[3.5] off-hand weapons

[Choco]

I just need some clarification on how exactly off-hand weapons and dominant hands work in 3.5.

Say I have a rapier in one hand and a dagger in the other, can I attack this round with the rapier considered the main weapon and then next round with the dagger considered the main?

I know in 3.0 you had the Ambidexterity feat and it's very existance implied that your character had a dominant hand. However, now they just merged it into the Two Weapon Fighting feat and there is no mention in the rules that I can find of a dominant hand, so I am assuming I can do like in the question I asked above, and decide each round which of the 2 weapons I am using will be considered the main and which the off-hand.

[jiriku]

You've got it exactly. The idea of an "off hand" exists only in the context of using multiple limbs to attack in one round. If you only attack with a single weapon in a round, then it's not relevant which hand holds the weapon, or what kind of object you might or might not be holding in your other hand.

[Choco]

Ah, I thought so, thanks for confirming.

[ericgrau]

I don't think so. IIRC you make off-hand attacks with a shield when disarmed, even though it's your only weapon. I think off-hand means left hand for 90% of the population. Dunno though, can we get confirmation one way or the other?

[Animefunkmaster]

I don't believe you MUST make off hand attacks with shields, but you CAN when you are wielding another weapon. There are plenty of Captain America style shield warriors that wield shields (or two shields).

[GreyVulpine]

I don't think so. IIRC you make off-hand attacks with a shield when disarmed, even though it's your only weapon. I think off-hand means left hand for 90% of the population. Dunno though, can we get confirmation one way or the other?

You make Shield Bash attacks as off-hand attacks.

[Saintjebus]

As far as I know, all that "off-hand" means mechanically is that you only add half strength to damage.

[Dogmantra]

As far as I know, all that "off-hand" means mechanically is that you only add half strength to damage.

And take a -2 penalty to all TWF attacks if the weapon you use as off-hand isn't light.

[Keld Denar]

No, the only way a weapon is an offhand is when you claim extra attacks with it using the Two Weapon Fighting option in the Combat section of the PHB. If you have 3 attacks (due to a +11 BAB or higher), you could make 1 attack with the weapon in your main hand, one attack with the weapon in your other hand, and one attack with your armor spikes. All of the attacks would be made with full Str bonus to damage.

If you were to TWF, you would designate one of the weapons as your offhand. You would make your 3 attacks with either of the other 2 weapons, and then your TWFing attacks with whichever of the 3 you designated as your offhand attacks.

No character has an offhand unless you give them one, and the only way to do that is by using the TWF combat option.

[UserClone]

So you're saying that Goofy only adds 1/2 Str bonus and takes a -2 to all his attacks? There goes my KH themed game...