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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 355060" data-attributes="member: 3146">Improved critical and keen are boons for the bow wielder rather than the two weapon fighter. An archer with Improved Critical composite longbow and a +1 keen shock composite longbow (approx 19k gp) has Attacks AB-2/AB-2/AB-7, etc. with a threat range of 18-20/x3 for 1d8+1+1d6+str+otherA two weapon fighter has to choose either twin shortsword, twin handaxe, or a double weapon in order to get the same mileage out of Improved critical (otherwise, the TWF character needs to spend two feats for the benefit the archer gets with one).Even then, the character needs to spend more resources in order to have equivalent weapons--for example in order to have similar damage and crit qualities to the archer, the TWF character needs two Keen energy weapons. Two Keen Flaming shortswords cost approximately 37k gp.  And even then attacks at AB-2 and AB -7 for (usually) 1d6+1+1d6+str+other 15-20/x2 and (assuming improved TWF which has to compete with improved critical for the 8th/9th level feat choice) AB-2 and AB-7 for 1d6+1+1d6+1/2 str +other 15-20/x2Now babarian rage often takes the character's strength above 18 so this is a definite advantage to the TWF character. (As is the presence of Improved TWF).This is a disadvantage vis a vis archers and not an advantage (as it is vis a vis wielders of two handed weapons) since the archer gets an extra attack with the bow which only needs one enchantment. In order to have equal quality primary and secondary attacks, the TWF character needs to spend twice as much money as the archer.This is true of the party, not the individual character. In a balanced party, an archer will not typically end up in melee any more than the wizard does. Other characters protect the archer and the wizard in order to enable them to do their jobs.I believe that I pointed this out myself when I noted that TWF characters have somewhere to go after TWF/Ambidex but archers don't have as many advantageous feats available to them.It's worth pointing out that mithral bucklers (or just plain masterwork bucklers) are even more advantageous for archers than for TWF characters though.Unless you actually take the feats rather than taking a ranger level. In that case, TWF requires the exact same high stats since Ambidex has a prerequisite dex of 15+.It's also worth noting that con is also a de facto prerequisite stat for a TWF character in order to deal with the damage being dished out by his melee opponents. Con is much more optional for archers who usually do not take the same kind of punishment as melee fighters.Mighty [+4] is a limit but 20/x3 isn't. Bows can be keen and you can take improved critical with a bow. For what it's worth, 20/x3 is just as good a crit range as most of the weapons TWF characters use. Handaxe: 20/x3, shortsword 19-20/x2 (mathematically equivalent), doublesword 19-20/x2, double axe 20/x3. You can do as much to change the bow as you can any of those. (Actually a good deal more since there seem to be a lot of prestige classes which change a bow's crit range and multiplier but Weapon Master is the only one I know of for melee weapons (and Weapon Master is very hard for a TWF character to qualify for)).Only because archer characters are typically constructed without a thought for defense. Since their weapons cost less money (they only need to buy one primary weapon) and they have almost all the same defensive options open to them and usually have a higher dexterity than TWF characters, archers actually have a higher potential AC than most TWF characters (the shield expert/bastard sword+spiked shield character type excepted).And I'm not saying that ranged fighters are overpowered or that TWF is underpowered but I am saying that your analysis is off in several significant ways.WRT the original question, I think it is unbalancing to permit ranger characters to swap feats because it takes the ranger from being the multiclass of choice for people who want to have the two weapon fighting feats on the cheap to being the 1 level multiclass of choice for any character who wants either a TWF or an Archery focus. Heck, why not allow ambi/twf to be exchanged for weapon focus as well? That way, one level of ranger would be the powergaming imperative for any character who wanted to focus in any kind of armed combat.</blockquote>

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