Homebrew Fighter Variant: Twin-Weapon Master

[Tae Dane]

When I first played Pathfinder, I decided to try out the new version of my favorite class; the Fighter. Noticing the new Two-Weapon Fighting and Critical feats and taking into mind that I could benefit more from Armor and Weapon Training by going with a dex-based two-weapon fighter, I created a character for "Rise of the Runelords" named Dyne Treal who specialized in dual-wielding Kukri. He was an awkward young lad, but always had relatively good insight and kept his fellow party members on track. But as he grew, I felt that the basic Fighter out of the Core Rulebook didn't quite suit him as much as it should have. That being said, I was very excited to see the Two-Weapon Warrior when it came out in the Advanced Player's Guide, but that, too, did not quite fully suit Dyne's style of fighting ambidextrously with his twin kukri. That being said, I also considered the Weapon Adept monk, but Dyne just didn't feel right without his signature breastplate... In the end, I had given up. But one day, an idea came to mind; I would make my own fighter variant to perfectly suit Dyne. And today, I have decided to share it with you.

So without further ado, here is...

THE

TWIN-WEAPON MASTER
Having developed a strong mindset that weapons akin to each other, even identical, can be wielded as a single tool for battle, the twin-weapon master seeks perfect unity both with and among his twin weapons, sharpening his ambidexterity and his proficiency in utilizing both of them equally.

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Power Slice (Ex): At 3rd level, a twin-weapon master gains Power Slice as a bonus feat. This ability replaces armor training 1.

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Dual Blades (Ex): At 5th level, a twin-weapon master gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when making a full attack with two weapons of the same type. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 5th. This ability replaces weapon training 1.

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Two as One (Ex): At 7th level, a twin-weapon master reduces the penalties for two-weapon fighting by -1 when using two weapons of the same type. Every four levels after 7th, the penalties are further reduced by an additional -1 (to a minimum of 0). This ability replaces armor training 2.

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Twin Strike (Ex): At 9th level, a twin-weapon master may, as a standard action, make one attack with both his primary and secondary weapons, so long as they are the same type of weapon. The penalties for attacking with two weapons apply normally. This ability replaces weapon training 2.

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Dual Blades (Ex): At 11th level, whenever a twin-weapon master uses Power Attack while attacking with two weapons of the same type, the damage bonus from Power Attack is no longer halved (-50%) for his off-hand weapon. This ability replaces armor training 3.

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Akin Opportunity (Ex): At 13th level, when a twin-weapon fighter makes an attack of opportunity, he may attack once with both his primary and secondary weapons so long as they are of the same type of weapon. The penalties for attacking with two weapons apply normally. This ability replaces weapon training 3.

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Whirling Maneuvers (Ex): At 15th level, whenever a twin-weapon master chooses to fight defensively while attacking with two weapons of the same type, he reduces the penalty on attack rolls for doing so by -1 and increases the dodge bonus to AC by +1. In addition, if the weapons he is wielding are light weapons, the penalty on attack rolls is reduced by -2 and the dodge bonus to AC increased by +2 instead. This ability replaces armor training 4.

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Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex): At 17th level, when a twin weapon master makes a full attack with two weapons of the same type, he gets an additional attack with his off-hand weapon, albeit at a –15 penalty.

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Tempest of Blades (Ex): At 19th level, when a twin weapon master makes a full attack with two weapons of the same type, every creature that hits him with a melee attack before the beginning of his next turn provokes an attack of opportunity from the master. This ability replaces armor mastery.

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Twin Weapon Mastery (Ex): At 20th level, a twin-Weapon master chooses one type of weapon. Whenever he attacks with two weapons of this type, any critical threats he rolls automatically confirmed and have their damage multiplier increased by 1. In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding two weapons of this type. This ability replaces weapon mastery.

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So... what do you think? I'm open to any suggestions and constructive criticism you might have to offer, so don't be shy.

Also, yes, I know that this shares many of the same class features as the two-weapon warrior. But what can I say? The two-weapon warrior was the closest thing Pathfinder had to suiting Dyne's style and the Twin-Weapon Master and Two-Weapon Warrior are, in essence, very similar in both flavor and mechanics, so it made sense to keep some of the abilities and carry them over into the new class variant.

[Purplefixer]

What is 'Power Slice'? Also, I question giving a bonus feat to a class so heavily loaded with feats.

Two-As-One is mis-loaded. You shouldn't trade a graduated ability for a single instance of a graduated ability. Compare Whirling Maneuvers to Perfect Balance and Improved Balance. If you wanted to make it a graduated shield bonus (not affected by fighting with two weapons) instead of Armor Mastery, that would be keen.

While Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting is okay, it lacks a great deal of ability to actually -hit- things at Level 17 unless you're fighting hordes of lower level enemies. It also isn't replacing anything.

Twin Weapon Mastery is pointless. You just renamed Weapon Mastery. Unless the point was that if someone took an adamantine great-axe to one of your kukris in combat you would lose your weapon mastery?

