Feat Balance

[MeklorIlavator]

I'm think of including these as a houserule, but I wanted to check their balance. Note: neither was written by me, and the author is Tyler Do'Urden, from the wizards message boards.

OVERSIZED WEAPON FINESSE [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, Str 13, Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Select one type of melee weapon with which you are proficient. You may now treat that weapon as "finessable." You may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls with the weapon.
Special: You can gain Oversized Weapon Finesse multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.
A fighter may select Oversized Weapon Finesse as one of his fighter bonus feats.

GREATER WEAPON FINESSE [GENERAL][FIGHTER]; wizards.COMmunity message boards
Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected the Weapon Focus feat. You can also choose unarmed strike as your weapon for purposes of this feat.
Author: “Tyler Do'Urden”
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Choose a finessable weapon with which you have already selected Weapon Focus. When weilding your chosen weapon, you may use your Dexterity bonus in place of your Strength modifier to damage. You do not gain 1-1/2 times your Dexterity bonus to damage when weilding a two-handed weapon. You do gain only 1/2 your Dexterity bonus to damage when making an off-hand attack.
You cannot use this feat in conjunction with Power Attack.

[Durin_Deathless]

interesting. the one about substituting your DEX for STR mod is, in this humble DM's opinion, overpowered. the use of STR for damage is one of the key balancing factors for most skilled based classes. but i like the first one and feel it is much needed, but would limit it to one handed weapons. Just my coppers.

[Paragon Badger]

Oddly enough, I like the second one and feel the first one is overpowered...

There is a weapon template that I just found recently, (DMG II - 275) where you can add weapon finesse to a weapon that normally doesn't allow it, but suffer a damage reduction equal to a weapon one size smaller.

Even then, the template is a weapon created by fey, so they never make axes, two handed weapons, or other large weapons.

With the first one, a rogue could just pick up a greataxe and be as accurate as a fighter with 18+ strength, doing 1d12 + sneak attacks... not to mention if it critical'd...

[MeklorIlavator]

@Durin_Deathless:
I really don't see how the second one is that bad. I mean, it takes 2 feats(1 bad one, one needed for any dex-based meele), and has several restictions(only add the full bonus, or 1/2 if off-hand, no power attack), must be used with one weapon, and replaces Str as damage.

@Paragon Badger:
Three things.
A) Doing 1d12 damage instead of 1d6 is, on average, 3 points more. Not exactly game breaking, is it?
B) As a general rule, if a feat/special ability and magic item/enchantment do the same thing, the magic item has more restrictions on it, or is in some way less desirable than the feat, except that one only gets 7-8 feats normally, while one can get many items. The counter to this would be the Keen/Improved Critical feats, but that can be attributed more to poor design than anything else.
C) The rouge would have also spent 2 feats( wea. Pro, weapon finesse), a commodity which is in short supply.

[MeklorIlavator]

Bump.
Anyone else have imput?

[Mad Wizard]

I like Greater Weapon Finesse. I think a feat like that makes sense, and I think it's balanced, as you have to use 3 feats to get it, (granted, one of them you'd be taking anyway, but still) and all it does is let you do with dex what you'd be doing with Str anyway, at the cost of a feat.

[Matthew]

I don't like Greater Weapon Finesse, but I think that Oversized Weapon Finesse is fine. I would actually make the Prerequisites easier, maybe even BAB +1 and Strength 13, Dexterity 13.