Wife Playing a TWF Duskblade - Need Double Weapon suggestions

[lytokk]

so, in the game one of my players started, my wife decided to play a duskblade. When I started suggesting weapon options, she really liked the idea of TWF, and I suggested that instead of two weapons, just use a single double weapon, since it helps with the having to release a weapon to cast spells thing. Problem is, outside of core, I don't know of too many options. I know the Valanaar double sword from eberron, but outside of those few, not sure on many. Since the DM is using my house rules, I can get him to wave the exotic weapon proficiency, and condense the twf feat tree down to a single feat, so I'm not worried about excessive penalties. Also, she got very good ability scores (in order 18, 17, 16, 18, 15, 10 and is playing a snow elf) So, just need some suggestions on double weapons that sound interesting and where I can find them, and answers to a couple questions.

1. After level 13, on a full attack, can a duskblade channel spells into the off-hand weapon? It makes sense to me but not 100% sure

2. When making only a single attack (for instance channeling before 13) is it STR or STRx1.5 to damage since its still a two handed weapon?

3. is Bigby's Tripping hand really that pointless?

[Val666]

1) I think you can just channel the spell in 1 end of the weapon. As you, not sure

2) The double weapon can be used as two weapons or a two-handed weapon. If used as the later, it adds Str x1.5

3) .-.


Mmhmm you were talking about Double weapons and mentioned the Valenar Double Scimitar. Your wife is playing a Snow Elf. Have you thought about suggesting a Triblade build? you just need a feat from Dragon Magazine called Flexible Mind (which isn't that impressive but it is useful) to make a build like this: Warblade 5/Revenant Blade 5/Eternal Blade 5. Maneuvers cover the same "fluff" as duskblade spells since Duskblades don't get any 9th level super mega op stuff, maneuvers can work very cool.

Im just trying to help :c

[Phelix-Mu]

I think Races of the Wild has Lynx Paw and maybe one other. Lynx paw is kind of a scimitar on one side and a morningstar on the other.

Oriental Adventures has a bunch of eastern-themed weapons, some of which were re-released in other books; kusari-gama, three-part staff, etc.

[ThatKreacher]

http://eberronunlimited.wikidot.com/local--files/crescent-scythe/CrescentScythe.jpg

I really like the crescent scythe from Sandstorm!

[Oddman80]

http://eberronunlimited.wikidot.com/local--files/crescent-scythe/CrescentScythe.jpg

I really like the crescent scythe from Sandstorm!

That may be the coolest freaking weapon I have ever seen...i might need to ho and replace the dinky little guisarme for my Lesser Air Genasi Duskblade....

[lytokk]

Good suggestions. On further reflection, each side of a double weapon can be enchanted separately, and count as 2 separate weapons, so maybe the duskblade channeling doesn't work through both sides. The crescent sythe looks pretty cool, but after opening up sandstorm, it looks like it has the same stats as a two bladed sword, but I didn't read the description, so maybe it has trip attacks, will check when I get home.

In regards to the triblade, the intent is really to not go OP, and stay middle ground. A quick search turned up your question about it a few months ago, and I appreciate the suggestion, but as my wife is still new to D&D, we want to keep it simple. I also don't know if the Revenant Blade keeps with the theme of the campaign setting we're in.

I remember seeing someplace a double scythe, but I can't remember where. Does this actually exist or is it something I remember from another source?

[Feint's End]

Arcane channeling works on every attack made during a full attack action starting from level 13 ... including second weapons, natural weapons, etc.

It never specifies only affecting just one weapon but rather attacks (which can be made using different weapons).

Edit: why not make her a plain warblade? much simpler and has a lot of the stuff she wants

[lytokk]

She really liked the idea of channeling spells through weapon attacks. Maybe if this one dies she might try again with a warblade, but for now, she's liking the duskblade.

When I started talking about combat styles, I went down the list, two handed weapon, sword and shield, sword and empty hand, two weapon fighting. She liked the idea of TWF, and at that point I was hit by the little inspiration and asked her if she wanted to use two seaparate weapons or a weapon with two sides. Once I explained to her how a two sider worked, she got pretty excited about it. The question at that point was which two sider to use, and I wanted to get as many options as possible so she could make as informed a choice as possible.

[Oddman80]

She really liked the idea of channeling spells through weapon attacks. Maybe if this one dies she might try again with a warblade, but for now, she's liking the duskblade.

When I started talking about combat styles, I went down the list, two handed weapon, sword and shield, sword and empty hand, two weapon fighting. She liked the idea of TWF, and at that point I was hit by the little inspiration and asked her if she wanted to use two seaparate weapons or a weapon with two sides. Once I explained to her how a two sider worked, she got pretty excited about it. The question at that point was which two sider to use, and I wanted to get as many options as possible so she could make as informed a choice as possible.

Does she prefer elegance over power? There is a big difference between Dire Flails / Orc Double Axes / Double Hammers and Lajatang / Double Swords / Dwarven Double Spears / Crescent Scythes

[Darrin]

She really liked the idea of channeling spells through weapon attacks.


