A challenge: ONLY ONE WEAPON IN ONE HAND

[Bluydee]

Here's a challenge for you people. Build a character that uses one weapon in one hand with no shield and has reason to do so over dual wielding or two-handing.

[PsyBomb]

Which system? In PF, a Dervish Dance Aegis with their shield power is a good start.

[Orsyn]

I have a PF build that does exactly this, actually. 3.5 may not incentivize it as much, I'm not certain. By one hand, I assume you mean "has a free hand" rather than "has a weapon and can hold a shield," yes?

[Bluydee]

I fixed the OP. No shields either.

[Yorrin]

While PF has reasons to do this, 3.5 doesn't. Because even if you've got a 1h weapon (and I do assume you mean one handed as opposed to light) switching between holding it in one or two hands is a free action. So anything you'd need to do with your free hand you can do, but then you'd immediately switch to a two handed grip for more damage.

[Kazyan]

Hi, I'm a gish. I found a Metamagic Rod of Quicken/Maximize/whatever. I want it and my sword in the same combat.

[Yorrin]

Hi, I'm a gish. I found a Metamagic Rod of Quicken/Maximize/whatever. I want it and my sword in the same combat.

Then the hand with the rod is not "free." If I'm understanding the OP correctly he's looking for a reason to have a completely empty hand. But that hand is a resource to be leveraged, so having it empty is inherently unoptimized.

Plus, I'm sure there's some way to get a rod embedded in your longsword...

[PsyBomb]

Ok, then. Starting my stub now, will finish as I have time.

System: Pathfinder.

Human Soulknife/Aegis/Metaforge (finish w/Soulknife)
-debating whether to include Aegis at all or just go straight Soulknife)

Suit Type: Astral Skin

Feats: Weapon Finesse, Dervish Dance

Stat priority: DEX>Con>Wis>Int>Str=Cha

Blade Skills: Emulate Melee Weapon, Mind Shield (note, this is not actually holding anything)

Suit Customizations:

[Morof Stonehands]

In 3.5, you can take the feat Single Blade style, that gives a bonus to AC for having only a sword in 1 hand.

There is also a PrC, Bladesinger that requires you to have a free hand.

Deflect Arrows, Snatch Arrows, Rflect Arrows, Infinite Deflection, and Exception Deflection all require an empty hand. Snatch Weapon is very similar.

Einhander Feat lets you uses 3 tactical maneuvers with a free hand.

I'm sure there are others.

[dextercorvia]

Snowflake Wardance on a Bard based Gish. You could TWF, but that makes casting complicated.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Glove of the master strategist, free action to store/retrieve items. Dirt cheap (about 2, 600 GP iirc) by the time TWF+SFWD comes online.

[dextercorvia]

Glove of the master strategist, free action to store/retrieve items. Dirt cheap (about 2, 600 GP iirc) by the time TWF+SFWD comes online.

True, then only if your feats are better spent on other things than TWF.

[SinsI]

Easy. Wizard with a wand of fireballs.

[Dusk Eclipse]

True, then only if your feats are better spent on other things than TWF.

I'm afraid I'm not following you.

[dextercorvia]

I'm afraid I'm not following you.

I mean that the aforementioned SFWD Bard Gish would be better served with TWF, unless there was a compelling reason to take other feats first (for prereqs, etc.) SFWD Bards are fairly feat starved if they want to go for full DFI, etc. Combining Gloves of the Balanced hand (8000) with Master strategist(3600) is going to be expensive before level 9. They will probably pick TWF up eventually, but it might be at level 9/12. So for a couple of levels (6-9), it is probably best to just rock the single weapon.

[Elricaltovilla]

Magus 20. Have to have one hand free for casting spells. Other hand has a scimitar.

EDIT: This is for Pathfinder btw.

[SiuiS]

Iaijutsu focus incarnate.

Come from one of the Lion clan schools that grants you the benefits of two handing a weapon in one hand.

Incarnate your one-handed weapon.

When you release an incarnate weapon, it appears in your free hand as a non-action if you have one. The sword appearing in your hand is functionally drawing the sword and qualifies for iaijutsu focus use. You get the full benefits of power attack on this sequence of attacks and because you are fighting with both hands you get the extra attack(s) from two weapon fighting.

There are feats in 3e that give you minor benefits for having a weapon in one hand and nothing in the other. There are feats which give you minor bonuses for two weapon fighting. There are easy ways to get a lot of feats sith very little upkeep.

Go to town.

[Damian1335]

If Pf:
Dervish Dance Magus / Dervish Dance Swashbuckler
Swordlord.

