Double Weapons

[GutterFace]

Quick question that has been bugging me i need help with

a Double weapons like a Quarterstaff is listed for a Medium creature as

1d6/1d6

does this is when i make an attack it hits twice? how exactly does this work....

IF i attack twice would i roll to hit for each, or roll once and either hit or miss?

[Righteous Doggy]

Its one weapon, you use it like your fighting with two(two weapon fighting) both sides are enchanted seperately. That help?

[dropdadgbe]

You can choose to fight with it either as a 2-handed weapon (which lets you attack with 1 end but lets you add extra strength to damage) or as 2 weapons (with attack penalties as if the off-hand weapon was a light weapon).

[The Dark Fiddler]

Its one weapon, you use it like your fighting with two(two weapon fighting) both sides are enchanted seperately. That help?

Correction for clarity: you CAN use each side as a separate weapon, but nothing prevents you from wielding only a single side at a time. The damage dice given are for the individual sides (not that important for quarterstaffs, but look a tthe gnome hooked hammer: one side does more damage than the other, making the distinction important).

So basically, you can wield one side, and use it like any other two-handed weapon that deals 1d6 damage, or you can wield each side, taking the normal two-weapon fighting penalties.

Relevant SRD quote:

Double Weapons
Dire flails, dwarven urgroshes, gnome hooked hammers, orc double axes, quarterstaffs, and two-bladed swords are double weapons. A character can fight with both ends of a double weapon as if fighting with two weapons, but he or she incurs all the normal attack penalties associated with two-weapon combat, just as though the character were wielding a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.

The character can also choose to use a double weapon two handed, attacking with only one end of it. A creature wielding a double weapon in one hand can’t use it as a double weapon—only one end of the weapon can be used in any given round.

[Ashtagon]

It means you have two ways to attack with it.

As a standard action, you can make a single attack with one end of the weapon. The damage stats for each end of the weapon are seperated by a slash. In the case of the staff, you deal 1d6 damage (plus bonuses). Certain double weapons (such as the gnome hook thing) have different damage/critical hit effects. In that case, pick one.

As a full round action, you can full attack with it. This is mechanically identical to fighting with two weapons.