two weapon fighter build ideas

[LordWolfKnight]

i am having trouble coming up with a character for my new game. its D&D 3.5, point buy with 35 points, 3.0 and 3.5 material, dragon mag, and some third party stuff. the problem i am having is not being able to make what i want work at a good rate. the original idea was fighter9/tempest5/dervish6, and while i can do that the character is dependent on str, dex, con, and int to function the way i want it to. the problem is the application of the character there really isn't anything that it is capable of doing other than using two weapons. do you guys have any other suggestions for a capable two weapon fighter?

[NerdHut]

Generally speaking, if you're going TWF the advice is to use Ranger as the chassis due to their bonus feats. There are some ACFs that let you trade out the animal companion and spellcasting at your option, if you want to avoid those.

[Falontani]

You could do well with a Warblade entry into devish/tempest.
Frostrager while not your traditional "Two Weapon Fighter" uses unarmed strikes and has something akin to "spiked gauntlets"

A favored build of mine for Fighters has you using the various shield feats, dual wiedling shields with spiikes, and having an Animated Tower Shield. You enchant the Animated Tower Shield giving it the most defense you can. You enchant the two shields that you wield with +1 and other defensive abilities like Arrow Catching, and Fortification. You enchant your shield spikes with your normal weapon enchantments. You enchant your armor spikes with +5 Defending. Throw yourself a Horned Helmet and boost your AC as high as you can get it. Use Deflective Armor and Shield Ward to boost your Touch AC at the same time. Throw some levels at Vengeance Knight to lower the armor check penalty on your armor. Put Called on everything. Use either your Horned Helmet or your Armor spikes as a Primary Weapon and use your shields as "offhand" weapons. With Active Shield Fighter you get the benefits of TWF for all shields you wield meaning you only get a -2 to hit with any of your shields. Throw in some Spiked Gauntlets. Be a spiked fortress of doom that people dont want to push around.

[Seharvepernfan]

I've been wanting to try this build out:

Swashbuckler 3/Hit & Run Sneak Attack Fighter 3/Swashbuckler x
I was going to focus on all the movement related skills (balance, climb, escape artist, jump, swim, tumble)

He gets full TWF, full sneak attack, full bab, full fort saves, straight d10 hit die, and a decent number of skill points. So he's generally tough enough to withstand melee and can make his AC pretty high despite not wearing very heavy armor, and can certainly do a lot of damage as long as he can trigger sneak attack. However, aside from his athleticism, he can't really do a whole lot else.

You could go rogue 14/swashbuckler 3 and get daring outlaw that way, and get lots of skill points, but you'd be more vulnerable, have less bab, and less feats.

The idea with TWF is, you want a lot of bonus damage in order to capitalize on your higher number of attacks, because you aren't getting the power attack two-handed bonus from anything, which is usually how meleers do most of their damage. TWF requires dex, more feats, and generally doesnt allow you to move on any round where you actually use it. Outside of rogues, I don't think it's ever really worth it.

So honestly if you want to play a melee guy who can do other stuff, I'd drop TWF and be a gish, using ToB as your main book, or else try to be a really tough rogue.

edit: That said, you could go scout 14/cloistered cleric 1/tempest 5, getting travel devotion so you can make full round skirmish attacks with TWF and probably have enough feats to get all the ones you want. You'd have your skill points and be able to do stuff outside combat.

[gorfnab]

Here is a Two Weapon Fighting Dervish build that might work for you.

Human
Scout (CA) 5/ Ranger - Arcane Hunter ACF (CM) 2/ Barbarian - Whirling Frenzy (UA) ACF, Spiritual Totem: Lion (CC) ACF, City Brawler (Drg#349) ACF 1/ Dervish (CW) 9/ Scout 3
Feats:
1. Expeditious Dodge (RotW) or regular Dodge, Mobility
3. Weapon Finesse
4. B: Combat Expertise
6. Weapon Focus Scimitar
7. B: Two Weapon Fighting
9. Improved Two Weapon Fighting
12. Swift Hunter (CS)
15. Greater Two Weapon Fighting
18. *Open Feat*
20. B: Improved Skirmish (CS)

*Open Feat Options* - Extra Rage (CW, set to Whirling Frenzy), Elusive Target (CW), Combat Reflexes, Deadly Defense (CS), Flay Foe (CoR), or Nemesis (BoED, combos with Arcane Hunter Ranger ACF)


While slightly dubious in feat/class variant interaction the build in the spoilers could work for a basic Two Weapon Fighting Rogue.

