Is there a 3.5 feat that allows an off handed AC bonus?
I remember playing a 3.5 game and had a book in hand (definitely D&D) and it listed a bonus to AC, sort of like the Free Hand Fighter. But it was specific about having the off hand empty.
I have as PDFs: Complete Adventurer, Complete Scoundrel, Complete Warrior, PH3.5, DMG3.5, Players Handbook II, and Ultimate Feats, but no feats in there match what I am thinking of.
The game may have been 3.0, and I have looked through the books I have but have not found the feat.
If anyone has an idea I'd like to know. It's a neat feat for a Dervish Dancer and I think my DM would Okay it.
Thanks.
Was it the Einhander feat from PHB2? if i recall doesn't that give a +2 to ac while fighting defensively?
There isn't an Einhander feat in the PHB2 book. Besides, fighting defensively gives a +2 bonus to AC with a -4 to attack. I am pretty sure the feat I am looking for is a straight bonus to AC (even if just a +1) and doesn't require defensive fighting.
In any case, if none of my books has this Einhander, it is likely there is another book that has the feat I am looking for.
Einhander is in PHB2 on page 94. It reads, in part:
"Narrow Profile: You can tuck your arm behind your back
and offer a narrow profile when you concentrate on
defense rather than offense. You gain an additional +2 dodge
bonus to AC when fighting defensively or using the total
defense action"
Given that Einhander is on said page, you still take a -4 for fighting defensively. Although I like a feat that gives a +2 to AC, I don't like the idea of having to fight defensively just to get it. I could have sworn there was a feat that didn't require it.
Or you could just take the crane style feats to reduce the penalty to a 1 and then combined (and having ranks in acrobatics) to get a total of +7 to ac... +9 if you are a halfling and spend a feat on cautious fighter.
+9 dodge to AC for a -1 on attack rolls? I'll do that.
Of course that's 5 feats at that point but you do get to negate a melee attack a round and take an AoO on it too so there is that.
There's also Single Blade Style from the Dragon Compendium (Originally from Dragon #301) gave you a +2 dodge bonus if you had nothing in your off hand and were wearing light or no armor. Had some pretty steep prerequisites though.
I am building a Bard/Magus (human). Fist level is Dawnflower for the derviish dance and the rest of the levels is Black Blade Magus.
I have very few feats to spare.
@Abraham: I personally never liked Crane Style. It's just another version of defensive fighting for a small gain IMHO.
@Graywolf: By your description, it sounds like the ideal thing for a fighter not for a feat starved Magus. I was hoping that at worst I would have to 'pay' 2 or 3 (at most) feats for this 'hand as a shield' thing.
I don't know, maybe I or the GM saw it in a 3.0 book someplace.
Maybe I will see if I will talk to to him and we will cobble together a feat. I mean we are only talking about a +1 to AC. At this point, it seems more fluff than mechanics.
Thanks for everyone's help.
I think it's a bit more than you are offering -- a +4 with chance to counter an attack for just a -1 on attack rolls is a rather good exchange. However it is rather feat intensive.
But with that said it is something that can work really well for a magus since they have to keep the hand free. A two level dip (which hurts I know) into a martial artist master of many styles can get you through the feats pretty quickly.
All in all like anything else magus it's a pick your poison deal.