Suggestions for a Peculiar Build

[F.H. Zebedee]

Anyways, one of my favorite fighting techniques is using a large dagger/shortsword/other weapon around that size to parry and make threatening attacks, but primarily actually striking with the unarmed hand. Impractical, but I enjoy the flavor of it. You know, lock blades with the other guy, and then haul off and start slugging him in the teeth repeatedly.

So, I've been wondering. What feats would one go about using to make a build dependant on this practical (BTW, I'm going either Fighter, Rogue, or Ranger with it). Would it be some TWF tree with a bunch of bizarre feats, or some weird set of feats for using a one handed weapon, or what? What scores should I emphasize for the build?

[Telonius]

Monk1/other class x/Duelist10, or even Monk10/Duellist10. Your unarmed strike now is no longer an off-hand attack. I'm not sure what that does to your regular weapon attack, though I'd suggest a Siangham so you can flurry if you want to.

That's about all I've got.

[Matthew]

Uh, is that Large D&D Dagger / Short Sword, as in Monkey Grip?

Quick build:

Human: Two Weapon Fighting,
Fighter 1: Improved Unarmed Strike, Two Weapon Defence,
Fighter 2: Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike),
Fighter 3: Power Attack,
Fighter 4: Weapon Specialisation (Unarmed Strike),
Fighter 5:

At Level 6 you are going to have to decide whether to pursue Two Weapon Fighting or not. Improved Grapple and Combat Expertise are also options.

[LotharBot]

If you're not actually attacking with the dagger, you can start off by just treating the fist as your primary attack (take improved unarmed strike and/or a level of monk) and don't even swing with the dagger (you don't take a penalty if you're not actually attacking with it.) As you go up in level, take a single TWF feat and TWD. Eventually, get a defending dagger.

[F.H. Zebedee]

Thanks guys! I'll try those suggestions out, and see how it works. Should be quite interesting to play.

[Annarrkkii]

Shadow Blade is a feat for a Shadow Hand swordsage that grants Dex to Damage in a Shadow Hand stance while using a Shadow Hand weapon (knives). Couple that with a few more levels of swordsage to get some Setting Sun maneuvers and Superior Unarmed Strike, and you can go back and start going up Rogue or Fighter to deal some heavy gritty-style damage.