New Feat: Off-Hand Parry

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Not exactly a new feat, as it is already described in Sword and Fist. However, I thought it was too weak (why block with your off-hand weapon for a measly +2 AC instead of using it to attack your enemy?), and made some changes. The major change is how the off-hand weapon's enhancement bonus is also added to the AC dodge bonus. It should be easier to parry with the +5 legendary sword then a normal longsword (magical weapons are stronger, but lighter etc).

The question is, of course, is it balanced?


Off-Hand Parry [Fighter, General]
You can use your off-hand weapon to defend against melee attacks. Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +3, Ambidexterity, Two-Weapon Fighting, proficiency with weapon. Benefit: When fighting with two weapons and using the full attack action, on your action decide to attack normally or to sacrifice all your off-hand attacks for the round in exchange for a +2 (+ the weapon's enchantment bonus) dodge bonus to your AC. If you are also using a buckler, its AC bonus stacks. You can use only bladed or hafted weapons of a size category smaller than you with this feat.

 

[Nik_the_Pig]

Parrying weapons

My solution to parrying and magic weapons was slightly different. Even before Sword and Fist came out I had introduced parrying magic weapons, ie those that did little to help in attack but added a AC bonus when either used to attack defencively, using the full defence option or in conjunction with the expertise feat.

I found this works quite well, giving another type of minor magical ability for weapons without adding more bonuses to existing abilitys (perhaps making them little unbalanced).

I not saying your idea doesn't have merit but I'd consider making it a Improved off-hand Parry feat or Magic Weapon Expertise or some such. I'd even have it that some sort of test would have to be made to attune yourself to the weapon to use a magical attack bonus in such a way as to be used effectively in defence. Or even having the feat to be taken once for each weapon it is to be used with (extreme I know) to show the character attuning to that individual item.

The above may seem a tad harsh or over the top but then again True Strike isn't called True Strike/Defence is it?