Scythe Wielder - Feats

[gordonknox]

I am making a 5th level fighter that will be wielding a scythe. Why? I just thought it would be different.

So, besides the basic feats such as Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, are there any other obscure feats that may be useful?

Anything out there for a character wielding a weapon w two hands?

gk

 

[Otterscrubber]

Might want expertise to help with the AC a bit in certain situations to help make up for a lack of a shield.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

nope.

sure take the basic mellee packacke of power attack and cleave, maybe some xpertise. I think the spring attack chain is fairly cool for the two handed wielders, and with the new pwer attack of 3.5 whirlwind might actually not suck.

I'd avoid improved crit on anything but a pure fighter. Even with the x4 damage I don't think the 5% swing is enough.

Other than power attack 3.5, there really aren't two handed style specific feats.

Knockdown maybe since the 10 point sof damage part is easy to hit, anything that size of weapon is an advantage like disarm I guess.

 

[Chun-tzu]

Power Critical (from MotW) is nice for a 4x weapon like the scythe. Note that it has Improved Critical as a pre-req.

If you're going for a "grim reaper" theme, then Death Blow (from S&F) is a decent enough feat, depending on how often CDGs come into your game.

 

[IanB]

A 19-20 crit range on a x4 weapon is, in average damage over time terms, equivalent to a 15-20 range on a x2 weapon (or a 18-20 range on a x3.)* So I'd say there is an argument to be made in favor of it, particularly if combined with a keen effect.

Since vorpal in 3.5e supposedly only fires on a 20 regardless of weapon, the min-maxiness of the larger threat range weapons at high levels is slightly mitigated.

* Assuming all of these rolls are hits. The harder the opponent is to hit, the more attractive the x4 weapon becomes.

 

[Mike Sullivan]

Notwithstanding what Shard O'Glase says above, Improved Critical is a must-take feat if you're going with Scythe.

It will increase your average damage against thing susceptible to critical hits by 15% (compare: with a Greatsword, you'd only get a 10% increase in damage).

Of course, it'll be quite an all or nothing affair, but Improved Critical is as good for the Scythe, in the long-term, as it is for the Falchion.

 

[Darklone]

That build is actually pretty common. Many scythe wielders head towards Weapon Master... another +2 to your 18-20 crit range with Imp Crit and a keen scythe is fun.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Notwithstanding what Shard O'Glase says above, Improved Critical is a must-take feat if you're going with Scythe.

It will increase your average damage against thing susceptible to critical hits by 15% (compare: with a Greatsword, you'd only get a 10% increase in damage).

Of course, it'll be quite an all or nothing affair, but Improved Critical is as good for the Scythe, in the long-term, as it is for the Falchion.

the all or nothing part is whay its not worth it unless I guess if you go with the wepon master sugestion. Unlike the falchion where you get a nice consistent boost of damage, the scythe always seems to waste many of its crits on 5hp suckers.

So while yes there is a 15% increase vs things suceptible to crits the 5% increase in the chance means its very unlikely to be there when you want it.

Like I said though as a pure fighter go for it, you have feats to burn if your focussing on one style. If he switched to other classes though I'd likely go for other feats.

 

[Mike Sullivan]

the all or nothing part is whay its not worth it unless I guess if you go with the wepon master sugestion. Unlike the falchion where you get a nice consistent boost of damage, the scythe always seems to waste many of its crits on 5hp suckers.

Well, Improved Critical does have a fairly high BAB requirement. How many 5 hp suckers are you fighting at level 8?

So while yes there is a 15% increase vs things suceptible to crits the 5% increase in the chance means its very unlikely to be there when you want it.

It's there for you when you're fighting dragons or giants or other high-hitpoint things where you're going to be taking many swings at them.

But here's my real point: Why go scythe if you aren't going to really work the critical range? A scythe that you haven't bothered to get Imp. Critical or Keen for is inferior in every way to a Greatsword that you've bothered to get either Imp. Critical or Keen.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Ya, if yer going with a scythe you have to get Improved Crit, it is a moral imperative.