What's up with Finesse?

[bestone]

So they all take it at 3rd level instead, how does that reduce the cookie-cutterness? Why do rogues have to suffer through two levels of swinging their daggers like big meat cleavers before they develop any style? If it's such a universally obvious choice, then Weapon Finess would have just been a class ability of the Rogue.

And imho, that awnsers your question right there

level 1's are supposed to be starting out, not masters

They develop style, thus, over the course of gaining 2 levels (and most likely multiple combats) they do what you suggest, develop some style.

It makes sense to me, anyone can take a weapon and swing it with brute force

It takes some skill (and experience with the weapon) to be able to use it with some finesse

 

[Nail]

IThe weapons on the list are typically lower damage, one handed weapons with the extra penalty that if you use a shield with an armor check penalty you take that penalty to your attack rolls.

No you don't. Is this really what you meant to say?

You must mean: "Rogues don't get a proficiency with Shields, so......"

That's a separate matter from the feat.

 

[Hypersmurf]

No you don't. Is this really what you meant to say?

You do if you're using Weapon Finesse, which is the context he was talking about - he was suggesting that the use of Weapon Finesse be mandatory for light weapons, essentially.

-Hyp.

 

[Slaved]

No you don't. Is this really what you meant to say?

You must mean: "Rogues don't get a proficiency with Shields, so......"

That's a separate matter from the feat.

I do not have the book with me right now, is this website wrong?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#weaponFinesse

 

[Nail]

Nail said sneak attack makes up for the lack of damage of a dex-based rogue with weapon finesse.

No.

I said "sneak attack".

The implication seemed obvious (YMMV ), but I explained my reasoning in a subsequent post.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I do not have the book with me right now, is this website wrong?

You're right; I'm picking either a/ he forgot that aspect of Weapon Finesse (many people do), or b/ he thought you were talking about it as a property of the shortsword, rather than a property of a shortsword used with Weapon Finesse.

-Hyp.

 

[Nail]

You do if you're using Weapon Finesse, which is the context he was talking about - he was suggesting that the use of Weapon Finesse be mandatory for light weapons, essentially.

-Hyp.

Huh!

Well what do you know!

Thanks, Hyp! Sorry, Slaved --> My mistake.

 

[Nail]

he thought you were talking about it as a property of the shortsword, rather than a property of a shortsword used with Weapon Finesse.

-Hyp.

I was thinking along the lines of "B"....but that doesn't remove the fact that I did not know "A".

Interesting! That's good to know.

 

[wayne62682]

I've played in a lot of games that used a modified Conan method as follows:

• Weapon Finesse is essentially a combat action that automatically applies with the listed weapons, no feat required.
• The feat Weapon Finesse lets you apply finesse to a weapon that's not normally finesseable (Longsword, for example) to justify spending a feat on it.

It worked out great, actually.

 

[hong]

Which is a good thing, generally.

IOW, even if WFin was available at 1st level, this "good thing" is still preserved. So what's the problem?

By 3rd level, the effect is mitigated, so it's fine there.

How so?