Talk:Fencing (3.5e Feat)

Ratings

	DanielDraco is neutral on this article and rated it 2 of 4.
	I do like it generally. It's interesting to see an attempt at Moderate material which has its strongest abilities in control and defense rather than damage, but I'm not convinced that this is isn't Low power. If someone can prove me wrong there, I'll bump this up to a Like.

	Havvy likes this article and rated it 3 of 4.
	Another way of doing two-handed weapons without two-handed weapons.

Why this is probably Moderate

Requiring "an empty offhand" does not preclude using a buckler. While you wouldn't get the +1 to AC from it, you would get any enhancement bonuses and magical effects from it in addition to your +1/4 BAB shield bonus to AC. So it's a cheapy AC boost with some additional 'meh' tossed on. It's probably as good as Weapon Focus, which is a reference Moderate feat. - Tarkisflux ^Talk 05:53, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

I disagree--getting a scaling AC bonus that high usually doesn't show up in moderate games. I'd peg it at high. --Ghostwheel 06:11, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

You have to look at the opportunity cost, to borrow an economic term. Moderate presumes combat capabilities akin to a Power Attack build. This prevents any of the conventional ways to achieve that, and the offensive abilities do not come near making up for it. Yeah, you're a little better off defensively than most Moderate builds, but the cost is too high. And besides that, its defensive bonus is completely subsumed by the most basic equipment at every level. --DanielDraco 06:14, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

Two things - first, there are ways to get decent power attack even using a one-hander. Second, imagine this on a twfer with 2 levels of swordsage; they not only get their wis to AC, but a high shift on the RNG at later levels on top of everything else due to this feat. Use the unarmed swordsage variant and you can use that with a short sword in your off-hand, and this replaces Shadow Blade (a very decent feat that most swordsages take), or even on top of it. Heck, a level of swordsage will not only get you that, but also the weapon focus for this feat making it a basically must-take feat for swordsages whenever it's allowed. --Ghostwheel 06:31, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

Minor nitpick. I believe Shadow Blade specifies not stacking with other sources of Dex to damage. No comment on the rest, not really following this convo. That is all. -- Eiji-kun 07:02, 6 August 2012 (UTC)