TWF Build with Constraints Help

[Allanimal]

I'm DMing a campaign that I took over when the last major arc of the campaign finished and the DM had to bow out for a while. In our last session, a couple characters died, and one didn't have a backup ready. She was playing a bard/rogue/druid that was 1 level away from Fochulan Lyracist. She decided to go a different route and came up with a dwarven ranger dual-weilding war axes. I mentioned that she would take a lot of penalties for the non-light weapon in the off hand. Are there any feats, items, class dips, etc. that can compensate for that?

Because the surviving characters were created under the previous DM's rules for what books were allowed, to be fair to them, I didn't want to change that, at least not yet. The allowed non-core books are the Complete series (except Champion), the Races series and PHB2. Spell Compendium and Magic Item Compendium were generally allowed. Definitely no psionics or Tome of Battle. No flaws, either. The previous DM also allowed only one PrC per character, too. Stuff from other books was allowed on a case-by-case basis (example: Hellreaver from Fiendish Codex I was allowed)

Dual-weilding waraxes isn't 100% required. I think she wants to be able to wade into battle and whack things hard and often. The character is level 10. I'm pretty sure she wants to be a dwarf, though.

She did say that two-weapon fighting with reach weapons would be cool. I don't think there are any one-handed reach weapons, but maybe the playground knows something I don't. Is there?

ANy other ways to make this idea viable under the constraints imposed by the previous DM?

[Cog]

If you take Oversize TWF, you can wield those dual waraxes as easily as a lighter pair of weapons, and since they're exotic despite your free proficiency, you can really easily enter Exotic Weapon Master. The ability you want is Uncanny Blow: you now get twohanded Power Attack returns on both of your weapons.

As for non-2H weapons with reach, there's the Kusari-Gama (DMG) and the Spinning Sword (Secrets of Sarlona). The first is light, the second onehanded, IIRC; both are very similar to the spiked chain. Second one is ruled out by your sources, naturally. I think Whip-daggers might be somewhere in your available sources, but I'm not sure.

[Allanimal]

If you take Oversize TWF, you can wield those dual waraxes as easily as a lighter pair of weapons, and since they're exotic despite your free proficiency, you can really easily enter Exotic Weapon Master. The ability you want is Uncanny Blow: you now get twohanded Power Attack returns on both of your weapons.

That sounds good. However, Exotic Weapon Master's Uncanny Blow says:

When wielding a one-handed exotic melee weapon in two hands..., which to me sounds like using a single one-handed weapon with two hands, not using two 1-handed weapons in each hand. Or did I misunderstand you?

[Keld Denar]

Read the whole text. Uncanny Blow does 2 things.

1: if you are wielding a 1 handed exotic weapon in both hands, you get 2x str instead of 1.5x

2: if you are wielding a 1 handed exotic weapon, you may use the Power Attack as if you were wielding the weapon 2handed (ie 2:1).

You can't benefit from both at the same time, since if you are 2handing, you already get 2:1 PA, but you get better Str. If you are 1handing it instead, you still get a benefit, but it manifests as 2:1 PA.

[Allanimal]

Read the whole text. Uncanny Blow does 2 things.

1: if you are wielding a 1 handed exotic weapon in both hands, you get 2x str instead of 1.5x

2: if you are wielding a 1 handed exotic weapon, you may use the Power Attack as if you were wielding the weapon 2handed (ie 2:1).

You can't benefit from both at the same time, since if you are 2handing, you already get 2:1 PA, but you get better Str. If you are 1handing it instead, you still get a benefit, but it manifests as 2:1 PA.

OK, I see it now. At first glance, I didn't realize that they were separate things.

Thanks Cog and Keld Denar, I think Oversized TWF + EWM: Uncanny Blow will make this player happy.

[Socratov]

you might want to read up on complete Adventurer's Tempest. It is pretty much teh go-to class for TWF specialists...

and if you really want the reach, you could go for a dual whip user, doing slashing (non lethal) damage and beïng able to trip everyone with a 15 ft. reach (rawhide!), but if damage is the criterium, i would go for Tempest, oversized twf and the like

[Keld Denar]

Tempest actually makes you WORSE at TWFing. Do NOT take this PrC. You're better off with FIGHTER levels, and thats saying something.

[Cog]

Tempest does have one thing going for it: Two Weapon Spring Attack combines well with the Spring Attack feats in PHB 2. Actually getting all of that is such an investment, though, that you probably haven't solved TWF's other problems, so it's not really worth it.

[Keld Denar]

Yea, because spending 8 feats and 5 levels to be mediochre by late game is a GREAT investment. Too little, too late.

[Re'ozul]

OK, I see it now. At first glance, I didn't realize that they were separate things.

Thanks Cog and Keld Denar, I think Oversized TWF + EWM: Uncanny Blow will make this player happy.

PLus strongarm bracers for large Waraxes :smallbiggrin:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2rs-rH0BqRg/SzsSQ1VTpQI/AAAAAAAAB_M/lnRWNkV2X4M/s400/dwarf+two+axes.jpg