Two-Weapon fighting question.

[Zachariah]

Hey guys,
Just want to be sure. When a level 20 fighter has two weapon fighting, improved two weapon fighting and greater two-weapon fighting. His base attack will be (-2 for fighting with two weapons): mainhand; 18/13/8/3, off-hand; 18/13/8, for a total of 7 attacks?
If so, what do you think is better overall: main 18/13/8/3 ; off 18/13/8 or main 20/15/10 ; off 20/15/10
I want to know this because im designing a prestige class for a warrior. A specialist in fighting with two swords, in perfect balance.

 

[Arkhandus]

The version with the 20/15/10 for each is better. The +8 or +3 attacks are unlikely to hit except on a natural 20 at upper levels, unless the fighter has insane bonuses on his attack rolls, and even then the +3 attack is still likely not going to be sufficiently up to snuff. The +8 attacks have a better chance, but depend on the fighter's build.

A 5% chance of hitting one more time each round (since the +3 ones would typically only hit on a natural 20) is significantly less useful than a +10% chance of hitting with each of three other attacks in the same round (especially since those three likely already have a good to mediocre chance of hitting on rolls lower than natural 20). Even moreso when that +10% chance is applied to an additional 3 off-hand attacks in the same round.

Also, just to note, the penalty for TWF doesn't apply to their Base Attack Bonus, just their total attack bonus with each attack; a minor but important difference (so for instance, a 16th-level Fighter with TWF and a -2 penalty is still getting 4 attacks from his primary hand, at +16/+11/+6/+1, but each of those suffers a -2 on the attack roll; he doesn't go down to BAB +14/+9/+4).

 

[Zachariah]

Thank you very much, that was everything a needed to know.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

You might also want to look at the Tempest PrC in Complete Adventurer; it's a TWF-focused PrC.

 

[Darklone]

And get Power Critical. A +4 to confirm critical hits is very interesting for the low iterative attacks since most hits with them are threats anyhow.

 

[blargney the second]

I second Patryn's suggestion to look at the Tempest PrC in Complete Warrior. It sounds like it does exactly what you're looking for.