Arcane channeling says:

"Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee attack."

It's a standard action to cast and attack together with the same action, and up until 13th level you're limited to a single attack, so if you have multiple weapons or a double weapon, you just select which weapon or which "end" of the weapon you want to channel through when you cast your spell (gripping it two-handed gives you x1.5 Str bonus on damage).

At 13th level, the text says the spell affects each target you hit in melee combat, and it doesn't mention weapons, so by my reading when you get full attack channel, both ends of a double weapon, or really any melee weapon you can use in a full attack can be used to channel.



The question at that point was which two sider to use, and I wanted to get as many options as possible so she could make as informed a choice as possible.

The best double weapon to use for TWF is a quarterstaff. Actually, an Elvencraft (+300 GP, Races of the Wild) composite longbow, which is treated as a quarterstaff for melee purposes, is even better. Put in two wand chambers (100 GP, Dungeonscape) and two wands, probably blade of blood and shocking grasp (unless you can work in UMD or Magic domain).

If you get EWP for free... the Chain Lash (Savage Species) or Chain (Oriental Adventures) is kinda interesting. It's a 1d6/1d6 double weapon, or you can grip it with two hands and use it as a reach weapon, which would allow her to channel spells against enemies up to 10' away. It can be used to trip, gets a +2 on disarm attempts, and can be used with Weapon Finesse.

The Crescent Scythe is nearly identical to an Orc Double-Axe. The only difference (other than the price/weight) is the Crescent Scythe gets +1 damage if you ever use it with Whirlwind Attack. And while I would never recommend getting that particular feat, the Whirling property (+1 enhancement, MIC) can replicate it 3/day (which is probably twice more than you'll ever get to use it).

As far as exotics go, the Two-Bladed Sword is a solid performer, and the 19-20 crit will "feel" like it crits more often than the x3 (although from a math standpoint, the extra crit damage works out to be pretty much the same). The only thing that really outperforms the Two-Bladed Sword or Orc Double-Axe is the Zulaat (Secrets of Sarlona, essentially a two-bladed glaive), which gets 2d4 damage on each end rather than 1d8 (average 5.0 damage per hit rather than 4.5).

Other than that, I think the only other double weapon that stands out as somewhat interesting might be the Dire Flail. It can be used to trip, gets +2 on disarm, and can be used with the Dire Flail Smash feat to daze opponents, but getting all the prereq feats on a Duskblade chassis would be difficult to do until very late in the build.

[dysprosium]

For exotic double weapons, I'm partial to the gyrspike personally. It's in Arms & Equipment Guide and might have been reprinted in Complete Warrior.

What I like about it is that you have more bases covered when facing opponents with damage resistance slashing or bludgeoning. And you can trip with it.

[Crake]

If the only reason you're going for a double weapon is because you need a free hand to cast spells, instead of springing for a feat on exotic weapon proficiency for a good double weapon, why not pick up somatic weaponry (http://dndtools.eu/feats/complete-mage--58/somatic-weaponry--2674/)? Let's face it, if you're going two weapon fighting, might as well actually wield two weapons for the bad-ass factor, and if you were blowing a feat on exotic weapon prof, then you don't really lose out on anything here by instead getting that feat.

[Vaz]

Dire Flail for Dire Flail Smash. Combine woth Trip and Daze and size increases and you can control a battlefield fairly well.

[Bloodgruve]

A little off subject but you could look the Arcane Strike feat from Complete Warrior. Drop a spell to gain its spell level to each attack and xd4 damage to each attack for one round. Works with double weapons and dual wielding. Could work well for a nova Duskblade build.

Knowledge Devotion with high Int and the six Knowledge skills is very fun on a Duskblade also ;) She could be the know-it-all of the group that hits things really really hard.

GL
Blood~

[lytokk]

Arcane strike is definitely a good idea as far as that goes, but she won't be able to pick it up til level 9, but it still makes a good go of things until she gets full channeling. I think she might like the elvencraft bow, but unfortunately, at level 1, its a little out of reach pricewise. Will look at races of the wild when I get home.

No clue if she wants power or elegance, but I'd lean towards elegance.

Knowledge Devotion is a good idea, as it would be for any duskblade.

[KorbeltheReader]

A few other advantages to using double weapons that might be obvious, I dunno, but weren't mentioned elsewhere:

1. When she uses her double weapon as a 2 hander, instead of dual wielding with it, it gets the same double point bonus from Power Attack as any other weapon wielded with 2 hands. There will be times when it's definitely worthwhile to get a couple of big hits instead of a bunch of smaller ones (when fighting things with DR, for instance).

2. Once she starts full attack channeling, the more attacks, the better. Thus it's worth considering things like Snap Kick. Along these same lines, if she's willing to postpone full attack channeling for a level, a level of swordsage at 9 would give her access to Assassin's Stance for 2d6 sneak attack on every attack, as well as a handful of other great maneuvers (most importantly the Diamond Mind concentration-as-saving-throw ones).