I just stated that by some happenstance all applicable skills were equal to avoid that entering the equation.
I think the off hand penalty still does apply to the off hand in TWC RMC, but I'll need to check the RMSS references. You are indeed correct, if the dagger is trained in the off hand in RMSS it gets no penalty, unless used in the primary hand, it specifically says so on p162.
Good catch on the magical bonuses MarkC, yes, that was off in the 2nd example, so it should be:
First, if you go full parry, and get the "Shield Bonus" for the weapons, does the -20 off hand penalty from the dagger preclude you from going more than 40 DB for "full parry"?
Second, if you go full parry for the shield bonus. . .do you get +5 for the sword, and +5 for the dagger for +10, or is the +5 added to both weapons giving you +75 and +45, before the "not doubled, counted once for both weapons" is applied, giving you just the +75?
I'm a little iffy on your answer Markc, if only because if there were two attackers, and you designated one weapon to parry each of them, you would be:
RMC +75 (sword) vs one, and +45 (dagger) vs the other at full parry, so even if the TWC "parry overlap on one foe" applied, it'd still be at least the +75 for the sword.
in RMSS it would be +55 (sword) and +45 (dagger) for engaging two foes.
The reason I ask about it perhaps being +80, is that if the person above were to go full parry with just the sword, they would get the shield bonus of the object in their off hand anyway. . .which would give +50 (sword skill) + 20 (magic) +5 (sword shield bonus) +5 (Dagger Shield bonus). . .which makes it strange that it would be worse in TWC than if using the sword solo with the dagger just offering the "passive off hand" shield bonus of +5. Per the note about passive shield bonus from the off hand, +80 is indeed what you'd get from the RMSS version vs one attacker, since the dagger bonus is lower, or you could choose to get +75 in exchange for rolling two +0 attacks.
Although, it might not actually work that way. . .since you're not allowed to devote negative OB to an attack in split, in RMSS TWC vs one attacker trying for full defense with the above numbers, you might get stuck with:
70 (total bonus) Sword 10/60 split, not full parry, no shield bonus +10 OB attack.
60 (total bonus) dagger 10/60 split, full parry +5 shield bonus +0 OB attack.
65 DB from the higher dagger value.