User:Sulacu/Two Weapon Stance
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This variant rule aims to do away with the conventions of Two-Weapon Fighting as it exists, and rebuild it from the ground up. Even low-level characters should be able to swing two swords around with some manner of proficiency given enough will and practice without spending numerous feats on what is essentially a linear boost in numbers. In light of this, there is no more Two-Weapon Fighting, only the Two-Weapon Stance.
Fighting with Two Weapons
Whether you channel Drizzt do'Urden or some modern explorer with a gun in one hand and a whip in the other, fighting with two-weapons is a natural extension of the martial ladder. Two-weapon fighting now functions on the concept of the Two-Weapon Stance. Depending on the preferences of the DM, he or she should decide whether the basics of two-weapon fighting should cost a feat or not. If not, he or she might as well rule that every player, NPC and creature with at least two arms should get Two-Weapon Stance as a bonus feat. Characters that would like to wield two weapons will rejoice, and those that go for sword and board or big two-handers will not care either way. There's plenty of options for everyone, and the Two-Weapon Stance, which is essentially a sort of flurry of blows for martial characters, is designed not to be a big damage boost by itself: a greataxe in the hands of a raging barbarian will outperform most combos at any level in terms of pure damage and a sword-and-board fighter will have his trusty shield to make him better at front-line defense while still having access to feats like Strong Grip to close the gap. However, the true meat of two-weapon fighting is the additional options it should provide... but doesn't. Until now.
Feats
Because two-weapon fighting is no longer a thing, a large number of feats will disappear. Two-Weapon Fighting and any feats that have it as a prerequisite and that build upon it no longer exist. In exchange, the following feats become available for those who wish to specialize in fighting with two weapons.
Two-Weapon Stance [Fighter]
Swooosh... Swiiing... Slashlashlashlash...Prerequisites: BAB +1, Dex 13Benefit: Whenever you wield two weapons, you may enter the Two-Weapon Stance as a swift action. The stance lasts until the start of your next turn. When you are in this stance, the BAB-interval at which you can make iterative attacks decreases from 5 to 3. Your second attack is made with a -3 penalty, your third attack is made with a -6 penalty, and so forth. You can continue to make attacks as long as your BAB minus the accumulated penalty is 1 or higher or until you have made a minimum of two attacks.
During a full attack when using the Two-Weapon Stance, you can chain your attacks with your two weapons in any order you choose, as long as the total number of attacks made with any one weapon does not exceed the maximum number of attacks you would be allowed when wielding a single weapon.
If you wield a one-handed weapon in both hands, you incur a -2 penalty to attack rolls.
The stance will end if you lose, discard, drop or are otherwise disarmed of one or both of your weapons.
Example: Using the Two-Weapon Stance, a 10th-level fighter can attack four times (+10/+7/+4/+1). Because of the minimum of two attacks allowed by this feat, a 2nd-level fighter can attack twice (+2/-1).Special: This feat counts as Two-Weapon Fighting for the purpose of meeting prerequisites.
Improved Two-Weapon Stance [Fighter] Your two-weapon stance improves greatly, giving you more attack options.Prerequisites: Two-Weapon Stance, BAB +4, Str 13, Dex 13.Benefit: Choose two weapon groups. You gain access to basic dual weapon arts belonging to those weapon groups. You cannot choose the special weapons weapon group with this feat.
You no longer incur a penalty for wielding two one-handed weapons belonging to any of the two chosen weapon groups.
Two-Weapon Expert [Fighter]
You can combine virtually any two types of weapon and make it work. Somehow.Prerequisites: Improved Two-Weapon Stance, BAB +6, Str 15, Dex 15.Benefit: You are treated as having Improved Two-Weapon Stance for all weapon groups, including the special weapons weapon group.
Dual Weapon Arts
Masters of dual wielding will not simply attack with one weapon and then the other. They will readily strike in a certain way that allows the weapons to support eachother, and even combine their powers into ultimate techniques. Characters that invest further feats into the Two-Weapon Stance tree will gain access to special weapon arts focused on dual-wielding.
Weapon Groups
For the purpose of the Two-Weapon Stance, weapons are divided into a variety of subcategories called weapon groups. Below follows a list of all weapon groups and examples of light and one-handed weapons that belong to that group.
- Daggers: dagger, dirk, kukri, tanto, and similarly dimensioned knives and short blades.
- Straight swords: short sword, longsword, bastard sword and similarly straight swords.
- Thrusting swords: punching dagger, rapier, estoc and other sharp-tipped thrusting-style swords.
- Curved swords: scimitar, sickle, shotel, khopesh and other strongly curved swords.
