We had the topic come up several times now when playing, and apart from Ambidextrous not making much sense (mechanics-wise) if you plan to get Two Weapon Wielder and Two Weapon Master, several of our players feel that the aptitudes (Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill) are completely off.

They would make sense if Ambidextrous was a pure combat talent but as the Sage gets Ambidextrous (or Clues from the Crowd) as a free starting talent we were thinking about it being more than just training to fight with two weapons (which would be Two Weapon Wielder / Master).

So if Ambidextrous means that I can use both my hands equally well for whatever I'm doing, like writing stuff in case of the Sage or fixing a broken machine or whatever, then the aptitudes don't make any sense at all.

One of our players then suggested to use Agility and Finesse as aptitudes for Ambidextrous.

Thoughts? Has this been an issue for you, too? I didn't find a thread touching this so I thought I'd just make my own

I don't see the need for handedness in RPGs in general, really. I find it doesn't add a lot, and is just another inconsequential thing to keep track of.

I don't see the need for handedness in RPGs in general, really. I find it doesn't add a lot, and is just another inconsequential thing to keep track of.

I on the other hand really like handedness in rpg's, and don't find it superfluous at all. The problem is with the implementation of the critical charts compared to the system this one comes from. In Whfrp a lot of the early criticals (results 1-3) to the arm (left or right being distinguished in the location results) start with something like "The character must make a toughness test or drop anything held in that hand". Whether my character is right or left handed determines if that result puts me at risk of losing my shield/parrying weapon, or my sword respectively. Both of which have very different consequences.

@Cail

That really has less to do with characters having handedness, and more to do with just knowing which hand is wielding what.

Handedness comes into play more when an arm is incapacitated. IE. My right arm is lost, can I pick up my sword in my left hand and continue to fight with it. I don't really have a problem with that since the loss of an arm already precludes you from using two-handed weapons, or applies the one-handed penalty to basic ranged weapons.

Handedness would also come into play if I was wielding two pistol class or one-handed weapons, but only attacking with one (vice TWW/TWM double attacking). If handedness were a factor, one of those would suffer a penalty, even though I wasn't using the weapon in my other hand.

Not if the game includes a penalty for wielding weapons in your off hand, which most RPGs do, but DH2.0 seems to omit. In most RPGs you could pick up a sword with your left hand, but it would leave you at a penalty to WS (traditionally -20 in the older versions of the game). Its still far from a redundant mechanic.

I do think this iteration of the game is a bit strange, it seems to have done away with the mechanics for handedness, but kept ambidextrous as a talent, which makes it seem superfluous. While I prefer to handedness included in full, this weird 'half inclusion' doesn't sit right with me. It either needs to be gone (or only utilised in combat mechanics, like two weapon wielding) or kept in in its entirety.

While I agree with you on handedness in general, I'd like to know your opinion on the aptitudes for Ambidextrous.

Currently its pointless. If you want two weapon use its redundant, and it has no further use.

why is it redundant? it provides a middle step ground between the two weapon wielder and master. if you don't have the right aptitudes two weapon master cost a load of XP (agility to 45, having both two weapon wilder talents, even if you are specialised in close or ranged combat) which you might not want to pay, but you can imporve a bit on you chance to hit with having ambidextrous for barlye 200-300 xp.
of course if you have the aptitudes or the determination to go for the two weapon master it is pointless (and reduntant), but so as other 30 talents in the book

Two weapon master is only 400xp if you have the right aptitudes.

Its pointless because most people will who want to dual wield will want two weapon master eventually. TWM doesn't combine with Ambidextrous, it completely negates the effects of dual wielding. This makes any XP spent on ambidextrous wasted if you buy the higher tier talent later. This 'tax' only becomes higher if your aptitudes are not aligned, which means the XP you used buying ambidextrous would have been better used being banked for TWM.

Ambidextrous alone does not allow a character to wield a weapon in both hands, it requires TWW before it has any effect.

I will concede that it does allow for a 'halfway step' for characters who might not be combat focussed. But a player should be pretty committed to only wanting to reach that step to make it a worth while investment, which seems a bit half-assed to me.