I'm pretty sure any fighter I create in the future is going to be a half-elf. Taking the ancestral arms racial trait, which replaces skill focus (a pretty useless feat for a fighter anyway, imho). You get exotic weapon proficiency (hello bastard sword and 1d10 damage). If you then take weapon focus as your fighter bonus feat, and power attack as your regular starting feat, you're talking about a half-elf that's going to be laying down some serious damage, and can still use a shield to boost AC, already at level one. Add in those weapon trainings, and weapon specialization at 4th level and things just keep getting better.
With a 15 point buy and dropping the +2 into strength you can have:
STR 18
DEX 13
CON 12
INT, WIS, CHA 10
Ancestral Arms is going to be my groups new favorite alternate racial trait.
Congrats. Everyone else learned about it years ago when the APG came out. ;)
Yeah, I'm that slow. :P I take years to pour over things before I finally figure out their best uses.
If you enjoy it, awesome. However, I personally consider Ancestral Arms more of a flavor choice than a powerful option.
I mean, switching from a 1d8 Longsword to a 1d10 Bastard Sword is an average of +1 damage / hit. Not exactly earth shattering. It is a bit more useful for picking up weapons with weird properties or a Falcata or something, but still isn't something I'd always choose over the Skill Focus. After all, if you are a class that gets few skill points, it is nice to at least be sure you can do those few skills very, very well.
If you enjoy it, awesome. However, I personally consider Ancestral Arms more of a flavor choice than a powerful option.
I mean, switching from a 1d8 Longsword to a 1d10 Bastard Sword is an average of +1 damage / hit. Not exactly earth shattering. It is a bit more useful for picking up weapons with weird properties or a Falcata or something, but still isn't something I'd always choose over the Skill Focus. After all, if you are a class that gets few skill points, it is nice to at least be sure you can do those few skills very, very well.
I hear you, if you are going for straight damage potential it's not the best option. The clincher for me though is that you're getting 1d10 and can still use a shield to keep the AC nice and high.
In my opinion, I would go with the Falcata over the bastard sword. sure it's still only 1d8 damage, but it is a hefty 19-20/x3 critical. Also one handed. Your choice (When I look at falcatas, a +1 Flaming burst Falcata just HURTS on a critical: 3d8+3xbonus+2d10)
My half-elf summoner actually regrets taking that option. He took proficiency with the rapier via that option and selected Weapon Finesse as his first feat so that he would have a bit of melee ability. Had Ultimate Magic been out at the time, he would have stuck with the default Skill Focus feat to gain quicker access to the Eldritch Heritage feat chain.
In my opinion, I would go with the Falcata over the bastard sword. sure it's still only 1d8 damage, but it is a hefty 19-20/x3 critical. Also one handed. Your choice (When I look at falcatas, a +1 Flaming burst Falcata just HURTS on a critical: 3d8+3xbonus+2d10)
I always waver on higher crit or higher base damage. I usually lean toward higher base damage though, partially because my groups play by a slightly different crit rule. If you crit but don't confirm you get max weapon damage including all modifiers.
I've become a big fan of the elven curved blade. 1d10, 18-20 crit threat, 2 handed so you add 1 1/2 strength...and it works with Weapon Finesse.
I tend to build dexy elves (and half elves), so this weapon is perfect for me. I love the idea of a flimsy little elf in light leather armor pulling this out and laying down d10+3 with Power Attack.
And Keen and Agile at later levels...Ouch.
I like it for the flavor. The idea of the "bastard" taking the bastard sword as his weapon of choice appeals to my sense of humor.
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Until now I've believed humans make the best melee types simply because of their bonus feat at first level.
Now, if one of the feats I want at first level was going to be EWP anyway, I like the half-elf, or the full elf if the EWP was going to be for the Elven curve blade.
The reason is, if the human bonus feat that you would use to gain EWP is balanced by the elf/half-elf racial trait, then that cancels out when trying to decide the better race. So now you're comparing the rest of the human traits (+1 skill point per level) with the rest of the elf/half-elf traits (lots!).
If you enjoy it, awesome. However, I personally consider Ancestral Arms more of a flavor choice than a powerful option.
I mean, switching from a 1d8 Longsword to a 1d10 Bastard Sword is an average of +1 damage / hit. Not exactly earth shattering. It is a bit more useful for picking up weapons with weird properties or a Falcata or something, but still isn't something I'd always choose over the Skill Focus. After all, if you are a class that gets few skill points, it is nice to at least be sure you can do those few skills very, very well.
This was hardly a "flavor choice" for me. I don't have nearly as many feats as a fighter (Inquisitor) therefore I needed a weapon that would put out the damage and still gain the benefit of my higher dex. Elven Curve Blade suits that.
I personally would have gone with Elven Curve Blade over a Bastard sword for TWF, sure you can't use it with a shield but the same damage, and an 18-20/x2 crit range and you're laughing come higher levels with the Crit chain of feats
How do you use the Elven Curve Blade for TWF? I'd love to be able to use a two-handed weapon with TWF, if that's possible.
(Now I'm going to check out Boot Blade and Dented Helm...)
I personally would have gone with Elven Curve Blade over a Bastard sword for TWF, sure you can't use it with a shield but the same damage, and an 18-20/x2 crit range and you're laughing come higher levels with the Crit chain of featsHow do you use the Elven Curve Blade for TWF? I'd love to be able to use a two-handed weapon with TWF, if that's possible.
(Now I'm going to check out Boot Blade and Dented Helm...)
I believe you misunderstood what Lucio was saying (or he typed it funny...). He said he would take ECB over Bastard sword with TWF because the crit range is huge and there are Crit feats that are more desireable (in his opinion)
Key phrase was the addmission: "...sure you can't use it (ECB) with a shield..."
