InVinoVeritas said:
When I first saw the Oversize Two-Weapon Fighting feat, it looked like fun. I imagined pulling off the "Double Bastard" and other such silly combat stuff.
But, then again... is it really that good? You can already get similar results with a double weapon in terms of damage potential, and if you compare EWP: Two-Bladed Sword to EWP: Bastard Sword and Oversize, then you're just spending a feat for +1 damage, and that's not particularly great.
What works the best with Oversize Two-Weapon Fighting? Or is it just better to stick with double weapons?
Lets leave the bastard sword issue out for the moment, and just discuss the pros cons of why you might, for example, want to spend a feat for Oversized Two Weapon Fighting (to use two longswords) vs spending it to use a double sword.
The most obvious gain (of either option) is the increase in offhand damage vs using a light weapon in that hand. That's not much gain - only 1 point on average. Either choice makes more sense if the character has feats like Weapon Focus, Weapon Spec and Improved Crit - now you're getting the benefits of those feats applied to both weapons. If you won't be getting those feats, then I'd say you should not use a double weapon.
Benefits of using a double weapon:
- changing grip on the fly - in any given round a player may choose to use the weapon with a two-handed (as opposed to double) grip - this will give the 2x Str bonus on damage and is useful when the player cannot take a full attack action - twin weapon user can drop one weapon to switch to 2-handed but then can't switch back
- Disarm attempts - as a 2-handed weapon, a double weapon has an edge both making and resisting disarming attacks
- Sunder attempts - as a 2-handed weapon, a double weapon has an edge in making sunder attacks and, I believe, will have more hps than a single weapon
- two weapon feats in one - one weapon feat applies to both heads of weapons with two different heads (Urgosh and Hooked Hammer)
Benefits of using twin weapons:
- Trip attempts - dropping the offhand weapon used to make a trip attack to prevent a counter trip is *far* better than dropping your double weapon
- Sunder resist - weapons have fewer hps, but they can only sunder one per round
- flexible weapon choices - even if your specialized with longswords, you can still TWF with weapons of other types you find if you want - for example, putting that ghost touch heavy mace you found in your main hand to fight some wraiths. The ability to always be able to use the two best weapons available (especially if you *dont* have weapon specific feats) is a pretty good reason on its own to pick up the feat
- economic advantage - when a twin weapon user gets a new great weapon, they simply shift their current main hand weapon (which is now their second best weapon) over to their offhand - you cant just change out heads on a double weapon the same way
- finesse - there is no finessable weapon analog to using to finessing twin Rapiers
In my opinion, using a two weapons is better than using a double weapon - regardless of whether you also spend feats to specialize in a given weapon.
Now, with regards to spending an feat to use two bastard swords - well that's just up to you. As you said, you get an extra point of damage per attack. If you're using it with twin weapons, then its actually giving you more than it gives a sword-and-boarder who takes it.
Another thing to consider is that Dwarves get that free proficiency with Dwarven Waraxes. Of course, they also have free proficiency with the Urgosh - but I'd rather just take the Oversized Feat and use whatever good stuff we find with a preference for Waraxes when I have one.
