed with both hands, ...

Melee weapons can be either one- or two-handed, ...

(SW EotE CRB pg 154)

Gaffi sticks require two hands to wield. (SW EotE CRB pg 166)

A Vibro-ax requires two hands to wield. (SW EotE CRB pg 167)

These are the only two melee weapons with a specific "handedness"-mentioning; any other melee weapon has no such entry in the description. The weapon-table on SW EotE CRB pg 161 offers no extra-data. And the generall descritption for melee weapons indicates nothing special about what might happen, if you use a one-hand weapon two-handedly. And in the combat-section of the book I have found no advice about how to handle such a situation either.

I have not found the line you, BradPlogsted, have quoted. Where is it?

What would I do?

1. I would look at the pictures of the weapon and ask myself: Would such a weapon be reasonably wielded in only one hand (like the combat knife) or more liekly in two hands (light sabre) or something inbetween (vibrosword)?

2. If it is a one hand weapon based on my reasoning, I would then ask: would it be possible that this weapon could be used with two hands, and that in a way that based on the circumstances with a reasonable benefit ? (combat/vibroknife: no, truncheon: maybe, virbosword:yes)

3. How would this benefit look like? "Apply more force to his blows" - sounds like more damage - like what? +2 damage per net-success or +1 extra damage per 2 advantages, maybe reducing the number of advantages by 1 in order to create a critical injury, or maybe generally adding an extra 1/2 of the brawn characteristics (rounded down) to the damage? I guess I would discuss this with the gamers at the table, how we would like to handle this - on a circumstantial basis or as a general (house-)rule applicable for the players' characters as well as their opponents ...

Best wishes!

Mad

Those suggestions for increased Damage when using something like a vibrosword two-handed are a bit over the top. Something as easy as increasing base Damage by +1 is more than sufficient and far easier to house rule in.

OP mentioned it was in the EotE beta. Since there is no such thing in the EotE CB that I recall, I imagine it was dropped. If weapons need two hands to be used it is mentioned in their stats. Otherwise there is no advantage to using a one-handed weapon with two hands. Whether or not you want to add anything is up to you. Personally I don't see the point. A boost die, in my estimation, is too much of a bonus. Maybe, if you want it there, limit it to a bonus advantage. Otherwise I'd leave it as a descriptor for when you take a boost die from advantage.

"He took the weapon in two hands and made a mighty swing!"

Hi.

My bad - haven't payed close attention and thus have not understood this question is based on the beta. Yes, in that case I agree: no rules for this specific situation, therefore no reason to 'trick' the system. Maybe narratives alow forsomething based on the situation, but then this should not be used to create a generell rule ...

Best wishes!

Mad

OP mentioned it was in the EotE beta. Since there is no such thing in the EotE CB that I recall, I imagine it was dropped. If weapons need two hands to be used it is mentioned in their stats. Otherwise there is no advantage to using a one-handed weapon with two hands. Whether or not you want to add anything is up to you. Personally I don't see the point. A boost die, in my estimation, is too much of a bonus. Maybe, if you want it there, limit it to a bonus advantage. Otherwise I'd leave it as a descriptor for when you take a boost die from advantage.

"He took the weapon in two hands and made a mighty swing!"

I think advantages can cover this properly.

Well, there is no equivalent of a D&D +1 damage in this scale of combat. A Boost die is too much and doesn't really adequately represent the give and take of using a one handed weapon with two hands (you may hit harder but you swing and maneuver slower and it's harder to connect). Adding a point of damage doesn't really work either because it doesn't take into account what I just mentioned.

What are you basing this on? All but the smallest of weapons were seldom wielded in one hand unless the other was unavailable. Use of a sword or axe (or baseball bat) in one hand is possible, but two handed-use is going to make maneuvering it faster rather than slower. Obviously short blades and hatchets (and a baton) are exceptions, but that's why I said "All but the smallest of weapons".

A fair question. A lot of people on forums make claims to knowledge but are mostly making comments based on what they regard as common sense, sometimes extrapolated from a similar experience or something they saw or whatever. These are valid resources for discussions like this where no ones life is on the line, it is a game after all. In this case though I do have direct experience with Medieval and Renaissance martial arts, not SCA stick fighting but actual fencing with real weapons. I'm no master (I can't even say I was much better than average) and it's been a few years but I know the basics. If you are using weapon two handed against another person doing the same both fighters are fast and can hit hard, same with two one handed fighters. However if you have a two handed fighter fighting against a one handed opponent the one handed fighter has an advantage of mobility and quickness because of his stance and how he can swing his weapon more freely. It's only a marginal difference but one that a skilled fighter can take advantage of.

Regardless the point I was making was that the difference in using a one handed weapon two handed is going to be a trade off of accuracy and quickness for power. At the scale of EotE's dice this difference is negligible and doesn't warrant another damage point or Boost die, but there is still some effect so I would go with allowing the PC to buy extra damage when using a weapon this way with Advantages (I suggest 2-3 for 1).