Human
Rogue - Simple Variant ACF (UA) "Feat Rogue" 1/ Swashbuckler (CW) 3/ Fighter - Simple Variant (UA) "Sneak Attack Fighter" 3/ Feat Rogue 13
Feats:
1. Combat Reflexes, Darkstalker {LoM, eventually get a Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis (ToM)} B: Two Weapon Fighting*
2. B: Weapon Finesse
3. Blindfight
6. Craven (CoR)
8. B: Improved Two Weapon Fighting
9. Daring Outlaw (CS)
10. B: Improved Buckler Defense (CW)
12. B: Mage Slayer (CA)
14. B: Greater Two Weapon Fighting
15. Pierce Magical Concealment (CA, use a Ring of Blinking)
16. B: Double Hit (MH)
18. B: Flay Foe (CoR), Two Weapon Rend (PHB II)

*Weapon of choice: Shortswords or Kukris

[ViperMagnum357]

Another consideration is the weapons-by giving up two handed damage, you need to decide how you want to take out enemies. There are 3 other basic ways to do it-precision damage; multi-strike weapons like the Crescent Knife and Scourge from Dragon Magazine 274, combined with flat bonuses; and disabling enemies without damage, such as using ability damage/drain.

A little more info on your build would help.

[Darrin]

i am having trouble coming up with a character for my new game. its D&D 3.5, point buy with 35 points, 3.0 and 3.5 material, dragon mag, and some third party stuff. the problem i am having is not being able to make what i want work at a good rate. the original idea was fighter9/tempest5/dervish6, and while i can do that the character is dependent on str, dex, con, and int to function the way i want it to. the problem is the application of the character there really isn't anything that it is capable of doing other than using two weapons. do you guys have any other suggestions for a capable two weapon fighter?

First things first, I wrote an offhandbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?279079-3-5-The-TWF-OffHandbook) for this.

Second... Tempest is a *terrible* PrC for TWF, as it doesn't actually reward you to TWFing all that much. As for Dervish... looks cool, good flavor, and has a few interesting abilities, but crunch-wise probably isn't worth a 10-level investment. And both of those PrCs suffer from the same bonehead idea that the designers kept insisting Spring Attack and TWF should somehow go together, but they don't. In most cases, if you use Spring Attack, you can't use TWF.

Third... friends don't let friends take odd levels of Fighter. There's always a level of Barbarian (for Pounce), Swashbuckler (for Weapon Finess) or Warblade (for awesomeness) that you can slip in there.

So, as far as getting down to brass tacks... yeah, you're dealing with MAD because you're trying to do too much, which is probably a variation of Candy Shop Syndrome. So maybe we can narrow down how exactly do you want to use TWF. Or rather... what kind of bonus damage do you want to focus on, and maybe we can build something around that?

If what you're looking for is effective TWF builds, then I would probably rank them:

1) Dragonfire Inspiration/Bardblade. However, this tends to turn the entire party into an energy damage powerhouse, and TWF is sorta an afterthought.

2) Pouncebarian PA/Leap Attack/Shock Trooper + TWF (with Improved Unarmed Strike or Oversized TWF). Essentially an Ubercharger build that gets some offhand attacks.

3) Swift Hunter. It's a little slow during the lower levels, but dishes out some respectable DPS while still offering a lot of flexibility with skills/spells/non-combat stuff.

4) Warblade 20 or Warblade 10/Eternal Blade 10. Essentially "My swords CAN HAZ LZRBEMS!"

5) Daring Outlaw: Rogue 4/Swashbuckler 15/Something 1. Good DPS if you can reliably get sneak attack working, but gets a little monotonous at higher levels.

[LordWolfKnight]

Tome of Battle classes are out though i can still use material from it i believe. Starting level is 14 so i am not worried about the lower level pains. Though i would like to have most of any prestige classes by this time in the game. Thanks for all the input

[Eldariel]

Barbarian 1/Fighter 4/Dervish 7 is not absolutely terrible with Melee Weapon Mastery. Alternatively Ranger 2/Scout 4/Dervish with Swift Hunter and potentially Knowledge Devotion. However, you generally want to two-hand as a Dervish to sink your bonuses into Power Attack since you get vast to hit bonuses and PA is the only sensible outlet (Light Scimitars don't even get PA bonuses sadly so that's out). There's also the Fighter 2/Swashbuckler 2/Dervish/Champion of Corellon Larethian 2 which is fine with good stats until you run into something with crit immunity (Undead/Elemental/Ooze/Plant/Construct or anyone with Heart of X-spells or Fortifications Armor or an equivalent).

If you can use ToB material, Shadow Blade makes any TWF build about a hundred times less sucky. Stormguard Warrior is also great (but requires Ironheart Aura which requires a stance).

