Dervish Dance, Spring Attack, Tumble, and AoOs

[Darklone]

Right... I think my next dervish will use a falchion or greatsword.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

I had an idea for a Dervish that was like that:
Race Human
Attributes: PB 32
STR 12
DEX 16
CON 12
INT 16
WIS 10
CHA 10
1 Swashbuckler 1 Abilities: Weapon Finesse Feats: Dodge, Mobility
2 " 2 Abilities: Grace+1
3 " 3 Abilities: Insightful Strike Feats: Combat Expertise
4 FTR 1 FBF: WF (Scimitar) +1DEX
5 FTR 2 FBF: TWF
6 Dervish 1 Feats: Elusive Target or Improved Combat Expertise

 

[sledged]

I had an idea for a Dervish that was like that:
Race Human
Attributes: PB 32
STR 12
DEX 16
CON 12
INT 16
WIS 10
CHA 10
1 Swashbuckler 1 Abilities: Weapon Finesse Feats: Dodge, Mobility
2 " 2 Abilities: Grace+1
3 " 3 Abilities: Insightful Strike Feats: Combat Expertise
4 FTR 1 FBF: WF (Scimitar) +1DEX
5 FTR 2 FBF: TWF
6 Dervish 1 Feats: Elusive Target or Improved Combat Expertise

I created an NPC Thri-kreen devish:

Str 12 (14)
Dex 14 (18)
Con 13
Int 15 (13)
Wis 10 (12)
Cha 8

Racial feats: Deflect Arrows
racial HD 1: Multiweapon Fighting
HD 2/Ftr 1: Weapon Finesse, Combat Expertise
HD 2/Ftr 2: Weapon Focus (Scimitar)
HD 2/Ftr 4: Dodge, Mobility
HD 2/Ftr 6/Der 1: Karmic Strike, Combat Reflexes
HD 2/Ftr 8/Der 2: Improved Multiweapon Fighting, Multiple Hit (see Double Hit in MiniHB)
HD 2/Ftr 8/Der 3: Spring Attack
HD 2/Ftr 8/Der 5: Deft Opportunist
HD 2/Ftr 8/Der 8: Elusive Target

I figure, if you're going for the most number of attacks possible, go all out.

 

[rich]

I had an idea for a Dervish that was like that:

...snip...

1 Swashbuckler 1 Abilities: Weapon Finesse Feats: Dodge, Mobility
2 " 2 Abilities: Grace+1
3 " 3 Abilities: Insightful Strike Feats: Combat Expertise
4 FTR 1 FBF: WF (Scimitar) +1DEX
5 FTR 2 FBF: TWF
6 Dervish 1 Feats: Elusive Target or Improved Combat Expertise

why would a PC with Weapon Finesse use a Scimitar (and choose Weap Focus [Scimitar])? Shouldn't they be using a rapier?
Obviously, once gaining a level in Dervish, both feats can be used together, but until then they can't...
I was going to use a similar build, but I don't like the (apparent) inconsistency. Am I missing something?

 

[sledged]

why would a PC with Weapon Finesse use a Scimitar (and choose Weap Focus [Scimitar])? Shouldn't they be using a rapier?
Obviously, once gaining a level in Dervish, both feats can be used together, but until then they can't...
I was going to use a similar build, but I don't like the (apparent) inconsistency. Am I missing something?

You answered your own question: Because the character is going to take levels in Dervish.

 

[rich]

You answered your own question: Because the character is going to take levels in Dervish.

so the "character" knows that in a few "levels" he'll be able to combine his 2 "feats"? I guess I try to be a little more realistic when putting together advanced (>1st level) characters...

 

[sledged]

so the "character" knows that in a few "levels" he'll be able to combine his 2 "feats"? I guess I try to be a little more realistic when putting together advanced (>1st level) characters...

Then let's look at it from this angle: The character at some point, possibly in his childhood, learns of warriors who are whirling dancers of death called dervishes. Perhaps she witnessed one of their dances as part of a performance. (DM allows the dervish PrC.)

Seeing this beautiful, leathal dance, she is quite impressed by not only the way they combine the beautiful dance with dangerous weaponry, how they seem to wield a scimitar so effortlessly, as if it were a mere dagger. (Player reads up on the dervish, assuming he hasn't already, and likes the idea using scimitars as a light weapon.)

In an effort to possess the same skill with dancing, combat, and scimitars that dervishes have, the character spends a substantial amount of her free time learning to dance, tumble, and wield a scimitar as effortlessly as dervishes do. (Player gives the character ranks in perform (dance), tumble, and the feat Weapon Focus (scimitar), as well as the other feat requirements as the character advances in level.)

Having significantly more agillity than strength, the character, learns how to use weapons in a way to maximize the use of her agility in combat, knowing that when her training with the scimitar pays off, she'll be able to apply that same agility to it. (Player gives the character Weapon Finesse.)

Finally, after weeks/months/years of practicing and adventuring, she is able to become a whirling dancer of death, and is able to wield a scimitar as easily as she once did a rapier if not more so. (After finally getting his character's BAB up to +5, and getting the necessary XP to advance a level, the player gives his character a level of dervish.)

So yes, the character knows she'll be able to combine the two feats, just as she knows (a) that she has to have the feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, and Weapon Focus with a slashing weapon in order to become a dervish, (b) that she has to have three ranks each in perform (dance) and tumble along with the feat requirements, (c) what the class features of dervish are to want to become one, and (d) that such a thing as a dervish even exists in the first place.

 

[Caliban]

Right... I think my next dervish will use a falchion or greatsword.

That's my current dervish oriented character. 1/2 Orc barbarian1/Fighter4/Dervish, uses a falchion.

 

[rich]

Then let's look at it from this angle: The character at some point, possibly in his childhood, learns of warriors who are whirling dancers of death called dervishes. Perhaps she witnessed one of their dances as part of a performance. (DM allows the dervish PrC.)

Seeing this beautiful, leathal dance, she is quite impressed by not only the way they combine the beautiful dance with dangerous weaponry, how they seem to wield a scimitar so effortlessly, as if it were a mere dagger. (Player reads up on the dervish, assuming he hasn't already, and likes the idea using scimitars as a light weapon.)

In an effort to possess the same skill with dancing, combat, and scimitars that dervishes have, the character spends a substantial amount of her free time learning to dance, tumble, and wield a scimitar as effortlessly as dervishes do. (Player gives the character ranks in perform (dance), tumble, and the feat Weapon Focus (scimitar), as well as the other feat requirements as the character advances in level.)

Having significantly more agillity than strength, the character, learns how to use weapons in a way to maximize the use of her agility in combat, knowing that when her training with the scimitar pays off, she'll be able to apply that same agility to it. (Player gives the character Weapon Finesse.)

Finally, after weeks/months/years of practicing and adventuring, she is able to become a whirling dancer of death, and is able to wield a scimitar as easily as she once did a rapier if not more so. (After finally getting his character's BAB up to +5, and getting the necessary XP to advance a level, the player gives his character a level of dervish.)

So yes, the character knows she'll be able to combine the two feats, just as she knows (a) that she has to have the feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, and Weapon Focus with a slashing weapon in order to become a dervish, (b) that she has to have three ranks each in perform (dance) and tumble along with the feat requirements, (c) what the class features of dervish are to want to become one, and (d) that such a thing as a dervish even exists in the first place.

OK -- sounds good to me!