FIFY: Ranger Class Feature - TWF.

[Kralin Thornberry]

Yeah, I think it is 1d6, but a two-weapon ranger under these rules is getting +2 dice steps (one from the feat, one from the class feature)... so, that's 1d10.

See, and that's what I get for speed reading!

 

[Inf Class]

How is it unbalancing? It's numerically identical to the current Ranger TWF class feature. It's a fluff change only. Kzach doesn't like dual-wielding two 'large' weapons, like two longswords, or two bastard swords. This change forces you to wield a light blade in your offhand (or one in your main hand too). The class feature lets you wield a longsword and short sword or two short swords with the same damage output as two longswords (as per the RAW class feature). The feat allows you to wield a bastard sword and short sword with the same damage output as two bastard swords.

Note to Kzach: why specify light blade? Why not off-hand weapons instead?

I still say the second feat is unbalancing. You're up to a +1 and two size increases when you also include the feat already in the PHB. Sure, Bastard Sword Proficiency is about equal to this... But, this means that small characters (halflings) can have the same damage output as normal sized characters, unlike now.

Again, I'm all for flavorful increases in damage. I never fully understood why they choose to make some weapons blatantly better than others in all aspects. But you have to take in the full scope of what you're doing when you write up new feats.

I'd be more in favor of taking a look at what you or your player wants and bartering with them. So your player wants a handaxe with the output of a longsword? How about they simply take all the stats and features of the longsword and call it a handaxe?

This means that you're not creating anything new, but just renaming things in favor of being able to visualize your character the way you want.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I still say the second feat is unbalancing. You're up to a +1 and two size increases when you also include the feat already in the PHB. Sure, Bastard Sword Proficiency is about equal to this...

No. The +1 applies equally in the RAW and Kzach's version; this is irrelevant to the discussion.

Two size bonuses puts it on par with what the RAW Ranger does right now... see my previous post on the subject.

But, this means that small characters (halflings) can have the same damage output as normal sized characters, unlike now.

This, however, is a good point.

 

[Inf Class]

Please don't leave out this part:

I'd be more in favor of taking a look at what you or your player wants and bartering with them. So your player wants a handaxe with the output of a longsword? How about they simply take all the stats and features of the longsword and call it a handaxe?

Because it essentially does what you want without creating extra feats. It's a house rule I believe I will allow for my group.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Please don't leave out this part:

I'd be more in favor of taking a look at what you or your player wants and bartering with them. So your player wants a handaxe with the output of a longsword? How about they simply take all the stats and features of the longsword and call it a handaxe?

Because it essentially does what you want without creating extra feats. It's a house rule I believe I will allow for my group.

That'll work for some groups for sure. I prefer a general rule over a case-by-case ruling, but that's me.

 

[Kzach]

This, however, is a good point.

Yeah.

Although, having said that, there is no longer any benefit for being small, only penalties. So I'm not so sure it's such a bad thing that small characters can get this.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Yeah.

Although, having said that, there is no longer any benefit for being small, only penalties. So I'm not so sure it's such a bad thing that small characters can get this.

I agree. According to RAW, the only weapons Small characters can use to take advantage of Two-Blade Fighting Style are scimitars and rapiers, since these are the only two melee weapons not marked as versatile or off-hand (although my opinion is that scimitar is a typo and should be marked as versatile, but that's another story). In other words, Small Rangers are (slightly) screwed by RAW anyway, so this minimal boost is no big deal.

 

[Inf Class]

I believe nimble reaction is a pretty good tradeoff for small characters. That's pretty powerful for pretty much any class, especially strikers.

I know I'll be using the weapon name-change as a house rule for my group.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I believe nimble reaction is a pretty good tradeoff for small characters. That's pretty powerful for pretty much any class, especially strikers.

That's a non sequitur. I was discussing the fact that the RAW Two-Blade Fighting Style Ranger class feature benefits Medium characters more than it does Small ones. The merits of a Halfling racial ability are a completely unrelated topic.