[3.5] high sword low axe

[Raezeman]

greetings,

i'm currently playing a wolf totem barbarian 2/ fighter 4 human that focusses on high sword low axe, going into dervish next level. I need some help with this build. (the group also consists out of a warmage and favoured soul)

First of, what items do i get for him? Outside of helm of battle and enlarge person potions, i don't really know of anything else exempt the usual items that fit for every melee type character.

Second, feats. He has dodge, mobility, combat expertise, weapon focus longsword, weapon focus hand axe, two weapon fighting, improved trip and high sword low axe (basically everything needed for high sword low axe and dervish class). How do i proceed? i was thinking improved two weapon and double hit, but not completely sure.

Finally, with 10 levels dervish, the build goes up to level 16. Not sure if we ever reach that far, but with would could we top that off?


any other suggestions (not those stating let him die and take a caster) are always welcome.

[OldTrees1]

Gloves of the Balanced Hand [MIC] will give you Improved Two Weapon fighting so you don't need to spend a feat on it.

I notice you do not have Combat Reflexes. That should be remedied.

Double Hit is a good idea, unlike most AoO feats, the additional attack does not expend an additional AoO.

Robilar's Gambit is your 12th level feat.

You might want to look into some stances/manuevers from Tome of Battle. If you took a level of Warblade as your 9th level, you would be able to get both White Raven Tactics and Iron Heart Surge. Both are swift actions so they will not interfere with your dervish combat style.

[Juntao112]

Robilar's Gambit is your 12th level feat.


And also Karmic Strike.

[Raezeman]

combat reflexes is needed for double hit, i have to take that first anyway.

Robilar's gambit offensive capabilities seem great combined with double hit and high sword low axe, but brings my AC down drastically. would this get me killed, as my AC is not that high to begin with (no armor heavier then light for dervish, no shield, raging from time to time…)?

iron hearth surge seems to be a standard action to activate...

[OldTrees1]

combat reflexes is needed for double hit, i have to take that first anyway.

Robilar's gambit offensive capabilities seem great combined with double hit and high sword low axe, but brings my AC down drastically. would this get me killed, as my AC is not that high to begin with (no armor heavier then light for dervish, no shield, raging from time to time…)?

iron hearth surge seems to be a standard action to activate...

At 12 level, your AC is meaningless unless you specialize in it to the exclusion of everything else. So the penalty from Robilar's is not a problem.

[Fouredged Sword]

Eh, AC is not the best to begin with. Miss chance is where it's at. Get smoking armor spikes for cheap miss chance, and maybe a defending elbow blade for a nice AC boost.

[Metahuman1]

Might Consider Retraining that weapons focus for the hand ax to a weapons focus for a Battle Ax, and then taking Oversized Two Weapon Fighting and Power Attack.

If you have the Spirit Lion Totem AFC from your first level of Barbarian and are picking up double hit, karmatic strike and Combat reflexes anyway, I'd also see about picking up Shock Trooper and MAYBE leap attack for the significant increase to damage out put that will move towards.



As an alternative option, if either of the casters have greater magic weapon and aren't planning on dropping caster levels (I forget if the warmage list has that spell which is why this isn't aimed at just the favor soul.) a couple of third level momento magica would be a worth while investment long term. Armbands of Might can give you a too hit and damage boost when power attacking. And if you dip Tome of Battle, consider buying a boot blades with the style special ability keyed to what ever stance you snag. Cheap +3 to hit as long as your in that stance.

This is great with Shock Trooper and still good with out cause it helps offset PA.

[Raezeman]

Might Consider Retraining that weapons focus for the hand ax to a weapons focus for a Battle Ax, and then taking Oversized Two Weapon Fighting and Power Attack.


Burning a feat just to bump up the d6 from hand axe to a d8 of battle ax really does't seem to be worth it for me. i'd rather take weapon specialisation…


If you have the Spirit Lion Totem AFC from your first level of Barbarian and are picking up double hit, karmatic strike and Combat reflexes anyway, I'd also see about picking up Shock Trooper and MAYBE leap attack for the significant increase to damage out put that will move towards.


I have spirit lion totem barbarian I have wolf totem barbarian, it came with improved trip.

And power attack / shock trooper is not what i would like for this character as he won't be charging but start dancing next level as i take dervish.

Asking the favoured soul for greater magic weapons as soon as he get's level 4 spells is something i was planning all along indeed, though i'm not sure if he would be willing to provide, as i will ask 2 each day :p and sadly, the warmage does not have anything like that. He will be able to provide fire shields at some point, but other than that, he'll just be blasting.

i'll take a look into that tome of battle stuff

[Zombimode]

I have spirit lion totem barbarian, it came with improved trip.

Spiritual Lion Totem does NOT grant Improved Trip. Wolf Totem from Unearthed Arcana does. Both ACFs can be combined, though (even if its awkward from the flavor perspective).

[Darazel]

Burning a feat just to bump up the d6 from hand axe to a d8 of battle ax really does't seem to be worth it for me. i'd rather take weapon specialisation…

I think the point would be to use a one-handed weapon instead of a light one, since you can not apply the bonus from Power Attack to a light weapon.

[Raezeman]

Spiritual Lion Totem does NOT grant Improved Trip. Wolf Totem from Unearthed Arcana does. Both ACFs can be combined, though (even if its awkward from the flavor perspective).

yeah euhm, no idea where that spiritual lion totem part comes from, must have been thinking about that while wanting to write wolf totem and it all went wrong. Even so, i didn't know you can combine them, yet i'm not going to, as i would myself not allow spiritual lion totem barbarian as a DM myself, CERTAINLY in a build that takes only 2 levels of barbarian. Still, the increased movement of both barbarian and dervish together with dervish dance would give a good substitute for pounce in my opinion.

[Metahuman1]

I think the point would be to use a one-handed weapon instead of a light one, since you can not apply the bonus from Power Attack to a light weapon.

Yes. That was the point.

Also, the Momento Magica Items will help with Greater Magic Weaponing your weapons, being that there basically pearls of power but for spontaneous casters.

Some other feats that might be worth your time are two weapon rend, which, every time you hit with both main hand and off hand weapon gives you a freebee attack that applies all your bonus damage, which, if your making lots of attacks on your turn for full attacks, and then making lots of attacks of opportunity using double hit, means it should happen at least once or twice a round, and 1-2 or more extra hits around is worth a feat, and the Mage Slayer Line, which, after the first couple of feats, actually helps with none casters, and as you get higher and higher levels and more and more monsters have SLA's, caster levels and spell casting/spell casting levels, even the stuff that applies just to casters get's better and better.