The thing with two-handed weapons, they are doing more damage per strike then an one-handed one, and paying for that with the lack of a second slot to use on set piece count, etc.

If one gave them a offhand, one would have to rebalance everything somehow... either reduce their damage (and then face the same question for the two-hander wielders) or buff everything else... can of worms, so I am pretty sure its unlikely to ever happen.

Personally I'd rather see some new one-handed magic casting weapon (wand, runestone, etc.) that could be dual-wielded for destruction/restoration magic (just cast alternate, right hand, left hand, right hand, etc., allowing people to mix elemental types... could be fun...) with lower damage to balance the extra slot... (which then incidentally could also give rise to an "one-handed and magic" skill line...)

"Do not deprive an old man his walking stick"
Staves should not be trumped by dual wield for spell damage.

I think they should, so everyone has access to the same number of set items a dual wielder or sword and board user gets.

Or as some have said above, make it so 2H weapons act like they're two set pieces instead of just one set piece, again with end result being all players have access to same number of set items.

TheShadowScout wrote: »

If one gave them a offhand, one would have to rebalance everything somehow... either reduce their damage (and then face the same question for the two-hander wielders) or buff everything else... can of worms, so I am pretty sure its unlikely to ever happen.

It's really about the number of set pieces - I don't think OP wants to unbalance the weapon damage at all - just allow everyone to be on equal footing with set pieces, which is only fair.

Solution is to either give a non-damage second item that can be a set piece, or make 2H weapons count as two set pieces.

Brrrofski wrote: »

I think it's fine as it is now.

No think in terms of set pieces, not damage from extra items. Right now 2H is comparatively gimped by having access to one less set piece than sword and board or dual wielding.

The best reason to make two-handed weapons count as two "slots" when it comes to Set bonuses is that it opens up a ton more options in cobbling together different 5-piece set bonuses.

Given that the overwhelming majority of us use Hundings or Julianos and that there are tons and tons of other 5 pieces bonuses out there that just never get used because they're simply not useful enough to justify even testing out, even just that little bit of extra variability would be great.

Think of the IC sets with group bonuses alone. If there was actually a reason for someone to equip them I would be really happy. As is stands right now, there's almost no chance you'll even once encounter anyone wearing them. Or Ebon Armory/Hircine's Veneer/Worm Cult. It's amusing that ZOS's Itemization and Gameplay folks are bumping up the level to VR 16 in the Thieves Guild DLC when, in fact, almost no one ever wore them when VR 12 was the max level.

My Stamplar has been wearing Eternal Yokeda set armor and people everywhere stop and whisper me, "What is that amazing looking armor?!" The strange thing is, though that particular Set comes from the Serpent Trial, that motif is shared with the other Trial heavy armor (pretty much the same thing but with less Set bonuses) and I believe also Way of Fire armor. And yet almost no one has even once seen anyone, anywhere, wearing any of those 3 sets.

Admittedly, the only reason I have my stamplar wearing it is that she's not quite VR 15, and I can't afford to gear her like my other VR 16 toons because I simply don't have enough mats left over any more.

I've spent a LOT of time recently trying to figure out ways to squeeze two 5-piece bonus sets (and 3-piece weapons and/or jewelry sets) into unusual builds to test to justify the existence of some of those interesting new IC and Orsinium treasures, and or rare stuff that's old school. Like Arms of Infernace (I'm quite sure one piece of that set doesn't drop and someone forgot to put it in the loot table) or Relics of the Physician, Ansur. Ever even heard of those?

Sometime I cobble together a set/build idea only to realize that they're not viable because of their Traits. Noble Duelist comes to mind.