[3.5] Dervish, what feat next?

[Raezeman]

Greetings,

my character, Max, is soon going to reach level 9, and i was wondering what feat to take for him, as there are a number if interesting ones. His build is 2 levels wolf totem barbarian, 4 levels fighter and 2 (soon 3) levels dervish.

feats:
weapon focus [longsword]
weapon focus [handaxe]
two-weapon fighting
improved trip
high sword low axe
combat expertise
dodge
mobility.

These feats are basically everything needed for 'high sword low axe' and dervish. So indeed, he is a tripper with two weapons. So now, what would be the best feat to take. I had some thougts about:

sense weakness: i have all prereqs, and have faced creatures with damage reduction, to which max was near useless.
improved two-weapon fighting: extra attack with off-hand could result in more trip attempts.
elusive target: highly defensive, free trip on dodged attack of opportunity seems highly interesting.
Combat reflexes: on it's own not so tempting, but needed for double hit, granting two attacks on one oppotunity and thus possible trip.
weapon specialization --> melee weapon mastery: plain bonuses on hit and damage.

I'm mostly doubting between sense weakness and elusive target. Maybe take in not that if an attacks hits, but does no damage due to damage reduction, my DM ruled that the attack did not count as a hit for the purpose of high sword low axe.
Also, suggestions for other feats are more than welcome. No homebrew, but basically everything else is allowed.

[lonewolf1210]

Im gonna try to ignore the High Sword, Low Axe thing(really, its not worth the massive investment) and say that Elusive Target is really good for a Dervish. Negate Power Attack is always great, and as a Dervish you can easily combine the other two abilities (while dancing, tumble into a position where you are flanked, then provoke an AoO on purpose which automatically misses you and may hit the other guy and finally get a free trip attempt at the attacker cause he missed you)

[Lerondiel]

Im gonna try to ignore the High Sword, Low Axe thing(really, its not worth the massive investment) and say that Elusive Target is really good for a Dervish. Negate Power Attack is always great, and as a Dervish you can easily combine the other two abilities (while dancing, tumble into a position where you are flanked, then provoke an AoO on purpose which automatically misses you and may hit the other guy and finally get a free trip attempt at the attacker cause he missed you)

Seconded. Stacking weapon style feats on top of two weapon fighting feats on top of prestige requirements doesn't leave many options.

Without banking on tripping success, the dervish works on paying out a full attack against opponents' charge/move & attack. The best chance an enemy has of evening the damage score is with 'reckless-leaping-power-attacking-etc so Elusive Target is a great idea.

That said, feats 12 & 15 ought to be ITWF & GTWF so when you hit Dervish 10 your death of a thousand cuts does its full thing.


What would have tweaked this build by 18th level is Heroics(Power Attack) and Wraithstrike....all those death of a thousand cuts as touch attacks with full power attacking

[Raezeman]

Seconded. Stacking weapon style feats on top of two weapon fighting feats on top of prestige requirements doesn't leave many options.

Well, though i do see the downside of this, i do not regret having this build.


Without banking on tripping success, the dervish works on paying out a full attack against opponents' charge/move & attack. The best chance an enemy has of evening the damage score is with 'reckless-leaping-power-attacking-etc so Elusive Target is a great idea.
Alright, ya got me, elusive target is next, unless somebody else brings the best argument ever for another.


That said, feats 12 & 15 ought to be ITWF & GTWF so when you hit Dervish 10 your death of a thousand cuts does its full thing.
And what about gloves of the balanced hands (8000 gold), which gives me ITWF, so i have to extra feat options. I don't get a third attack with off-hand, i know, but i think two more feat gives me more options. Also, don't need the dex requirement so high.


What would have tweaked this build by 18th level is Heroics(Power Attack) and Wraithstrike....all those death of a thousand cuts as touch attacks with full power attacking
Unfortunately, the rest of the party is a bard, a knight and a warmage. None of this stuff for me, but the bard song REALLY has been helping me out. I also really like the role-playing interaction between my barbarian and the knight.

[Troacctid]

I agree with Elusive Target. The feat is quite good and it works well with your build.