Dual Wielding changes

Normal Use

At times, a character will use two or more weapons simultaneously.  In such situations, you gain the bonuses and penalties for both weapons.  This includes CF penalties and both CF penalties are added together to determine the new CF when using both weapons.  In addition, you have a penalty, equal to a 75 – COORD to your ATK and ALL Maneuver skills.   The penalty also includes skill checks that use the weapons, including Parry and Block actions. If unskilled in one of the weapons, double the CF and Fumble penalties.  If unskilled in both, triple them. In summation:

1. Add bonuses and penalties of the two weapons
2. Add CF penalties to determine new CF (both weapons strike on the same CF Count)
3. 75 – COORD to your ATK, ALL Maneuver skills, and skill checks using weapons
4. Double or triple the CF and Fumble penalties if unskilled in one or both weapons

So, what does having this extra weapon give you in return for all the penalties?  The added weapon provides an extra quickened action that can be used to do one of two things:  Allow you to Block or Parry with your weapons, using the combinations listed above OR to employ both weapons in an attack, adding your extra quickened action to your normal action.  This special attack, allows you to employ the weapons to hit a single foe, doing damage for both weapons or strike at two adjacent foes.  Additionally, damage, no matter how employed against foes, is only applied to one weapon.  Hitting a foe with two weapons, even if in the same CF Count, still counts as two hits, so they gain DR against both hits.  So, to list it out, you can use the extra quickened action to do the following:

1. Block or Parry
2. Add to a Normal action to strike one foe, inflicting both weapons damage to one foe
3. As above but as separate attack rolls against two adjacent foes

Just a couple of notes to tie up this section.  Both weapons can be employed with a Flurry (Combat) and Whirlwind Assault (Combat) and still be considered only one attack.  The same applies to Speed Strike (Weapon), though the attack must be against the same foe.  The use of two weapons also applies for Whirling Strikes (Combat), and as long as one of the two hit (if separate attacks are made), then the bonus is gained.

Harmonious Blades [Weapon] *new!

Prerequisite:  Trained

Harmonious blades requires you to be dual wielding weapons.  When making the special normal + quickened action attack to hit multiple opponents, you can strike opponents anywhere around you, not just adjacent ones.  Additionally, you can employ the quickened action gained from the extra blade in the following ways as well:

• When using All Out Assault (Combat skill), you add a +25 to the bonus gained
• It can be used for the quickened action required by the Baffling Moves (Combat) secret

Joined Blades [Weapon]

Prerequisite: Experienced, Elastic Mind [Combat]

Joined Blades requires you to be dual wielding weapons.   You can employ the quickened action gained the extra blade to Block or Parry as normal OR to make an attack roll, without combining it with a normal action.  Essentially you disconnect the requirement to combine the offhand attack with your normal attack.  You can also split your BODY damage between the two weapons, if desired, instead of apply it to one or the other blade.  You make this determination prior to your attack and it must be split evenly if you do.

Balance of Steel [Weapon]

Prerequisite: Specialist, Joined Blades, Synergy [Athletics], Harmonious Blades

Balance of Steel requires you to be dual wielding weapons.  Normally, having the second weapon provides an extra quickened action.  Balance of Steel provides changes this to a normal action for the purposes of secrets, maneuvers and attacks with the weapon only.  Secrets or actions that take all your actions, such as Flurry, benefit as well.

Spread Attack [Weapon]

Prerequisite: Expert, Weapon Cunning, Pinpoint Attacks [Combat], Dancing Weapon

If you are capable of multiple attacks, you can spread your attacks freely across any number of foes you can reach.  This includes the barrage of attacks gained from Flurry, Whirlwind assault and other maneuvers that provide additional attacks as well.  If you have the Balance of Steel secret and are dual wielding weapons, you gain an additional quickened action that can be used to Block/Parry or attack.  However, if you use it, both quickened actions gained from the extra weapon can only be employed as quickened actions.  

NOTES

Spin Attack may be performed with each weapon if you have secret in both weapons.  You choose to either employ them as a single unit, striking with both against everyone around you, or to Spin Attack attacking with them separately.  Either way, it takes a normal action and the normal action equivalent explained under Balance of Steel to employ both weapons.