two-weapon fighting.

[AustontheGreat1]

i have it in my head that when making an attack with an off hand weapon, you only add 1/2 your strength to damage. is that correct? and where is this rule?

[Harperfan7]

Yes. Just look up two weapon fighting in the PHB index.

[Drakevarg]

Correct. I believe the information can be found pretty much every time weapons are mentioned in the PHB. Attribute's chapter, under Strength, Equipment chapter, under weapons, Combat chapter, under Two-Weapon Fighting, Feats chapter, same.

[AustontheGreat1]

Your Right, found it under strength. thanks

[Lycanthromancer]

If you're going TWF, either make sure you have a lot of bonus damage to each hit to make up for not using a Two-Hander (such as through sneak-attack), or go with lots and lots (and lots) of natural attacks.

Your best bet is either a druid (just...druid), a TWF rogue, a totemist, or a psychic warrior. You'll note that only one of those actually uses the TWF feats (because they're quite suboptimal sucky).

[Dr.Epic]

If you're going TWF, either make sure you have a lot of bonus damage to each hit to make up for not using a Two-Hander (such as through sneak-attack), or go with lots and lots (and lots) of natural attacks.

Your best bet is either a druid (just...druid), a TWF rogue, a totemist, or a psychic warrior. You'll note that only one of those actually uses the TWF feats (because they're quite suboptimal sucky).

Don't Dervishes get something that let's them make an insane number of attacks each round too? Downside is you have to use a scimitar (that is a downside if you planned to use another weapon).

[TheOOB]

Don't Dervishes get something that let's them make an insane number of attacks each round too? Downside is you have to use a scimitar (that is a downside if you planned to use another weapon).

Scimitar is actually a really good weapon. The higher level you get, the more a better critical matters over a better base damage, making scimitars a great 1H weapon.

But yes, Dervish+Wounding weapons are amazing.

[Dr.Epic]

Scimitar is actually a really good weapon. The higher level you get, the more a better critical matters over a better base damage, making scimitars a great 1H weapon.

But yes, Dervish+Wounding weapons are amazing.

Yeah I know scimitars are great weapons (high crit range and such). I was only saying it be bad if the scimitar wasn't part of his character's build.

[AslanCross]

Don't Dervishes get something that let's them make an insane number of attacks each round too? Downside is you have to use a scimitar (that is a downside if you planned to use another weapon).

Nope, you don't have to use a scimitar. The Dervish has only one class feature that allows it to treat off-hand scimitars as light weapons. You can use any other slashing weapon.

(Annoyingly enough, you can't use a short sword because it's a piercing weapon.)

[magic9mushroom]

Nope, you don't have to use a scimitar. The Dervish has only one class feature that allows it to treat off-hand scimitars as light weapons. You can use any other slashing weapon.

(Annoyingly enough, you can't use a short sword because it's a piercing weapon.)

Well, slashing with a shortsword doesn't work all that well, and the whole idea of dancing around conjures up better images for a slashing weapon.

[KillianHawkeye]

Well, slashing with a shortsword doesn't work all that well, and the whole idea of dancing around conjures up better images for a slashing weapon.

It isn't just the image, the dervish dance actually requires the use of a slashing weapon.

[Person_Man]

Two Weapon Fighting is a somewhat inefficient method of adding extra attacks. I only use it if I happen to be playing a high Dex build in a core-ish game (like a Rogue). If you choose to play a melee build, I suggest that you add attacks via Attacks of Opportunity, Natural Attacks, a Speed/Haste effect, maneuvers, psionic powers, soulmelds, etc.

[Gnaeus]

Your best bet is either a druid (just...druid), a TWF rogue, a totemist, or a psychic warrior. You'll note that only one of those actually uses the TWF feats (because they're quite suboptimal sucky).

You forgot Swordsage.

[Lycanthromancer]

You forgot Swordsage.

So I did. It's definitely better than taking the TWF feat, though the two of them do synergize well enough.

[tyckspoon]

You forgot Swordsage.

Warblade also has Tiger Claw access and does TWF a little better with full BAB, but Swordsage works better with a Dex-centric build with natural access to Shadow Hand (and so the Shadow Blade feat) and more per-attack boosters like Burning Blade and Assassin's Stance.

[Grommen]

Has to be a feat somewhere that will allow you to add back normal damage to your off hand. I know it's in the base book for the Pathfinder game, has to exist in some book somewhere for 3.5. And in I believe PHBII their is a feat "Over-sized two weapon fighting" that treats a medium sized weapon in your off hand as a small weapon. This way you can use your scimitars in both hands, or two longswords etc.

Friend of mine made a fighter / rogue around the Two-Weapon fighting. I found it to be really nasty (for us, your millage may vary). Granted we were 20 to 25th level. He either tripped, or snuck up on the bad guy and then with two weapon, greater two weapon, ridiculously two-weapon combat, and a sword of speed, went stabiety stab stab stab stab stab. Not much lasted past his first assault. Less it could not be critted, or didn't fall down.

I also don't agree with the half damage on the off hand. My right hand will knock the snot out of you just about about as well as my left. It's has always been that way for me. Yes my right is a wee bit weaker than my left (I'm a lefty) but it's not half as strong, nore half as coordinated. We house rule away the off hand most of the time. Probably why we don't see two weapon combat as weaker than other forms of melee.

Then again I'm proabaly bias on the matter. I've been practicing Martial Arts for 8 years now. Monks have no off hand, or foot for that matter.

[ericgrau]

In core-ish two-weapon fighting actually keeps up pretty close to two-handed on full attacks, even without sneak attack or other bonus damage. The disadvantage is so little I hear about many who don't notice any difference. Heck even ranger bonus damage can close the gap. It's only once you bring in the uberchargers and what not that the gulf widens a bit.

Other tricks besides bonus damage to beef up TWF include tripping, especially on the lower AB attacks, and other touch attacks or triggered effects like spell storing weapons.

It bears mentioning that a TWF rogue without a method of defense or combat stealth (like greater invisibility) commonly leads to threads complaining about death-prone rogues. Without greater invis or some such trick, a buckler rogue will actually do more damage than a TWF rogue b/c he'll fight longer and doesn't have the -2 to hit on top of a mid BAB. Or a ranged rogue will do more damage in round 1 since he can full attack, while being safer. Last little note: a semi-reliable sneak attack in general on a mid BAB, with a penalty to hit, on a fragile class makes for a worse combat character than any true martial class. Even, say, a TWF fighter/barbarian/paladin. But that's the trade-off to get skills.