Dual Wielder Strongheart Halfling with only one kind of weapon

[The Candyman]

Hi!

I'm going to play again my first ever pc I've made in D&D a lot of years ago. I tried him a few times but the campagni always ended after fews days.

Lannibach Locohaust: a Chaotic Evil cannibal Strongheart halfling who wants to become a Jerren again and hates himself whenever he found himself enjoying al those horrible patethic joyful feelings

It is based on the weapon I love the most of all 3.0/3.5 settings: the STUMP KNIFE! And I want TWO of them, one for each hand!

What is the best way of doing a pc like this?
I'm already deepening my knowledge of the matter with the beautiful TWF guide that Darrin made but when I come to the swordsage and the warblade I wonder if they are still good classes if my pc will never have weapons that will allow to use disciplines other than shadow (and maybe Tiger, if the dm allows).
The first build I set my eyes upon was the Beshadowed Blade (by Tleilaxu_Ghola) but I noticed only after a while that it is called "Stormguard Warrior" (and for a reason) and that with two knives I will never get access to ironheart discipline.

What do you guys think? Are there other interesting ways for my pc to be effective (remember that he will have two tiny weapons that will do 1d3 damage)? Will he be forced to focus on sneak attack or I can make him a fierce normal warrior?

Many Thanks in advance!

Side note: I'll probably convince my dm to make the stump knife a non-exotic weapon (but it will probably cost me the 17-20 critical threat range)

- Do You know How I got those scars?
- ... Well ... trying to eat?

[Malroth]

You can still use Ironheart stances and boosts even if you have to 1hand for a round to use the strikes.

[Darrin]

It is based on the weapon I love the most of all 3.0/3.5 settings: the STUMP KNIFE! And I want TWO of them, one for each hand!

What is the best way of doing a pc like this?


The stump knife is the only weapon in 3.x that still has a 17-20 crit range. So presumably you'd want to capitalize on some sort of Crit-Fisher build.



I'm already deepening my knowledge of the matter with the beautiful TWF guide that Darrin made but when I come to the swordsage and the warblade I wonder if they are still good classes if my pc will never have weapons that will allow to use disciplines other than shadow (and maybe Tiger, if the dm allows).
The first build I set my eyes upon was the Beshadowed Blade (by Tleilaxu_Ghola) but I noticed only after a while that it is called "Stormguard Warrior" (and for a reason) and that with two knives I will never get access to ironheart discipline.


You are not required to use a discipline's preferred weapons. You can perform any maneuver you like with any weapon, so performing Iron Hand maneuvers or taking advantage of Stormguard Warrior is perfectly legal with a pair of stump knives.

Outside of Shadow Blade feat, Blade Meditation feat, and a couple class abilities in Bloodstorm Blade, there isn't any particular advantage to using a discipline's favored weapon.



What do you guys think? Are there other interesting ways for my pc to be effective (remember that he will have two tiny weapons that will do 1d3 damage)? Will he be forced to focus on sneak attack or I can make him a fierce normal warrior?


Well, if you want to focus on Crit-Fishing, you'll probably want to take advantage of one of the two PrCs that allow you to stack Improved Critical with the Keen weapon property. That would be Disciple of Dispater (Book of Vile Darkness) or Psychic Weapon Master (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827d). Disciple of Dispater is easier to get into, but there are a couple problems with it. First, you have to worship an evil archdevil, and second, it's a 3.0 class that wasn't updated to 3.5, so there may be some DMs that disallow it or adjust its class abilities to fit in with the 3.5 rules for Improved Critical.

Psychic Weapon Master was updated to 3.5, but the requirements to get into it are heinously annoying and overloaded with feat taxes. There are some other issues once you get into it, like you have to have to bond yourself to a single crystal melee weapon, which doesn't really work all that well with a build that uses two stump knives.

The other thing you can do with high crit-range weapons is abuse the Lightning Mace feat (Complete Warrior), but your DM would have to agree that you can use the Aptitude weapon property to allow your stump knives to count as light maces.



Side note: I'll probably convince my dm to make the stump knife a non-exotic weapon (but it will probably cost me the 17-20 critical threat range)


A one-level dip into CW Samurai gets you EWP (Bastard Sword), which you can switch over to EWP (Stump Knife) via the Warblade's Weapon Aptitude ability.

So... as with most Crit-Fisher builds, we kinda need to know how your DM feels about stacking Improved Critical and Lightning Mace/Aptitude weapons before we can give you more specific advice on a Crit-Fishing strategy.

[daremetoidareyo]

Psychic weapon master (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827d) is an option if you go psywarrior (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psychicWarrior.htm)7 With the called weapon ACF (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a), you can add the aptitude property, and make those stump knives of crystal, so lightning maces is on the table by level 15.

[Eldariel]

Warblade has two stances that synergise beautifully with this:
Blood in the Water (+1 to everything for each crit)
Punishing Stance (+1d6 damage on each hit)

The former is the endgame option while the latter really amps up your early game damage as a TWFer. Combine that with any of the generic TWF classes and you're good to go. And yeah, Stormguard Warrior doesn't care about your weapons and it's a great way for a TWFer to pump up their damage.

[ShurikVch]

Side note: I'll probably convince my dm to make the stump knife a non-exotic weapon (but it will probably cost me the 17-20 critical threat range)Why ditch the Exotic Weapon, if you can use it?
Firstly: if your weapon is exotic anyway, you may use some special material which usually turn "normal" weapon into exotic - such as "Heavy Weapon" rules from the Magic of Faerûn, or Kaorti Resin (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031014a)
Secondly: with it you can got access to the Exotic Weapon Master PrC, and take Twin Exotic Weapon Fighting stunt - to cut down TWF penalty to -1/-1; also, may take Stunning Blow stunt - to use Stunning Fist without having a fist
Thirdly: Fighter-Exoticist from Dragon #310 instead Martial Weapon gets proficiency in any 4 Exotic Weapons; instead the usual bonus feat, you may take Exoticist Ability - Strange Strike will give +1 Competence bonus on attack rolls when using your stump knifes against opponents who aren't proficient with stump knife


Well, if you want to focus on Crit-Fishing, you'll probably want to take advantage of one of the two PrCs that allow you to stack Improved Critical with the Keen weapon property. That would be Disciple of Dispater (Book of Vile Darkness) or Psychic Weapon Master (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827d).
...
Psychic Weapon Master was updated to 3.5, but the requirements to get into it are heinously annoying and overloaded with feat taxes. There are some other issues once you get into it, like you have to have to bond yourself to a single crystal melee weapon, which doesn't really work all that well with a build that uses two stump knives.Also, Kensei (from Oriental Adventures) and Weapon Master from (Sword and Fist) are got similar bonus (which should stack with anything but each other, but it will be - what, 19th level?)