Double check my math! Fighter attack bonuses, and the nightmare that is dual wielding!


Advice


Hello!
I made this post hoping an outsider could double check my math, to see if I was doing my numbers right.
Currently, I'm playing a 7th level fighter who is dual wielding heavy maces. I have my attack bonuses as the following
On a full attack: +13/+12/+8/+7
On a single attack action: +16

The damage rolls for a full attack: 1d8+1d6(Fire; flaming weapon)+11
The damage rolls on a single attack: 1d8+1d6+10

My modifiers for the attack rolls:
Str: 24 (+7 modifier)
BAB: +7/+2
Weapon enhancement: +1
Weapon focus feat: +1
Twin Blades (Two-weapon fighter, fighter alternative class feature from the Advanced Players guide):+1 on attack/damage
Two weapon fighting feat: puts me at a -4/-4 penalty (instead of -6/-10)
Improved two-weapon fighting feat : allows me a 2nd off-hand attack at a -5 penalty

My modifiers for damage rolls:
Str: 24 (+7 modifier)
Double Slice (Since they're heavy maces, I call it Double Smash; grants me my full str bonus on off-hand weapon damage rolls)
Weapon Specialization: +1 to damage
Twin Blades (Two-weapon fighter, fighter alternative class feature from the Advanced Players guide):+1 on attack/damage
Weapon enhancement: +1
Flaming weapon: +1d6 fire damage.

I think that's everything. I prefer to play the game as strictly within the rules as I can, so let me know if you spot any errors.


What weapon are you using?


@wraithstrike, I think he is using heavy maces.

"I'm playing a 7th level fighter who is dual wielding heavy maces"

"Double Slice (Since they're heavy maces, I call it Double Smash"

Liberty's Edge

Assuming both of your maces are +1 flaming maces, your attack bonus for them should be equal, rather than you getting +1 with your main hand. So +13/+13/+8/+8.

As for damage, the Weapon Specialization feat actually gives a +2 bonus on danage rolls, not a +1. So thats another point of damage per attack.


Assuming one of the maces is a +1 Flaming Heavy Mace, and the other is a regular Heavy Mace, you are correct.

Single Weapon
+1 Flaming Heavy Mace (+16/+11 1d8+10+1d6 Fire)
Regular Heavy Mace (+15/+10 1d8+9)

Two-Weapon Fighting
+1 Flaming Heavy Mace (+13/+8 1d8+11+1d6 Fire)
Regular Mace (+12/+7 1d8+10)


I think those are +1 flaming double maces because he lists an enhancement bonus.

Looks good to me.
+7 BAB
+7 Str
+1 Enhancement from magic weapon
+1 Weapon Focus
+1 Twin Blades when full attacking
-4 TWF
= +13

I guess you've only got one magic or MW mace, and so that's why your second attack is one lower? So +13/+8 (+1 flaming mace), +12/+7 (heavy mace).

Damage: 1d8+7 (str) +2 (weapon specialization) +1 (enhancement bonus) +1 (Twin Blades when full attacking) +1d6 fire = 1d8+1d6+11

The only thing I can't figure out is where you're losing the +1 to attack on your second weapon.


Oh sorry, no both weapons are +1 flaming heavy maces. I guess that is one of the mistakes right there.

Liberty's Edge

ktRabblerouser wrote:


Weapon Specialization: +1 to damage

Weapon Specialization(insert weapon name) adds two points of damage.


A tip: Use a light mace or other 1 handed weapon till 11th, as this will increase your to hit chance by 10% per swing mainhand and 5% offhand.. More hits = more damage and the extra 1 point of damage on average isnt worth the 10% miss chance... You attacks would be instead:

Mainhand +15/+10 1d8+11+1d6fire and
Offhand +14/+9 1d6+9+1d6 fire(assuming you can swap the heavy mace to a light one)

Additionall look into a pair of Gloves of Dueling asap. Twin Blades inst the same as weapon trianing, but it replaces it and im sure most dms would ok this.. I would anyways


To expand on what WerePox47 is saying. It is generally believed that about a -1attack penalty is equivalent to a +3damage increase. In the case of your setup you are getting a -2attack penalty for a +1damage increase. It isnt worth it. :)

One handed weapons (-4attack penalty) are almost never worth it while TWF when compared to light weapons (-2attack penalty).

- Gauss


Well, thank you, but I wasn't really looking for advice, just a double check on the numbers to make sure I'm keeping within the rules. Thanks for the catch on my error, Nipin.

I'm using the heavy maces because it's the concept I had for the character. I'm not worried about min-maxing the numbers.

Edit: I guess this should have gone under the Rules Question board, rather than the Advice board, huh?


ktRabblerouser: Nah, advice is probably the better choice here. As for the concept, that is fine. Don't let the numbers disuade you from the concept. But when you don't hit much this is why. :)

- Gauss


I wouldn't allow the Gloves of Dueling thing. It clearly states that it replaces weapon training. You could get the +4 bonus to CMD and those effects, but since you don't have weapon training, you wouldn't have a +2 bonus to it.

And I don't fault you for choosing two one-handed weapons. My percentages are a little off due to rounding errors and the fact that I'm in a hurry and doing some of it in my head, but you're still going to hit CR 7 creatures with at least 2 attacks 3 out of 4 times you full attack. You'll only completely miss around 4-5% of the time. Sure, a few extra points toward attack bonus would help, but it's not like you're ineffective in combat.

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