Girallon's blessing

[Braininthejar]

Can you use the extra arms to wield weapons?

[Braininthejar]

Sorry, wrong section. It was supposed to go into the questions forum 

[Gazzien]

The additional arms do not allow additional attacks or several simultaneous physical tasks.
They do not increase the subject's reach.
However, they do allow the subject to use items designed for creatures with more than two arms, or to use a two-handed item and another piece of equipment.
For instance, a subject could wield a greatsword while using a shield.

Yes, you can wield weapons with them... but you don't get any extra attacks.

So if a level 8 fighter got two extra pairs of arms, they could wield three greatswords... but would still only get two attacks (BAB +6/+1) naturally. (Unless you had two-weapon fighting or something, but this was just a quick example I did ignoring feats / class features / etc)

[samnemath]

The quote is fro Savage Species. The spell has been reprinted in Spell Compendium and doesn't feature this paragraph.

[Gazzien]

My mistake, but I still stand by that decision - it says you can't use weapons and claws in the same round, so you must be able to wield weapons. But the spell doesn't inherently give you multiple-weapon fighting , so you wouldn't get extra attacks.

Or that's how I read it, at least.

[Michael9157]

This exact question came up in the campaign I'm dm'ing.  I ruled that a the blessing (note it's just a level 3 spell) wasn't intended to basically double someone's attacks even though it isn't clear in the reprinted version.  Using the thought that doubling attacks allowed for a level 3 spell, plus looking at the 3.0 text as a possible guiding thought for how the spell was intended, that's how I came to my ruling.  I did however allow the dual wielding of two handed weapons, but, I wasn't going to allow the wielding of 4 war maces which is what the PC wanted with independent attack rolls for each.

[ZombieGirl]

If you're wanting a spell granting extra attacks, get a hold of Battlearms from Dragon Magazine #356, pg. 48-49. Its like Girallon's Blessing + Divine Power combined into one spell, only it grants you additional attacks as well as the ability to wield weapons and attack with them. You'll want to pick up some supporting feats somehow though.

4th level cleric/blackguard spell.

EDIT: I'll throw in the spell text in case you don't have the Dragon Magazine Issue its from.

Battlearms
Evocation
Level: Cleric 4, Blackguard 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration 1 round/level

Calling upon the power of Hextor, you imbue yourself with skill in combat and create extra arms. Your base attack bonus becomes equal to your character level (which might give you additional attacks), you gain 1 temporary hit point per caster level, and you grow a pair of extra arms from your torso. You may use these extra arms to make unarmed strikes or wield weapons. If you use these extra limbs to attack, attacks with your primary hand are at -6, the three other hands are at -10. If you have the two-weapon fighting feat, the penalty on attacks with all of your hands drops to -4. At 12th level, you grow an additional pair of arms.

These extra arms cannot cast spells. You cannot cast a spell and make an attack with these arms in the same round. On the round you cast this spell, each new arm may draw one of your weapons as a free action. On any later round you must use a move action to equip weapons in one or more of your extra hands. The arms are a neutral gray color and barely human. They cannot hold any items other than weapons, help climb or swim, or engage in any activity other than combat.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

  ... so perhaps you could hold a 2 Handed weapon in 2 of the hands, a 1 Handed weapon in 1 of the hands, and a Shield in the other.  Then mix and match the fighting style(s) you want.  Similarly, have a Bow and load it with hand #3, short sword in hand #4.  Maybe that's too much.

Interesting.  Not sure it does anything, that a Quick Draw or whatever feat stack already can do.

[ZombieGirl]

In savage species theres also rules for using multiple arms to wield a single 2handed weapon, i think each additional arm is supposed to add half your str modifier to the rolls, page 42

[phaedrusxy]

This exact question came up in the campaign I'm dm'ing.  I ruled that a the blessing (note it's just a level 3 spell) wasn't intended to basically double someone's attacks even though it isn't clear in the reprinted version.  Using the thought that doubling attacks allowed for a level 3 spell, plus looking at the 3.0 text as a possible guiding thought for how the spell was intended, that's how I came to my ruling.  I did however allow the dual wielding of two handed weapons, but, I wasn't going to allow the wielding of 4 war maces which is what the PC wanted with independent attack rolls for each.

But the spell explicitly lets you make four claw attacks... I think you could either wield 4 weapons, or make 4 claw attacks, but not 2 claws + 2 weapons (because the text also explicitly forbids that for some reason).

[ZombieGirl]

This exact question came up in the campaign I'm dm'ing.  I ruled that a the blessing (note it's just a level 3 spell) wasn't intended to basically double someone's attacks even though it isn't clear in the reprinted version.  Using the thought that doubling attacks allowed for a level 3 spell, plus looking at the 3.0 text as a possible guiding thought for how the spell was intended, that's how I came to my ruling.  I did however allow the dual wielding of two handed weapons, but, I wasn't going to allow the wielding of 4 war maces which is what the PC wanted with independent attack rolls for each.

But the spell explicitly lets you make four claw attacks... I think you could either wield 4 weapons, or make 4 claw attacks, but not 2 claws + 2 weapons (because the text also explicitly forbids that for some reason).

This is correct, RAW it does not prevent you from wielding four weapons instead. However RAI im not sure it was intended to allow you to wield four weapons, otherwise they'd have probably explicitly mentioned wielding additional weapons with your new arms, such as like in Battlearms. But when it comes to RAI, its basically anyones interpretation and thus, gm decision

[Gazzien]

Just don't forget that even with the extra attacks, you don't have Multiweapon Fighting... so say hello to -6 / -10 / -10 / -10 as an attack routine

[ZombieGirl]

Just don't forget that even with the extra attacks, you don't have Multiweapon Fighting... so say hello to -6 / -10 / -10 / -10 as an attack routine

With Battlearms he'll only need two-weapon fighting rather than multiweapon fighting two-weapon fighting would drop his penalties to -4 for all attacks.

[Gazzien]

Just don't forget that even with the extra attacks, you don't have Multiweapon Fighting... so say hello to -6 / -10 / -10 / -10 as an attack routine

With Battlearms he'll only need two-weapon fighting rather than multiweapon fighting two-weapon fighting would drop his penalties to -4 for all attacks.

Valid point, there!