[Zaq]

Have you looked into perhaps some light gishing? You said that your concern is that you can’t do much other than fight with two weapons, and having a degree of magical ability potentially opens up a large variety of options both before and after initiative is rolled. The feat Somatic Weaponry fixes the “my hands are full” issue, or you can look at the Daggerspell Mage from Complete Adventurer. Daggerspell Mage isn’t the most powerful option in the game, but it’s thematically appropriate, and it’s probably no worse than Tempest or Dervish if you build it well (especially if you’re comparing it to a muggle rather than to a primary caster).

Alternatively, go psionic and take Psychic Warrior. No components needed, interesting utility powers, lots of bonus feats, and still feels like a warrior rather than a mage.

[theboss]

I'm happy that I saw your post, since TWF fighters build is my favorite.
Well, Have you thought to combine ubercharging with TWF?
You think it's weird and not going to work? think again!
I suggest the following buid:
You're going to play an evil character, I'm sorry if you don't want to but it's the best i can do.
Race: elf - I know, I know. sucks to be an elf? well not so much, this build will totally cover up for being an elf. and you know what, it's pretty badass to live 700 years.
Fighter 2, Barbarian 1 (lion totem), Ranger 2, Hexblade (variant) 3, Exotic weapon master 1, Revenant blade 5 , Crusader 3, Blackgurad 2, Swordsage 1.


Sounds very messy but listen:
You're going to max out strength, then con and finally Charisma.
You won't be needing a single point investment in dex because you're going to get TWF feat from ranger and a magic item called " gloves of the balanced hand" which going to give you the Improved TWF feat. You should not any more attacks because you'll be dealing about 500 on a charge. maybe more, depends...

Feats:
1.Power attack, Bladebearear of the valenar
2. Weapon focus (Double Valenar Scimiter )
3. Improved Bull rush
6. Shock Tropper
9. leap attack
12.Improved sunder
15.Combat Brute
18. Force of personality

OUTCOME:
You'll have insane Saves, more than enough - trust me on this. (Remember to put your charisma on at least 20). Get Crystal mask of mindarmor from MIC to get +4 insight bonus to will save since you need to pump it up.

you'll apply your 2*x str modifier on every single hit (exotic weapon master - uncanny blow stunt), you also be using Power attack as if you are using a two handed weapon (means you'll get 2 points of damage for every 1 point you spend) while still fighting with a double weapon.

Combat brute is for 2 scenrious: 1). If your foe survives your charge (which isn't going to happen very often), you'll get the round after your charge only, a bonus on your power attack damge ( 3 for 1 in other words).
2). To break weapons and get a free attack.

Hexblade and blackguard are for your saves and mettle, blackguard also gives you some spells ( in my opinion they don't help much but they can sometime give an adanvage needed).
Crusader is also for your saves and some manuvers which lets be more unpretictable and thus more likely to win a fight.
Swordsage is the same reason as Crusader.

Barbarian (lion totmeist) is for Pounce.
Take your time, read the feats, read the classes, write it all on a paper and see where it leads... and of course, ask your DM if that build is fine by him.


OH and I almost forget, this is how you should put your 35 point buy:
str:18
con:16
dex:10
int:10
wis:8
cha:13
Don't forget magic items and tomes, they should pump those numbers up.

[noce]

I'm currently playing a twf build.
Wood elf as race.

Ranger 2 / sneak attack hit and run fighter 1 / ferocity barbarian 1 / swordsage 1 / wildrunner 2 / bloodclaw master 3 / chaotician 5

Craven, twf, itwf, gtwf, shadow blade, skewer foe, improved initiative, stalwart defense.

Using two daggers. No weapon finesse and no power attack, starting stats 18 18 14 11 8 8.
With an item of rage +1/day you can have +8 str and +10 dex, displacement and a bite attack 2/day.

You apply full str and full dex to your weapon attacks, and dex a second time against flat footed opponents.

You can go invisible blade 5 for the last 5 levels.

[LordWolfKnight]

sorry it has taking me so long to respond i have been busy. thank you all for the information and i think from this point i am good to go, thank you all very much

[RaiKirah]

If you're willing to take on two RHD you can add another head to your creature with the Multiheaded Creature Template (SS p124 I think). This gets you Superior Two Weapon Fighting, which due to ambiguous wording seems to give you full iterative attacks with both hands and may in fact pull a Tormtor School style override of all attack penalties as well. It may also give you off-hand attacks with TWF feat chain in addition to full iteratives with each hand. If you're gishing, this also sets you up to take Multivoice, which gives you another spellcast per round.