Dex 2Her

[Ambaryerno]

Since there's no real class for a DEX-based 2Her, (I frankly hate that DnD always assumes 2Hers are RAAAAAWR SMASH!!!! and ignores the fact that 2H weapons, ESPECIALLY the longsword — and I mean the REAL longsword, which was primarily a 2H weapon — can be very quick and agile weapons) I came up with this:

http://nwn2db.com/build/?254077

Curious what your thoughts are. Ignore the skills selection, as I'm not 100% decided on how I would build those.

I've got another Feat at Level 27 I haven't decided what to do with yet, though I was considering taking Great Strength, and aiming for a +3 STR boost item for 21 STR. I've opted not to get Improved Critical due to the availability of the whetstone, or just getting a Keen weapon.

I'd also considered a version that was 12F/10D/5WM/3R for RP purposes, and another at 15F/10D/5WM for the extra feat.

[chad878262]

It's fine, but I'm sure you're already aware the short comings. Frankly you'd be better off with DEX at 17 with a+3 item and Mithral breastplate. If you're going to use a +3 STR item you should end STR on an odd number. Also you'd be better taking weapon master 8 rather than fighter 13. I would want my bab a little higher, but lowering DEX for more STR will address that a bit. Unfortunately as you say, two handed fighting is set up for high STR and IPA. It's not going to be a top tier weapon master, but it won't be terrible either.

[Ambaryerno]

It's fine, but I'm sure you're already aware the short comings. Frankly you'd be better off with DEX at 17 with a+3 item and Mithral breastplate. If you're going to use a +3 STR item you should end STR on an odd number. Also you'd be better taking weapon master 8 rather than fighter 13. I would want my bab a little higher, but lowering DEX for more STR will address that a bit. Unfortunately as you say, two handed fighting is set up for high STR and IPA. It's not going to be a top tier weapon master, but it won't be terrible either.

WM levels past 7 are pretty worthless. It gets Ki Crit at Level 7, but 8-10 just gives you more uses of Ki Attack/Day. Giving up all your attacks per round for ONE attack at max damage, even if it crits, just isn't worth it with as high as your crit chance already is on a normal attack. You're likely to do far more damage in a round with all your normal attacks.

I'd actually had an idea just now for a feat to make DEX-based 2Hers viable. Imma float it on the Suggestion board in a minute.

[Tsidkenu]

1. Ki strike can be used unlimited times per round for max (physical) damage per successful hit.

2. Chad's point is that having 8/day Ki strike is better than taking an effective dead 13th level in fighter, even if not by much.

3. Fighter 13 doesn't even progress saving throws compared to 12th. At least WM 8 will give you +1 reflex saves (compared to 7th), which is about the only other thing going for it.

[Ambaryerno]

I could have sworn Ki Attack was a full round action.

[Tsidkenu]

Probably is. In PnP. Which NWN2 is only losely based on. I have a (now-retired) WM and she could burn 5 of her ki strikes in a round if she wanted to

[Ambaryerno]

What do y'all think of adjusting the level progression to squeeze the Fighter levels in earlier so I can qualify it for Epic Weapon Spec at the end? It will require moving the latter levels of the PrCs into Epic levels, but will net an extra +2 damage.

[Ambaryerno]

As I said, a potential Rogue dip would be for RP purposes on this concept, not any particular mechanical reason.

[Sun Wukong]

Halfling... Swashbuckler 5/Fighter 10/Frenzied Berserker 5/Duelist 10 - DEX and INT build.

Use a short sword or something, or rapier with monkey grip. You can have 2.5 Int modifier as added damage against most foes. Then Frenzied Berserker gives you power attack that should work with your high dexterity Weapon Finesse. Thus any investment in Dexterity and Intelligence will increase your offensive and defensive damage output.

It is possible to delay the multiclassing experience penalty to the last 5 levels. Or avoid altogether with a Swashbuckler 7/Fighter 8/FRenzied Berserker/Duelist 10 build.

Fighter feats are mostly to just pump up your AB. Duelist grants 2d6 damage anyhow.

