Does Weapon Finesse force you into Two Weapon Fighting?

[rel]

A martial character in 3.5 needs to be able to hit the enemy (no point making many attacks if none of them land) and then damage the enemy (6 successful attacks dealing 1D4 each is unlikely to impress.

Damage is either generated with a high strength score (and usually a big two handed weapon and the power attack feat) or with some sort of extra source of damage like sneak attack, martial maneuvers or buff spells.

If you have a reliable source of extra damage then you don't need high strength or a big two handed weapon or power attack to reliably deal damage when you hit.
If you don't need strength for damage then investing points in strength is a lot less attractive. Enter the weapon finesse feat, it let's you use dex for your to hit and combined with a source of extra damage let's you completely ignore strength and become a little more SAD.

Two weapon fighting is not a requirement in builds that use weapon finesse, although there is often some synergy between the two abilities. All you need to be functional as a martial character is the ability to hit CR appropriate enemies and deal significant damage to them when you do hit.

[Endarire]

Remember, taking Discipline Focus (Shadow Hand) as your Swordsage1 ability should get you weapon proficiency and Weapon Focus in Spiked Chain which is finessible. (Focus requires proficiency. That's how our game ruled it.)

[Inevitability]

Remember, taking Discipline Focus (Shadow Hand) as your Swordsage1 ability should get you weapon proficiency and Weapon Focus in Spiked Chain which is finessible. (Focus requires proficiency. That's how our game ruled it.)

Focus requiring proficiency and focus granting proficiency are two very different things. There's a number of ways to get feats you don't qualify for, and there's nothing weird about a feature saying 'if you get spiked chain proficiency you get better at using it, until then no dice'.

If a 10 dex ranger gets Two-Weapon Fighting for free while wearing light armor, that doesn't miraculously make his dexterity rocket up to 15, now does it?

[St Fan]

Focus requiring proficiency and focus granting proficiency are two very different things. There's a number of ways to get feats you don't qualify for, and there's nothing weird about a feature saying 'if you get spiked chain proficiency you get better at using it, until then no dice'.

If a 10 dex ranger gets Two-Weapon Fighting for free while wearing light armor, that doesn't miraculously make his dexterity rocket up to 15, now does it?

You are correct, although Discipline Focus also providing proficiency is a very common homebrew. I'm personally using the Weapon Groups optional rule, and consider that Discipline Focus adds a bonus, special weapon group with proficiency in all the weapons of the discipline.

Mind you, while we're talking homebrew, I also removed the spiked chain altogether from the game, replacing it with the kusari-gama for the Shadow Hand discipline.