[StreamOfTheSky]

I'm not sure there is a legitimate reason to in 3.5. Just in PF. I guess the only way I can think of is if you're making a grappler. Apparently you don't actually need a free hand to start a grapple (must be a change PF made, I see no such restriction in d20srd's grapple rules), but you still can't fight with a 2H weapon while grappling. You're actually restricted to light, though a Tiger Claw stance lets you use 1H weapons, too.

So yeah.... a grappler who for some reason is not grappling with spells or summoned minions nor is he natural attacks or unarmed-based.

[Fjolnir]

No random creature with exactly one hand?

[malonkey1]

Play an awakened chimpanzee, wield greatsword in feet instead of hands.

Problems?

[Raishoiken]

Play an awakened chimpanzee, wield greatsword in feet instead of hands.

Problems?

one that flies. you could use the Winged template, which would allow you to wield the weapon with your feat, have the two free hands, and still be able to move

[KoboldMasteRace]

If you wanted to use it for actual play? Probably Warblade 6/Wizard 3/Jade Phoenix Mage 10/Abjurant Champion 1, so you could pick up Einhander right at level 6. If you're looking for theoretical builds that are only expected to be competent at level 20, Crusader or Warblade 1/Wizard 4/Swiftblade 2/Spellsword 1/Swiftblade +1/Jade Phoenix Mage 5/Abjurant Champion 5/X (anything that advances Wizard casting) 1. 17 BAB, 9th-level spells, you're a pro at utilizing Swift actions in all the best ways, and that last level is filler as long as it advances Wizard casting so there's some customizability. (Crusader really only matters if you can't afford the feat cost of Heavy Armor proficiency; I highly prefer Warblade) Many prefer the simpler Warblade 1/Wizard 5/Jade Phoenix Mage 2/Abjurant Champion 4/Jade Phoenix Mage +8, but I'm okay with the extra complication in order to make better use of swift actions.

For a pure warrior, Warblade is still your best choice, what with Einhander at level 6 and its great maneuvers/stances (and that capstone is killer) but it really loses the oomph of using your free hand to cast spells.

[Sith_Happens]

Come from one of the Lion clan schools that grants you the benefits of two handing a weapon in one hand.

This is relevant to my interests. Please elaborate.

[TiaC]

Play a Wizard, hold a +1 Eager Warning Dagger in one hand.

[geonova]

the simplest answer is to cheat: play a thri-kreen with multi-weapon fighting then use a gythka and chatkchas and always leave one hand free or just play a thri-kreen with multi-attack and use your claws, both of these allow you to use your natural defelect arrows feat

[PsyBomb]

I just looked up Einhander, and I can't say as I really see the point of it. Narrow Profile has only a marginal benefit and will usually require Combat Expertise to utilize with any efficiency, Off-Hand Balance is again marginal at best (only a +2 to Tumble AFTER already hitting the enemy?), and Off-Hand Swap, while potentially decent, only works once and requires heavy skill investment into Sleight of Hand to make good.

[shadow_archmagi]

Clearly the solution is to get a Defending weapon to boost your AC, then attack using your free hand using either spells or unarmed combat.

Sure, it's functionally slightly worse than using a shield, but you look way cooler.

EDIT: Boomerang can actually be really good with the right Eberron feats.

[StreamOfTheSky]

EDIT: Boomerang can actually be really good with the right Eberron feats.

Only if the DM is wise enough to ban Adaptable weapon property. Otherwise, lots of other weapons become better "boomerangs" than actual boomerangs with Boomerang Daze feat and so forth.

[malonkey1]

Clearly the solution is to get a Defending weapon to boost your AC, then attack using your free hand using either spells or unarmed combat.

Sure, it's functionally slightly worse than using a shield, but you look way cooler.

EDIT: Boomerang can actually be really good with the right Eberron feats.

If you're gonna do that in PF, play a Magus.

[PraxisVetli]

Come from one of the Lion clan schools that grants you the benefits of two handing a weapon in one hand.


This is relevant to my interests. Please elaborate.

I concur!
Would this open my Fullblade wielding Bardsader into Snowflake Wardance?

[Vedhin]

I concur!
Would this open my Fullblade wielding Bardsader into Snowflake Wardance?

I'll third this.

The closest I know is Exotic Weapon Master's Uncanny Blow.

[gorfnab]

Here is an Einhander build I came up with some time ago.