Well, it works in stock NWN2. Not entirely sure of this server.

[Ambaryerno]

Hey all, been absent for a bit (when logging in starts to feel like a chore, it's time to take a break) but am getting an itch to play again. Was thinking of revisiting this, still looking for feedback. Mainly on what I said above about tweaking the layers to get the Fighter levels in earlier so I can get the EWF/EWS feats.

Also, I wanted some clarification on something: Whirlwind requires Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack. IIRC, WM only actually looks for WW, not the other feats, and Dervish grants Spring Attack for free. Since Mobility is usually a requirement for SA, my question is does WW actually look for Mobility as well, or does it only look for SA?

[Ambaryerno]

Updated build. Adjusted the order of some of the levels and tweaked a feat or two. I've also flipped DEX and STR, targeting +6 DEX with boost gear (Mithral Chain Shirt) and +7 STR. Alternately I could go +5 DEX (Mithral Breastplate) and +8 STR to get a +12 damage. Although both are starting to depart from the build concept.

I did some playing around with Jegs and determined that while you CAN take Whirlwind without Mobility, so long as you receive Spring Attack from another class, (Dervish) Weapon Master DOES still require Mobility to be picked up independently.

[Sun Wukong]

In a way, I would just make a Thiefling Fighter 12/Frenzied Berserker 5/Weapon Master 7/Shadowdancer 3 - well, Fighter 14/Frenzied Berserker 6/Weapon Master 7/Shadowdancer 3.

No one really makes use of the Frenzy ability, so the build by default is little less 'raah' even though it could go for it.

[Rask]

I would go 2-weapon and tempest instead for a dex fighter, one of my builds has this. It turned out to give me much higher AB and a crazy amount of attacks per round, coupled with two rapiers, imp crit, and ki critical made the build pretty deadly against anything that isn't crit immune.

Down side is no real detection skills and lower than normal base damage (Though having twice the attacks due to p2wf makes up for it a bit.). Ended with 52 BAB with items and an epic feat every epic level, making up for lower strength with tons of fighter damage feats. With crits nothing really survives more than a round against it, maybe two rounds if the rolls are poor.

A 2 handed large weapon really is not going to work out very well for you in the long run on a dex build. It will be playable in lower levels, but be pretty useless in the later levels in PvM and PvP both. You'll do less damage than all the other WM's, have less skills than the cookie-build ro/wm/FB/Figh, and less AC than a 2-weapon dex-base fighter and regular fighter both. If you are going to go 2-hander you really should just go full str.

Also: I would not advise building a fighter without UMD. You will cripple yourself in the later levels.

[Egg Shen]

If you play a small race, you can do a dex based two-hander. Otherwise, it quickly becomes an exercise in frustration.

Somebody was lobbying the QC team to see if they could add a feat to allow larger classes to finesse larger weapons, which would be pretty cool in my opinion. I mean, I like playing halflings so I can take advantage of the way the rules work re: finessable weapons and whatnot, but not everybody digs the hin.

[Ambaryerno]

Somebody was lobbying the QC team to see if they could add a feat to allow larger classes to finesse larger weapons, which would be pretty cool in my opinion. I mean, I like playing halflings so I can take advantage of the way the rules work re: finessable weapons and whatnot, but not everybody digs the hin.

I've had an idea for a class built around the concept, mixed with a bit of pulling ideas from HEMA/ARMA. Rather than raw damage, it'd focus on hitting a lot with some tanking ability, along with activated abilities that would impair the target's capability to fight in various ways (a daze/stun attack, attacks that cripple AB/AC, granting Disarm and Feint, etc. Still trying to think of a way to implement a DR penetration option). The problem is I'm not getting much in the way of actual constructive feedback for improving it.

Most recent concept here.

As a practitioner, and thus understanding how these weapons ACTUALLY handle, (and don't get me started on the weapon weights...) it's an endless frustration that every game I play has all 2H weapons being hulking slow RAAAAAWR SMASH! with no viable option in between. I'm DYING to finally see an RPG with a practical speed-based 2Her.