Dual bastard sword wielding Barbarian

[Johnmakuta]

I have a player in one of my games who wants to make a dual wielding barbarian but he thinks that the scimitar is too weak and even two longswords aren't enough for him. He is a human so he gets an extra bonus feat to use but he originally was going to get Run and Improved Initiative. Is it worth while to change one of those feats out for a bastard sword proficiency?

[newb]

Sure if he plans on never hitting dual wielding with out two weapon feat an non light is -8/-8 I believe

[KingSmitty]

he would need a ton of feats to get that to work regularly, Bastard Sword Proficiency, Two Weapon Fighting, and then Oversized TWF. The damage model is close enough that I feel he'd be better off with scimitars only because of the crits

[Vortenger]

he would need a ton of feats to get that to work. Bastard Sword Proficiency, Two Weapon Fighting, and then Oversized TWF. The damage model is close enough that I feel he'd be better off with scimitars only because of the crits

No. The Sun Sword (lesser) from Return to Castle Ravenloft is a bastard sword that uses either bastard or short sword proficiency, for 3k. Just buy 2 and dual wield to your hearts content. Any feat applicable to either can be used.

Is he aware that dual wielding loses out damage overall to power attacking with a greatsword? Only those with lots of bonus dice (i.e. sneak attack) get much benefit fro dual wielding.

[SiuiS]

No. The Sun Sword (lesser) from Return to Castle Ravenloft is a bastard sword that uses either bastard or short sword proficiency, for 3k. Just buy 2 and dual wield to your hearts content. Any feat applicable to either can be used.

Is he aware that dual wielding loses out damage overall to power attacking with a greatsword? Only those with lots of bonus dice (i.e. sneak attack) get much benefit fro dual wielding.

Exactly this.

You can also get the weapon equivalency rules from the DMG and monkey grip and such to dual-wield two sun blades that are, for you, large short swords and are functionally great swords+. I think I got up to two colossal "short swords" at one point, and was throwing around six dice a swing, but it was ridiculous and not worthwhile except for having fifteen foot long blades.

[Darrin]

No. The Sun Sword (lesser) from Return to Castle Ravenloft is a bastard sword that uses either bastard or short sword proficiency, for 3k. Just buy 2 and dual wield to your hearts content. Any feat applicable to either can be used.


In the interests of pedantry, the lesser/unawakened sunsword does not use the exact same language as the Sun Blade (DMG), so by RAW it only confers proficiency, rather than being wielded with the same heft and ease of use as a shortsword:

"The Sunsword is a +1 bastard sword that can be wielded by someone who has proficiency with the short sword. It appears to be a bastard sword, and deals damage appropriate to that weapon, but can be wielded by a character proficient with either a bastard sword or short sword."
(emphasis added)

This is the text from the Sun Blade (DMG):

"This sword is the size of a bastard sword. However, a sun blade is wielded as if it were a short sword with respect to weight and ease of use. (In other words, the weapon appears to all viewers to be a bastard sword, and deals bastard sword damage, but the wielder feels and reacts as if the weapon were a short sword.)"
(emphasis added)

However, you're welcome to ignore this distinction.

[Blackhawk748]

I believe there is a build out there called the Power Dancer, you PrC into Dervish and Power Attack while you Dervish Dance. Its not super optimized but it is viable and the image of a Barbarian spinning like a tornado cleaving people in half with bastard swords is awesome.

[Zombulian]

I have a player in one of my games who wants to make a dual wielding barbarian but he thinks that the scimitar is too weak and even two longswords aren't enough for him. He is a human so he gets an extra bonus feat to use but he originally was going to get Run and Improved Initiative. Is it worth while to change one of those feats out for a bastard sword proficiency?

It's worth it to trade Run for just about anything.

[Titan]

If this is a Pathfinder game, since you haven't explained which edition you are in, the Titan Mauler can Single Hand a Two-Hander, so your player can use a Bastard Sword Martially as a Two-Handed weapon and then dual wield those, but if he is doing that he might as well take two great swords.

If it isn't Pathfinder, Strong Arm Bracers would work, or even the feat Monkey Grip, though that has huge penalties.

[Tindragon]

I have a player in one of my games who wants to make a dual wielding barbarian but he thinks that the scimitar is too weak and even two longswords aren't enough for him. He is a human so he gets an extra bonus feat to use but he originally was going to get Run and Improved Initiative. Is it worth while to change one of those feats out for a bastard sword proficiency?

IF you're starting at 1st, or not even, he could get 1 or 2 more feats using the variant rules. Shaky and Vulnerable come to mind. Pick up TWF and Monkey Grip...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm

[Sith_Happens]

Is he aware that dual wielding loses out damage overall to power attacking with a greatsword? Only those with lots of bonus dice (i.e. sneak attack) get much benefit fro dual wielding.

Or anyone who dips Exotic Weapon Master for Uncanny Blow (which gives 2:1 Power Attack while one-handing any exotic weapon).

I'll echo that this is going to take a LOT of feats. Exotic Weapon Proficiency, the TWF line, Oversized TWF, Weapon Focus to qualify for Exotic Weapon Master, and Power Attack because it's the whole point of taking Exotic Weapon Master. Luckily, the Magic Item Compendium has the Gloves of the Balanced Hand, which give you Improved TWF if you already have TWF, thereby saving two feats (Greater TWF is no big loss) and lessening the character's DEX requirements to boot.