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<blockquote data-quote="Olgar Shiverstone" data-source="post: 6111946" data-attributes="member: 5868">I think the challenge with balancing the fighting styles isn't so much the base styles; it's the inevitable add-ons via feats and powers that result in some strictly-optimal combinations (like TWF and rogue sneak-attack in 3E).Ideally, I'd like to see the styles balance this way, assuming there's no &quot;feat tax&quot; to enter:- 2H nets the greatest expected damage, achieved through lower probability of hit but higher base (W+modifier) damage. 2H is the worst from a defensive posture.- TWF is slightly lower in expected damage, achieved through higher probability of hit but lower base damage.&nbsp; TWF can benefit from a defensive improvement (e.g. +1 AC from either Two-Weapon Defense or a spiked Buckler).- Sword &amp; Board is lowest in expected damage, but best in defense (min +2 from a shield).&nbsp; No twinky +2 spiked shields to get all the benefits of TWF with all the benfits of S+B, though.- Single-weapon only should be a choice to match S+B in offense with some benefits via feats/maneuvers that provide variety.Ideally, the above relationships are maintained even as other feats or maneuvers (e.g. Sneak Attack, Deadly Strike) get added on.&nbsp; I'd like the relationships to scale with level as well, so E(damage) per level by style stays a relatively constant relationship.&nbsp; So if at first level E(2H) = 10 (7 weapon + 3 modifier), then E(TWF)=9 and E(S&amp;B)=8, but at level 10 it's perhaps E(2H)=20, E(TWF)=18, E(S&amp;B)=16.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Olgar Shiverstone, post: 6111946, member: 5868"] I think the challenge with balancing the fighting styles isn't so much the base styles; it's the inevitable add-ons via feats and powers that result in some strictly-optimal combinations (like TWF and rogue sneak-attack in 3E). Ideally, I'd like to see the styles balance this way, assuming there's no "feat tax" to enter: - 2H nets the greatest expected damage, achieved through lower probability of hit but higher base (W+modifier) damage. 2H is the worst from a defensive posture. - TWF is slightly lower in expected damage, achieved through higher probability of hit but lower base damage. TWF can benefit from a defensive improvement (e.g. +1 AC from either Two-Weapon Defense or a spiked Buckler). - Sword & Board is lowest in expected damage, but best in defense (min +2 from a shield). No twinky +2 spiked shields to get all the benefits of TWF with all the benfits of S+B, though. - Single-weapon only should be a choice to match S+B in offense with some benefits via feats/maneuvers that provide variety. Ideally, the above relationships are maintained even as other feats or maneuvers (e.g. Sneak Attack, Deadly Strike) get added on. I'd like the relationships to scale with level as well, so E(damage) per level by style stays a relatively constant relationship. So if at first level E(2H) = 10 (7 weapon + 3 modifier), then E(TWF)=9 and E(S&B)=8, but at level 10 it's perhaps E(2H)=20, E(TWF)=18, E(S&B)=16. [/QUOTE]

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