[RPG] Alternate, 2H, non-double use of quarterstaff

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I understand usually a quarterstaff is usually treated as a double weapon with 1d6/1d6 – however it seems like regripping it should allow use as a two handed weapon using only one end to get more out of using power-attack with it. However shouldn't that change the base damage too? If so to what?

  1. Do stats for wielding a staff that way exist already?
  2. If not, what's a sensible way to deal with it?

More info for 2:

The blade-weapon damage progression goes from 1d4 dagger to 1d6 short to 1d8 longsword to 1d10 bastard to 2d6 greatsword.

Wood-weapon damage goes from 1d4 stake to 1d6 club to 1d6/1d6 quarterstaff to 1d10 Greatclub.

All other martial 2HW with 1d8 damage have some special properties. Would it be balanced to allow a quarterstaff wielded like a 2H sword 1d8 damage? Probably not as a simple weapon, since most wizards don't use both ends of the Quarterstaff anyways due to lack of TWF, so this would grant them all a +1 to average damage; but it seems fine for characters with martial proficiency, given other options available.

I'm a player in a campaign where we rescued a bunch of guards who were robbed wandering unarmed through the forest. I asked the GM if I could "help" him with designing the guard NPCs. While designing them I grew a little attached so I wanted at least one cool battle with all of them in it. Thus they need weapons.

Most grabbed sticks as clubs, some got quarterstaffs, as those are inexpensive/free and thus can be quickly crafted along the way using the Craft rules – but one of them took power-attack/cleave/pushing-assault and wants to make good use of that. I'm considering letting him grab a greatclub, but at 50 sp value "crafting" one would take actual time/skill – neither of which they have. And 1d10 is considerable damage. So maybe use small tree as improvised version of Greatclub (-4 to hit), but his bonuses are low already, especially with powerattack. Thus 2H non-double quarterstaff seemed like good idea.

Best Answer

To answer your first question, yes, rules for using a quarterstaff that way is already in the rules. They're under "double weapons" and "Two-handed weapons" in the PRD.

Double Weapons: Dire flails, dwarven urgroshes, gnome hooked hammers, orc double axes, quarterstaves, 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 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.

and

Two-Handed: Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively. Apply 1-1/2 times the character's Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with such a weapon.

So yes, the core rules already provide for this.

(In fact - and I regret I don't have my rulebook here to check - I'm pretty sure that a wizard using a quartstaff is actually given as an example of this in the Player's Handbook.)

On your point 2, note that the greatsword, greatclub and other two-handed weapons you mention are weapons that require two hands to wield. They require two hands because they are larger and heavier than weapons that do less damage; Their being larger and heavier is also why they do more damage, not he fact that they require multiple hands to wield. Wielding a weapon two-handed does multiply the strength bonus you apply to damage, as mentioned above, but has no effect on a weapon's damage dice.

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