The trick with the whole Weapon Training thing is that you already have a +1 to hit and damage at every level. Using two light weapons, like you want to use, your penalties are minuscule. You're a full attack bonus warrior with massive bonuses above and beyond what is required to hit things. You should be tagging stuff on a two or better on your primary attacks, and a five or better on your seconds, and a ten or better on your thirds! Why do you need another reduction to that penalty? Why not trade a few bonus feats for special effects you can't get through feats or other class features?

Evasion comes to mind.

As does:
Razor Defense (Ex): The twin-weapon master lashes out at the trailing edge of anything that tries to come in contact with her in close quarters. Enemies that hit her with natural attacks (or even touch range spells) take bleed damage equal to her XXX modifier for a number of rounds equal to XXX. Constructs, plants, undead, and creatures otherwise without blood are immune to this effect.

Repellent Dervish (Ex): The twin-weapon master is painfully difficult to pin down in melee. Combat Maneuvers that normally don't provoke attacks of opportunity, including Improved Grapple, Improved Trip, or the Grab special ability, provoke attacks of opportunity anyway when executed against her.

Rapid Render (Ex): Any target hit by two or more of the Twin-Weapon Master's melee attacks are subject to a rend, which deals normal weapon damage, plus one and one-half strength damage (as a two handed weapon, for power attack). If the target is hit by four or more attacks from the full attack, they must make a DC XXX saving throw, or be stunned for one round.

Bladed Repel (Ex): If the Twin-Weapon Master falls more than 20 feet, within 5 feet of a solid surface, she may dig her weapons into the surface beside her as an immediate action. If her weapons are capable of penetrating it (minimum damage bonus vs the surface hardness) she slows her descent, reducing the distance by half and allowing an acrobatics check at DC5. Each five by which the check beats the DC reduces damage by a further 1d6.

[Tae Dane]

Oh, sorry. Power Slice is what I was going to originally call "Dual Blades." It's supposed to say Double Slice, the Core Rulebook feat that allows you to add your full Strength bonus to off-hand damage rolls. Also, the bonus feat to a bonus feat heavy class has already been done by Paizo; giving Pinpoint Targeting to the Crossbowman Fighter variant.

Also, Two-As-One is as it is for the sake of a number of trade-offs. For example, getting Power Slice as a bonus feat at level 3 is relatively underpowered and it replace Armor Training. That being said, with Armor Training 1-4 gone, this class gets no graduated AC bonus abilities unlike most of the other Fighter class variants. Also, I see what you're trying to say about Improved and Perfect Balance as opposed to Two-As-One and Whirling Maneuvers. But once again, there's the trade off of losing the AC bonus and all Whirling Maneuvers does is balance out Two-As-One as far as wielding two one-handed weapons versus two light weapon. For instance, Two as one has more advantages for two-weapon fighting with two one-handed weapons, because it will eventually take away heavier penalty (-4 as opposed to -2 with two light weapons). Therefore, to even this out and while still managing to avoid giving them a graduated AC bonus, I modified their Fighting Defensively options. Thus, because using two one-handed weapons grants you more bonuses for Two-As-One, you get less bonuses from Whirling Maneuvers, which only allows you to TRADE a -3 attack penalty for a +3 dodge bonus as opposed to getting a graduated AC, which would just hand the bonus to you. And the same goes for wielding two light weapons, which gives you the ability to trade a -2 to attack rolls for a +4 dodge bonus (basically making your Two-As-One bonus disappear for the sake of a higher AC), thus balancing out that wielding two light weapons as opposed to two one-handed weapons doesn't grant you as many benefits from Two-As-One in the long run.

The idea behind Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting is that a Twin-Weapon Master is just as capable as using his off-hand weapon as his primary weapon. It's actually traded off for Weapon Training 4, that just happens to be another typo like the Power/Double Slice thing. Also, the fact that the extra attack won't really do much further supports the balance behind trading Armor Training 2 (a single instance of a graduated ability as you said) for Two-As-One (an entire graduated ability) and Whirling Maneuvers.

Also, yes, you are correct in your assumption about Twin-Weapon Mastery. If one of your weapons is destroyed, you actually lose a number of your bonuses, including Twin Weapon Mastery and just about every other class feature containing wording about wielding two weapons of the same type (which is all of them except for that little Double Slice ability he gains at level 3). The idea is that a Twin-Weapon Master NEEDS his two weapons, because for him, his TWO weapons are his ONLY weapon. Thus, Two-As-One and the philosophy behind wielding two akin or identical weapons "as a single tool for battle" and the basis behind the idea that "the twin-weapon master seeks perfect unity both with and among his twin weapons."

Also, I like your suggestions for other techniques A LOT, but it's hard for me two think of replacing most of the abilities I've already set in. But those are some really cool ideas for abilities and I wanted something to replace the Deadly Defense or what is now the Tempest of Blades ability. What do you think about me replacing Tempest of Blades for Razor Defense and having "XXX" be their Dual Blades bonus or would Repellant Dervish or Rapid Render be better at that point, do you think?