Daggers And Punching Daggers

[shaka gl]

In the middle of our last session, a problem appeared and couldnt solve it: do Daggers let you add your STR mod to the attack? Because two of us were sure they didnt, but other two were sure they did. And although in the description of the Punching Dagger of e-tools it says its the only dagger that lets you do it, when you equip a normal one the program adds the bonus. So, we are all confused...

[Khantalas]

Well, a dagger lets you add your Strength modifier (not just bonus) to your damage. Never heard anything about it not being able to do that.

[Nerd-o-rama]

All melee weapons (and most thrown weapons) add your Strength modifier to damage. I don't know where anyone got the idea that daggers are different. The only difference is that you add 1/2 your Str modifier if the dagger's being wielded in the offhand, like any weapon. Because it's a light weapon, it cannot be wielded two-handed to add 1.5 times your strength modifier, and it cannot be power-attacked with. That's it for effects related to damage.

[DaMullet]

Daggers and Punching daggers are both light weapons, which get Str bonus (if any) to damage if in primary hand, or .5 if in off-hand. The only difference between them is that you can slash with a dagger, and punching daggers have x3 Crit mod instead of x2, 19-20.

Gah, teh ninja.

[shaka gl]

Ok, i said nothing.

[DaMullet]

If you'll kindly read my post a bit slower, you'll see that Punchers have a higher Crit multiplier, whereas Daggers have a higher threat range.

[Pepper]

Yeah im unsure as to why you would think that daggers dont apply the strength modifier to dmg. Maybe you were thinking weapon finesse replaces STR with DEX? which it does, but only for attack not for dmg.

And punching daggers give 3x crit on 20 i believe, while daggers give 2x crit on 19-20.


edit : man you guys are fast..LOL

[Lemur]

Perhaps your friends were mistaking bonus damage from high strength with bonus damage from power attack, since the two are conceptually similar. In 3.5, you don't get bonus damage from using power attack with light weapons, like daggers.