Human or Strongheart Halfling
1. Swashbuckler - Deadly Defense (CS), Combat Expertise, B: Weapon Finesse
2. Cobra Strike (UA) Decisive Strike (PHBII) Monk - B: Dodge
3. Cobra Strike (UA) Monk - Carmendine Monk (CoV), B: Mobility
4. Swashbuckler
5. Swashbuckler
6. Thief Acrobat - Combat Reflexes
7. Thief Acrobat
8. Thief Acrobat
9. Thief Acrobat - Einhander (PHBII)
10. Thief Acrobat or Warblade
11. Warblade or Duelist
12. Warblade or Duelist - Ironheart Aura (ToB)
13. Duelist
14. Duelist
15. Duelist - Robilar's Gambit (PHBII)
16. Duelist
17. Duelist
18. Duelist - Stormgaurd Warrior (ToB)
19. Duelist
20. Duelist

The Monk and Swashbuckler levels (levels 1 through 5) can be switched around to taste. I personally like Swash 1/ Monk 2/ Swash 2.

Levels 10 through 12 can be rearranged depending on your needs. The current setup gives you Improved Evasion and Uncanny Dodge at these levels. However if you don't need Improved Evasion take one less level of Thief Acrobat and move the first level of Warblade to level 10. If you don't need Uncanny Dodge don't take the 2nd level of Warblade and instead go into Duelist a level early. If you don't need either abilities take Warblade at level 10 and enter Duelist at level 11.

If flaws are available pick up EWP: Broadblade Shortsword (CAdv, pre-errata version if possible) or Versatile Unarmed Strike (PHBII) and Snap Kick (ToB) (may need to rearrange later feats). If traits are available pick up Cautious (UA).

Items:
Vest of Defense (MIC)
Bracers of Blocking (Dragon 322)
Broadblade Shortsword (CAdv) (pre-errata version if possible) or Rapier with the Defensive Surge (MIC) enhancement.

[Captnq]

Any Monk/Unarmed Fighter.

BOW, YUAN-TI SERPENT
Make it elvencrafted.
Add Bowblade.

You now have a weapon with 4 different melee weapons in one.
Make it one size smaller then you. It is now 1-handed. You hold it in one hand.
You make every Melee "weapon" masterwork, +1 EB, and Defending.

Have the wizard hit your weapon with Greater Magic Weapon +5. Convert all 4 "weapons" to AC. Your AC is now +20 because you are holding this bow.

You never actually use it, mind you. You just hold it and convert the EBs to AC every round.

Huzzah.

[Vedhin]

Iaijutsu focus incarnate.

Come from one of the Lion clan schools that grants you the benefits of two handing a weapon in one hand.


This is relevant to my interests. Please elaborate.


I concur!
Would this open my Fullblade wielding Bardsader into Snowflake Wardance?

Posting to say that I found this. It's Unicorn Clan stuff, not Lion Clan, so that's why it was so hard to find. The book is Secrets of the Unicorn (so 3rd party).

Page 12 has a feat, Wild Strike of the Moto. The prereqs are slightly annoying, but only one (commonly required) feat is needed. It allows you to wield a two-handed weapon in one hand, provided you have nothing in the other hand. It also becomes a reach weapon when one-handed. You don't get 1.5x Str though. There are some other caveats in the feat.

Now, go to page 23. Training at the Dojo of the Center (as far as I know, any Rokugan characters can train at a single dojo free during character creation) fixes the damage deficiency of the feat, with some side benefits.

[Incanur]

Well, there's the Hand of Tyr (http://dndtools.eu/feats/city-of-splendors-waterdeep--16/hand-of-tyr--1338/) feat. But it's bad.

[Shining Wrath]

You're a Swordsage using Shadow Hand stances


While you are in this stance, you gain a benefit similar to the spider climb spell (PH 283). You gain a climb speed of 20 feet. You do not need to make a Climb check to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface, even if you attempt to move across a ceiling. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC while climbing, and you must have at least one hand free to support yourself while you climb.


You gain the ability to use air walk (PH 196) on yourself only. You must keep at least one hand empty while using this stance. Moving upward requires you to spend 10 feet of movement for each 5 feet of elevation you gain.

[PraxisVetli]

Posting to say that I found this. It's Unicorn Clan stuff, not Lion Clan, so that's why it was so hard to find. The book is Secrets of the Unicorn (so 3rd party).

Page 12 has a feat, Wild Strike of the Moto. The prereqs are slightly annoying, but only one (commonly required) feat is needed. It allows you to wield a two-handed weapon in one hand, provided you have nothing in the other hand. It also becomes a reach weapon when one-handed. You don't get 1.5x Str though. There are some other caveats in the feat.

Now, go to page 23. Training at the Dojo of the Center (as far as I know, any Rokugan characters can train at a single dojo free during character creation) fixes the damage deficiency of the feat, with some side benefits.

Well at least now we know!
thanks!