I know there have been extensive posts on the issue of TWF, but I was thinking about its mechanics and needed a place to get feedback, and so another thread on this topic is born.
As has been pointed out by many mathematically inclined people TWF is not always superior to 2-handed style. The specific example used is two short swords vs a greatsword. The conclusion was that damage wise they are fairly similar over the long run, but 2H style is better against high ACs. There is very neaerly an equilibrium between the two styles from this POV, yet one requires two feats and the other none. The justification for requiring two feats comes from the benefit extra attacks have on sneak attacks. So no feat TWF would be out of the question.
What about 1 feat TWF. TWF is nearly comparable to Rapid Shot, but that is only one feat. Well, two is you count Point Blank Shot, but it a prereq that has utility. With TWF the style is essentially useless until both feats are obtained. For non-humans, and non-fighters, this is quite a penalty.
My proposal is to make TWF one feat, but like Rapid Shot, give it a requisite feat that is useful as well. The obvious candidate is weapon focus, since their bonuses are equal and both put a limitation on the application of that bonus - a certain weapon for one, within 30 ft for the other.
The chart of penalties for TWF, under this scheme will look like this:
Main Hand/Off-hand..........Attack Modifiers
Non-light/Light.....................-2/-4
Light/Light...........................-2/-2
Non-Light/Non-Light..............-4/-4
Double................................-2/-2
The penalty for using a weapon, whether main or off-hand, that one does not have weapon focus for increases by 2. This means that if one fought with two short swords w/o WF, the penalty would be -4/-4 or if using a short sword (off-hand) and longsword (main) w/o WF on the sh. sword the penalty would be -2/-6. Since WF itself add +1, the penalties with this alt.TWF would be in practice -3 (-2 from no TWF w/o WF, -1 from not having WF in the first place).
To clarify, taking the feat TWF would not require WF, but if one wants to avoid the penalties, one should take WF in the appropriate weapon.
Overall, for non-sneak attacking types this makes TWF a bit better because it does not waste a precious feat, and both TWF and WF are useful in their own right. For sneak attacking types they don't have to put in two feats anymore, but if they don't opt for the WF they their ability to hit, and thus use their sneak attacks will be hampered a fair bit, which will ostensibly force they to still commit two feats.
I humbly await criticism and concerns.
As has been pointed out by many mathematically inclined people TWF is not always superior to 2-handed style. The specific example used is two short swords vs a greatsword. The conclusion was that damage wise they are fairly similar over the long run, but 2H style is better against high ACs. There is very neaerly an equilibrium between the two styles from this POV, yet one requires two feats and the other none. The justification for requiring two feats comes from the benefit extra attacks have on sneak attacks. So no feat TWF would be out of the question.
What about 1 feat TWF. TWF is nearly comparable to Rapid Shot, but that is only one feat. Well, two is you count Point Blank Shot, but it a prereq that has utility. With TWF the style is essentially useless until both feats are obtained. For non-humans, and non-fighters, this is quite a penalty.
My proposal is to make TWF one feat, but like Rapid Shot, give it a requisite feat that is useful as well. The obvious candidate is weapon focus, since their bonuses are equal and both put a limitation on the application of that bonus - a certain weapon for one, within 30 ft for the other.
The chart of penalties for TWF, under this scheme will look like this:
Main Hand/Off-hand..........Attack Modifiers
Non-light/Light.....................-2/-4
Light/Light...........................-2/-2
Non-Light/Non-Light..............-4/-4
Double................................-2/-2
The penalty for using a weapon, whether main or off-hand, that one does not have weapon focus for increases by 2. This means that if one fought with two short swords w/o WF, the penalty would be -4/-4 or if using a short sword (off-hand) and longsword (main) w/o WF on the sh. sword the penalty would be -2/-6. Since WF itself add +1, the penalties with this alt.TWF would be in practice -3 (-2 from no TWF w/o WF, -1 from not having WF in the first place).
To clarify, taking the feat TWF would not require WF, but if one wants to avoid the penalties, one should take WF in the appropriate weapon.
Overall, for non-sneak attacking types this makes TWF a bit better because it does not waste a precious feat, and both TWF and WF are useful in their own right. For sneak attacking types they don't have to put in two feats anymore, but if they don't opt for the WF they their ability to hit, and thus use their sneak attacks will be hampered a fair bit, which will ostensibly force they to still commit two feats.
I humbly await criticism and concerns.
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