Two-Handed Weapons and 1.5 x STR Mod...Too Much?

[ashockney]

I've done the math on it, and it is generally too much (depends highly on the str). It makes for a very good EPIC feat, though.

By too much, I mean it becomes unbalanced in comparison to Two-weapon fighting.

 

[tburdett]

Wow. I'm surprised that so many people think that x1.5 damage is a lot. I guess a feat to increase the damage to x2 is outta the question!?

/ds

The Master Samurai PrC from Sword and Fist grants the ability to do x2 STR instead of x1.5 STR at 4th level with a Katana (Bastard Sword) when fighting 2H.

 

[KnowTheToe]

With most fighters, that extra .5 mult is only 1-2 points, hardly worth a feat. If power fighters don't do lots of damage on single hits, then it pays better to go rogue with sneak attack, that damage can be outragous and with the tumble rules, it is easy for rogues to get the flanking position neccessary to deliver that blow.

Fighters don't have super blows like many of the other classes. Wizards have save or die spells as well as many area effect spells that can cripple many people at once. 1.5 mult is only super powerful against 1-3 hd creatures.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Re: Re: Smaller weapons

4. A light weapon to cut my way out of a creature that swallowed me

A short sword is not a slashing weapon.

-Hyp.

 

[The Sigil]

Nevermind

Nevermind

 

[SpikeyFreak]

Similarly, the character wielding two weapons will not use the Two-Weapon Fighting or Ambidexterity Feats.

Now do it with those two feats, because everyone will agree that without them you shouldn't use 2 weapons. You really don't have to do a lot of math to see that.

--Interested Spikey

edit: I said "Interested", not "Uninterested"!

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I do not see that using two-handed weapons is a superior tactic to the alternatives.

At high levels, I think two-handed style is actually inferior to both sword & board and TWF. Wielding a magical weapon or shield in the off hand can confer advantages other than just offensive damage or AC.

I don't find that any of theoremtank's points are true. If a two-handed weapon doesn't do significantly more damage than a one-handed weapon, what is the point?

 

[Grog]

My 9th level character has an AC that goes from 24 to 43 within 2 rounds if he needs it to, and can hit 51 under certain circumstances. This is with a +1 shield and +1 full plate. He has 36,000 gp in equipment, which is what the DMG recommends for a 9th level character.

Okay, I'll bite. How the heck did you manage this?

(The other option is to go for doing as much damage as you can, so that you kill them before they can kill you. Unfortunately, this doesn't work to well with flying, spellcasting opponents.)

True, but AC doesn't really help against those either.

 

[Caliban]

Okay, I'll bite. How the heck did you manage this?

10 - base AC
+1 from a 13 Dexterity
+9 from +1 Full Plate (2,650 gp)
+3 from +1 Large Shield (1,170 gp)
+1 from a Ring of Protection +1 (2,000 gp)
+1 from Amulet of Natural Armor +1 (I just got this today) (2,000 gp)
-----------------------------------------

25 AC when not flat-footed

Conditional modifiers:

+1 Dodge (against one opponent only)
+4 from Haste (Boots of Speed) (8,000 gp)
+7 from Shield (off of a Scroll) (25 gp)
+5 from Expertise
----------------------------------------------------
+17 in conditional modifiers

25 + 17 = 42 AC.


Less Frequent modifiers:
+4 from Mobility (only when moving and provoking an AoO)
+4 when fighting Giants.
+2 when fighting defensively (on top of expertise)
+1 after casting protection from evil (from a scroll) and fighting evil opponents. (This one doesn't come up to often. I usually don't take the time to cast it.)

True, but AC doesn't really help against those either.

Well, I can get a pretty high touch AC, and the shield absorbs magic missiles. Other than that, he has a 20 Con and the toughness feat, so he has 103 hit points at 9th level. His real weakness is Will saves, and being a dwarf he get's a +2 against any spell. He also has a level of wizard for a +2 on Will Saves, and +1 cloak of resistance, for a total of +7 on will saves.

Next level is Dwarven Defender, for a total of +9 on Will saves against spells.

 

[Nifft]

[
+3 from +1 Large Shield (1,170 gp)

+7 from Shield (off of a Scroll) (25 gp)

25 + 17 = 42 AC.

These Do Not Stack. You get 22 + 17 = 39 AC.

-- Nifft