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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 4405477" data-attributes="member: 996">If you allow Light Blades to make a melee basic attack using DEX instead of STR, you have only screwed up the balance between STR-based and non-STR-based builds in the same class, where DEX is also an important stat  and only to a small degree.  That is Rangers, and, to a lesser extent, Rogues.   Currently, TWF Rangers are STR-based, while archer-rangers are DEX-based.  Thus, TWF rangers have an advantage when it comes to charging or taking an OA or other melee basic attack.  Similarly, a 'brutal scoundrel' rogue (STR secondary) enjoys a similar advantage over the 'artful dodger.'  Making light blades DEX-based for basic melee attacks upsets that balance, making the archers and artful dodgers better builds in contrast to thier muscle-bound alternatives.  Furthermore, since rogues need to use light blades for thier Sneak Attack, you're making all rogues more powerful, as they can SA much better on OAs and other basic melee attacks.  That too, would upset class balance, making Rogues meaningfully more powerful.If you extend the change to powers, you really start to mess with things.  If a Rogue could multiclass to Ranger and take some of the multiple attack TWF powers, but convert them to DEX, for instance, he'd increase his chances of hitting at least once every round, and thus getting in his SA much more consistently - more like a ranger gets in his HQ (except SA is around double HQ!).  If most ranger melee powers can be 'converted' that way, then the class could suddenly become almost entirely DEX-bases, just favoring light blades for TWFing (and making the TWF style even more attractive to would-be archers).Depending on what other powers you allow to shift from STR to DEX, the rogue and ranger could clean up even more in the multiclassing arena.I have considered the idea myself.  I was thinking of adding back the Weapon Finesse feat, having it aply to light blades, and replace DEX for attack (but not damage) with the basic melee attack.  I decided against even that, for the above reasons.  It just messes with the balance of the Ranger and Rogue too much.</blockquote>

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