- Hooked weapons: light and heavy pick, kama, light or one-handed scythe-type weapons, and other weapons with a hooked shape that can be used for grabbing.
- Axes: handaxe, battleaxe, dwarven waraxe/urgrosh and other axe or hatchet-style weapons.
- Maces: clubs, light and heavy mace, morningstar, warhammers and other mace or hammer-style weapons.
- Spears: shortspear, trident and other one-handed spear-style weapons.
- Chain weapons: flails, light or one-handed chain-based weapons, and other weapons that are flexible and/or are capable of tripping enemies.
- Special weapons: Weapons that do not fit into any of the above categories. These weapons may have dual weapon arts unique to them. The whip is an example of a special weapon.
Basic Dual Weapon Arts
When using the Two-Weapon Stance, you gain additional attack options depending on the weapon groups that the weapons you are wielding belong to. These are divided into primary dual weapon arts, launched by the main hand weapon, and secondary dual weapon arts, launched by the off-hand weapon. Furthermore, the weapon also confers a passive benefit depending on whether it is held in the main or off-hand.
Daggers
Primary
- Bloodletting Flurry: As a full-round action, you make a number of attacks with your primary weapon equal to 2 plus one-third your base attack bonus, rounded down. You inflict bleed equal to 1d4 plus the number of successful attacks. Attacks that don't pierce damage reduction or resistance are not counted, and if no attacks pierce such defenses, no bleed is inflicted. If your secondary weapon also belongs to the dagger group you can choose to make up to 2 additional attacks with your secondary weapon as well, but each additional attack expends one of your attacks of opportunity for the round.
- While using Bloodletting Flurry, your attacks do not deal Strength-based damage, and you count sneak attack- and precision-based bonus damage only on the first attack.
- Passive: You gain an additional +1d6 sneak attack damage.
Secondary
- Riposte: Once per round, if a designated opponent (see Passive) performs an attack against you, you may expend an attack of opportunity to make an opposed attack roll with your secondary weapon. If this roll beats the opponent's attack roll, the opponent counts as being flat-footed and denied his Dexterity bonus to AC until the start of its next turn, and you may instantly perform a riposte attack with your primary weapon at a +4 bonus to the attack roll.
- If your opposed attack roll fails to beat the opponent's attack roll, the attack hits you but you take only half damage.
- Passive: You gain the benefits of the Parry feat.
Straight Swords
Primary
Secondary
Thrusting Swords
Primary
- Point Attack: As a standard action, you make a full attack with your primary weapon, striking the same point every time. For every consecutive hit, your next attack deals a cumulative +2d6 additional piercing damage. If your secondary weapon also belongs to the thrusting sword group, you may instead choose to make a full attack using both weapons as a regular full-round action (as per Two-Weapon Stance), gaining the same cumulative bonus damage on each hit. A missed attack roll will reset the bonus damage to 0.
- If your opponent is denied his Dexterity to AC, you also gain a +2 cumulative bonus on the next attack roll for every consecutive hit.
Secondary
- Flourish: With a confounding movement of your blade, you may put an opponent off-guard as a move action. This functions as a modified feint that uses your base attack bonus + your Dexterity modifier, and is opposed by a DC of 10 + your opponent's ranks in Sense Motive or base attack bonus (whichever is higher) + your opponent's Wisdom modifer.
- As a result of the flourish, your next attack with your primary weapon deals double damage.
- Passive: When you are flanking, you gain a +4 bonus to attack rolls.
Curved Swords
Primary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Secondary
- Dervish Dance: Once per round, if you would be granted an additional attack as per Cleave, Improved Trip, or a similar feat, you may use your secondary weapon to perform a Whirling Cleave as a full-round action. Afterwards, against one of the adjacent targets that you hit with the whirling cleave (or the creature that triggered the attack, if it is still alive), you may perform a single attack with your primary weapon.
- Passive: You gain the benefits of the Parry feat.
Hooked Weapons
Primary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Secondary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Axes
Primary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Secondary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Maces
Primary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Secondary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Spears
Primary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Secondary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Chain Weapons
Primary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Secondary
- Ability:
- Passive:
Combination Dual Weapon Arts
| Primary Weapon | Seconary Weapon | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daggers | Straight Swords |
Thrusting Swords |
Curved Swords |
Hooked Weapons |
Axes | Maces | Spears | Flexible Weapons | |
| Daggers | |||||||||
| Straight Swords | |||||||||
| Thrusting Swords | |||||||||
| Curved Swords | |||||||||
| Hooked Weapons | |||||||||
| Axes | |||||||||
| Maces | |||||||||
| Spears | |||||||||
| Chain Weapons | |||||||||
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81 possible weapon group combinations. This is gonna be a shitload of work.
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