Aldori Dueling Sword, Power Attack, and Weapon Finesse


Rules Questions

Sovereign Court

I'm looking at making an Aldori Swordlord character, but I have a rules question on the interaction of Weapon Finesse and Power Attack when using an Aldori Dueling Sword. While there is nothing in the description of either Power Attack or Weapon Finesse (at least as far as I saw; I might be missing something) that prohibits a character from using both feats at once, part of the sword's description worries me:

Inner Sea World Guide p290 wrote:

you can use the Weapon Finesse feat to

apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength
modifier on attack rolls with an Aldori dueling sword
sized for you, even though it isn’t a light weapon.
You can also wield an Aldori dueling sword in
two hands in order to apply 1-1/2 times your
Strength bonus to damage.

(Emphasis mine)

Does the "also" imply that you can only weapon finesse an Aldori Dueling Sword when you wield it in one hand? If so, that seems to significantly cut down on the damaging capability of a swordlord as well as hampering the usefulness of Aldori Dueling Mastery.

The character I am making is for PFS play, so house ruling this away is not an option.

Liberty's Edge

I certainly don't read it that way.


Normally when you can finesse(use the weapon finesse feat) a weapon you can not wield it in two hands. The Aldori sword allows you to use your dex if you have weapon finesse for attack rolls, but still get 1.5 times your str bonus if you use it in two hands.

The "also" is what allows you to do that.

Weapon finesse is generally only useful with light weapons, and you can't generally wield a light weapon in two hands.

Sczarni

As long as you meet the pre-reqs for power attack you can use it with an aldori dueling sword. As long as you meet the pre-reqs for weapon finesse you can use it with an aldori dueling sword if you have exotic weapon proficiency with an Aldori dueling sword.

In order to gain tangible benefits from weilding it in 2 hands you probably want at least a 14 STR (a STR of 13 has a +1 mod > being that you round down, weilding it in 2 hands still only gives you +1 to damage for your strength). A 14 Strength would give you +3 to damage for weilding it in 2 hands and give you the 3:1 w/power attack.

Sovereign Court

Thanks for the clarification, everyone. Wraithstrike, you confirmed how I read it originally is correct (honestly, if the two didn't work together, I wouldn't make this character). Daryl, I have the 14 STR already, but thank you for the advice.

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