question about using two weapons

[chicagowarrior]

This is a question for 2nd edition, I hope this is the right place...

Does fighting with two weapons, one in each hand, allow the character to target two different enemies (one with each weapon) if they are close enough? Or does the character have to use both attacks against the same enemy?

Thanks.

[geneweigel]

Most shit like that is common sense. For example, if there is a dead opponent than what happens to the second attack? In both 1st and 2nd editions these things are true but there are other details to be aware of:

A lot of 1E relies on common sense and a lot of 2E relies on overwriting. In both cases many DMs have given up and rely on themselves and adjudicate their own rule versions. Many have adopted "whim clunky" judgements on what is commonly known as house rules. I have always had a distaste for this type of play because it conflates giving up on action and focusing on talk type play.

The differences in multiple attacks is that second edition tried to fit in a popular drow character from a novel so they warped the rules for including short swords as the secondary weapons which just rusted the real rules beyond their intent. A secondary weapon is a missile potential while engaged and it was pushed into something else and forgotten.

As an aside, players who push for more and more aren't really to blame but they should be reminded that common sense is the first rule of D&D. If you are not content with a DM who uses "2E" then abandon the campaign and start over elsewhere or be your own DM and give some other players a real take on the game with classic Advanced. remember "2E" was never really a version of D&D made for clarification of all the new rules. Under Gary Gygax that is what it was supposed to be but after he left the game company they just continued and made 2E into something else. You should be aware that the 3rd edition of D&D was originally going to be a Gygax repair job of 1E clarification of all the rules 2E threw all over the place but it fell through and they went with whatever staff they had laying around.