Weapon Finesse, does Dex add to damage?

[cnath.rm]

I've got a Rgr/Rog player in my game who is ripping through
things with his daggers. (aiming for the Jack of Knives Ledgendary
Class in a few levels) Even DR isn't really slowing him down.

After taking another look at the Weapon Finesse feat I'm wondering
if we have been working it wrong. The pc's Dex bonus gets added
to attack rolls without a doubt, but should it be added to Damage
rolls?

The players is wondering as well and is willing to live with it should
it go against him (even though he built his concept on it, a really
good player) and we are running it the way we have been untill we
get it figured out.

Any help people could give or point me to would be very welcome.

 

[JoeGKushner]

It's pretty much right there in the text on 102 of the 3.5 PHB

"With a light weapon, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack roll."

The important text here is attack rolls, not damage rolls.

 

[cnath.rm]

SNIP
The important text here is attack rolls, not damage rolls.

That's what I was thinking, I was just looking for more opinions
on it.

 

[CCamfield]

It's quite clear that the damage bonus still comes from Strength.

 

[Arthur Tealeaf]

Sorry, it is still strength that modifies the damage... I don't have my books here, but I think you will be hard pressed to find anywhere it says otherwise....

 

[Ovinomancer]

It only adds to the attack roll. There is a feat that allows you to sub Dex for damage, its in Ultimate Feats from Mongoose Publishing, and I think its in the Net Book of Feats. Its callled accurate attack. Just subs Dex for Str for damage. Prereqs are weapon finesse, and it only works on one selected weapon (ie dagger, rapier, etc). Balances well, because it takes two feats to completely switch Dex for Str. Hope it helps

 

[Darklone]

Ah well... ovinomancer is right except for two points. First: The damage only adds vs. opponents who are not immune against critical hits. Second (my humble opinion): It still does not balance well. I can imagine a halfing with strength 8 and dex 20 who can simply forget about strength for just two feats, possibly fighter bonus feats? No chance. Swashbuckler or similar abilities tie the damage to Int... that balances it.

 

[James McMurray]

Any feat or ability that swaps things around like that should be viewed with suspicion. Removing the need for mutiple decent stats for characters means they can focus on other stats more than a character without that particular splatbook could. As Darkone said, halflings become pretty nasty with that feat. They can even be better than Half-Orcs at dealing melee damage, and half-orcs certainly don't anyone better than them at that, because they're already pretty screwed.

 

[Darklone]

Example: Halfling fighter. Already better with Power Attack in case he has a Finessed Spiked Chain (twohanded weapon, +2 to hit vs. a human due to dex and size). Now... give him his dex bonus extra on damage (or even instead of his strength damage). He'll have easily more damage than any human WITH Weapon Specialisation. For two feats.

 

[Sledge]

I have to say that power attack really shouldn't be allowed with weapon finesse. The two ideas are completely opposite. I think that a second feat to allow dex substitution should be fine, just remember that bit about crits. If this seems a little strong then just rule that any penalties due to str still apply.