Rust Monster

Part III of my series on D&D fighting styles takes a look at Two Weapon Fighting:

This style is all about going Ginzu on your opponent. Overcoming their defense with a barrage of extra attacks. Confronting your opponent with a weapon in both hands.

Two Weapon Fighting is probably the most feat intensive style in D&D. There are 13 Feats that flesh out this style. Plus others based on the weapons you choose to use.

Unlike the two styles above you won’t be moving around much with this style. Doing more than one attack in a round requires a full attack action, (In most cases) so you will not be able to do much more movement in combat that taking a 5′ step.

Skills: None really. Sure there are plenty of useful skills out there but none that will help you any more than they help another style. Classes:

Best Suggested Class for this style is the fighter. They simply get the most feats. If you don’t want ALL of the feats though the Ranger is also a good choice as they get Two Weapon Fighting and Improved Two Weapon Fighting as class abilities.

Another good choice is to drop a few fighter levels for levels of Rogue. This way when you’re flanking all these extra attacks get extra damage on them. A few lvls of Monk would also be a good choice. Picking up improved Unarmed Strike as well as having access to the monks selection of exotic light weapons. Adding in a Monks More favorable attacks per round is great. In addition to Flurry of blows. On top of all of this, there is a magical training device availuable to monks which allow them to take a 10″ step instead of a 5″ step. Use this to your advantage.

Feats:

Two Weapon Fighting: Primary Hand Penalty Reduced by 2, Off-Hand Penalty Reduced by 6.

Improved Two Weapon Fighting: Receive an second additional attack with your off hand weapon at a –5 penalty.

Greater Two Weapon Fighting: Receive an third additional attack with your off hand weapon at a –10 penalty.

Two Weapon Defense: +1 AC bonus when wielding double weapon or second weapon. Improves to +2 when fighting Defensively or taking total defense stance.
Improved Two Weapon Defense: As above but +2/+4
Greater Two Weapon Defense: As above but +3/+6

Weapon Focus: +1 Attack bonus with chosen Weapon.
Imp Weapon Focus: Additional +1 attack bonus with chosen Weapon

Weapon Specialization: +2 Damage Bonus with chosen Weapon.
Imp Weapon Specialization: Additional, +2 Damage Bonus with chosen Weapon

Dual Strike: May attack with both your primary and secondary weapons as a standard action, using a single attack roll.

Oversized Two Weapon Fighting: When wielding a one handed weapon in your off hand it is treated as being a light weapon. [b]If you’re not going to use a medium weapon in your off hand skip this feat and take something else.

Pin Shield: Give up all off hand attacks for the round to pin your opponent’s shield. Removing their AC bonus from their shield for the rest of the round.

Epic:
Epic Weapon Focus: Gives an Additional +2 to hit with your chosen Weapon
Epic Weapon Specialization: Your chosen weapon does an additional +4 damage.

Extra Tips:

In addition to these there are a number of weapon specific sets which give you additional abilities based on the weapons you chose. I’m not going through all off these. Pick up “Complete Warrior” and look up the weapon style feats.

Improving your chance to crit is also not a bad idea with this style. You’re rolling so many more dice that you’re going to have a better chance per round of rolling up a critical hit. Even though you’ll do less damage on a crit than Two Handed Weapon Style.

Weapons:

I would suggest using paired light weapons. This way both weapons will benefit from your weapon expertise, weapon focus feats. On top of that light weapons are easier to replace. They cost less for one. They’re smaller so you can carry more of them. Most can be thrown for those times when someone won’t close with you.

If you do want to try something different though keep the Oversized Two Weapon Fighting Feat, Add Exotic Weapon Bastard Sword and the Throw Anything Feat.

A Lvl 20 Fighter with these feats & a 20Str, using a pair of +5 B-Swords will be attacking at the following bonuses.

+30/+30/+25/+25/+20/+20/+15

Or more specifically
Primary Hand +30/+25/+20/+15
Off Hand +30/+25/+20

COMBATING TWO WEAPON FIGHTING STYLE

#1 Sunder/Disarm: I’d say the best way to combat this style is to use some of your secondary attacks to disarm or sunder one of his weapons. Many times this fighter is using a light weapon in the off hand. Light weapons are easier to Sunder/Disarm. On top of that it is also common for this fighter to be using a finesse weapon rather than a strength weapon so you may be able to get the upper hand there.

#2 Trip/Grapple: This is effective against most anyone. Unlike the two handed fighter though you may not want to grapple the two weapon fighter. Their light weapons can be used in a grapple without penalty. Tripping them though is just fine. They rely on being able to take a full combat action to get their secondary attacks in. They can’t do that from the ground, and they can’t do it if they have to spend a move action getting back up. As above though they often are DEX based fighters and are a bit harder to knock off their feet.

#3 Stick and move works better against this fighter than it does the two handed fighter. Once again you want to make the two weapon wielder move after you to attack. This will limit him to 1-2 attacks per round. Instead of the hundred billion he normally gets.

GO GO GINZU !!!

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