It's Dervish Dancer, not devilish dancer. I do know there's a weapon enhancement (Agile i think) that allows a weapon to use dex for damage, but as for a stand alone feat? I seriously doubt it. Serious clarification required.
Tbh i'm in the process of making a magus atm. Care to share your troubles and thoughts on the topic?
Keen Scimitar+critting on a spell strike intensified shocking grasp =win
Fixed
From ISM there's the Dawnflower Dervish bard archetype that gives Dervish Dance (from ISWG) as a bonus feat at 1st level.
If you're only using that scimitar, this saves you a feat since Dervish Dance says you use dex for attack and damage with the scimitar, no Weapon Finesse needed, and it's the only way to avoid that skill rank 2nd level minimum to start with your dex to damage at 1st level, and you get a few rounds per day of self-only +2 move-activated Inspire Courage depending on how much charisma you have or don't.
Of course, this puts your Magus progression one level behind, and the other benefits of 1 bard level are mostly negated by a dumped Charisma. If you take Harmonic Spell (from ISWG), though, even with Charisma 7 you can stretch that +2 IC for full encounter(s).
This, like all of the dervish builds, requires making a devoted follower of Sarenrae though, which may not be the RP you're looking for.
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Mechanics that lead to cookie-cutter character generation= lose.Then houserule spellstrike to only double the spell damage on a threat roll of a natural 20.
While you're at it work on more friendly multiclassing rules.
-James
I'm not sure about LazarX, but I know I actually *am* working on a set of rules this and other similar issues I find with the system. Working a full time job doesn't leave as much room for this as I'd like.
That said, the topic at hand was a feat that is "scimitar only", where what you're talking about is more "kukri/katana/scimitar/rapier/etc" only. There are a lot of weapons that give you 18-20 critical that the magus can use, but only one weapon of any form that can do damage via dexterity without using up a +1 on their magic weapon. It is still a problem that people are encouraged to avoid, say, a battle-ax magus, but at least it's not as restrictive or build-necessary as Dervish Dance.
You do realize that the weapon damage its self is nominal compaired to the amount of damage you get from your spells, as a magus.
When I am using one of my magus characters I focus on spell damage(nova class) and protections. When theory crafting my damage weapon damage and str damage are not even considered, but crit range is.
Look at the Magus as what it is, a combate wizard.
As far as weapons go I generaly use a rapier for the 18-20 (15-20 keen).
All spells are x2 when they crit for the magus so thats no biggy.
As far as using a weapon that does more than a d6 or extra str damage you want to consider a different spell list and damage theory.
That would be the whole magus enlarge person / bull strength combo. At which time you are no longer focused on spell damage.
For that build use a standard longsword or any other weapon that does more than a d6 that you can free action switch to two handed for the extra strength damage.
But if you like being a human tazar, use a delicate rapier or scimitar.
If your elven the elven longblade is kicking too.
Only drawback is that it's limited to a scimitar.
I don't think one of the best weapons in the game as a restriction is a drawback.
I think the fact that you can't have a weapon or shield in the off hand is the killer to the feat. No TWF, or even a mithril buckler... ouch!
You can have a +1 Mitheral dancing buckler tho... it's costly.
OO OO brass knuckles. 1d3 leathal and you can cast if you make a con check dc 10+slvl.
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That said, the topic at hand was a feat that is "scimitar only", where what you're talking about is more "kukri/katana/scimitar/rapier/etc" only. There are a lot of weapons that give you 18-20 critical that the magus can use, but only one weapon of any form that can do damage via dexterity without using up a +1 on their magic weapon. It is still a problem that people are encouraged to avoid, say, a battle-ax magus, but at least it's not as restrictive or build-necessary as Dervish Dance.Agile will work for all the finnessable weapons, so its not much different.
But really the fact that it distinguishes between higher multipliers and wider range crit weapons is a skewing issue. Since there are special rules for it anyway (no x3 or x4 crits) might as well make it so that delivered charges only crit on 20 for x2 regardless if you ever want to see a longsword magus over a rapier one...
-James
I didn't say it wasn't a problem, I just saw it as a magnitude thing.
IMO, critical is kind-of messed up in 3.5/PF anyway. Sure, it's kind-of cool to have a "crits more often" guy and a "crits harder" guy, but the balance issues it creates is not worth it. It would be better to find a different, less extreme way to implement the dichotomy between frequency and damage.
I don't want to end up in a rant here, so I'll just say "there are many rules I would change" and leave it at that :)
That said, the topic at hand was a feat that is "scimitar only", where what you're talking about is more "kukri/katana/scimitar/rapier/etc" only. There are a lot of weapons that give you 18-20 critical that the magus can use, but only one weapon of any form that can do damage via dexterity without using up a +1 on their magic weapon. It is still a problem that people are encouraged to avoid, say, a battle-ax magus, but at least it's not as restrictive or build-necessary as Dervish Dance.Agile will work for all the finnessable weapons, so its not much different.
But really the fact that it distinguishes between higher multipliers and wider range crit weapons is a skewing issue. Since there are special rules for it anyway (no x3 or x4 crits) might as well make it so that delivered charges only crit on 20 for x2 regardless if you ever want to see a longsword magus over a rapier one...
-James
I didn't say it wasn't a problem, I just saw it as a magnitude thing.
IMO, critical is kind-of messed up in 3.5/PF anyway. Sure, it's kind-of cool to have a "crits more often" guy and a "crits harder" guy, but the balance issues it creates is not worth it. It would be better to find a different, less extreme way to implement the dichotomy between frequency and damage.
I don't want to end up in a rant here, so I'll just say "there are many rules I would change" and leave it at that :)
I find that long swords and battle axes are quite well balanced. It's not the 19-20 vs. x3 crit that's the problem, it's the 19-20 vs 18-20 crit.
Mechanically, scimitars and falchions will usually outperform long swords and great swords. Crits are just that much better than 1 or 2 point avg damage.
Personally, I'm toying with the idea of making them all exotic. Perhaps re-balancing those weapons to be more worth the feat.
Wear a buckler on your main hand. Two weapon fight with armor spikes or unarmed strikes.
TWF with that, yuck! The buckler on main hand is crafty, I like how it bypasses the intent of the feat ;)
@ Von, yes I thought of having it animated, but you still incur all penalties as if you were equipped with it (despite it floating in mid-air). I think it becomes a little iffy then if it qualifies as not being on the hand, RAW probably yes, RAI probably not. But yeah, I considered that possibility too.
I got it! A magus who wields a mithral spiked shield in his main hand and a spell in his off hand. Ii sounds like a totally epic combat character concept.
Truth me told i'd just skip Dervish dance and use a Wakizushi, focus a bit more on strength then dex.