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It is cheesey but a GM might allow it. However you still have to take the TWF penalty for the entire round.
What's the point of step 2? There's nothing saying you can't be wielding a weapon in the off-hand to use precise strike - just that you can't attack with a weapon held there.
Moreover, can you get enough benefit out of feinting to offset the -5 you take to hit because you have to use your first iterative attack to make the feint?
Surely you are either two weapon fighting or two-handed fighting or one handed fighting? Is it allowed in the rules to chop and change between these stances in the same round?
Apologies if I have missed something obvious... ... ...
No. That is trying to have your cake and eat it. The benefits or penalties of a stance apply to that rounds attacks.
As regards the precise strike ability of swash buckets it is fairly specific in the text:
"Precise Strike...To use this deed, a swashbuckler cannot attack with a weapon in her other hand or use a shield other than a buckler..."
By the most literal interpretation he can use the ability as long as his off-hand is empty so dropping the weapon works, BUT I am sure that was not the intent. That is why I think it is cheesy, and the GM may not allow it.
I would not allow it, but some GM's reward players for being able to talk around the rules.
There is a FAQ that specify that 2 weapon fighting only applies during your turn.
Two-Weapon Fighting: If you use this on your turn to attack with two weapons, do you also take that penalty on attacks of opportunity made before the start of your next turn?No. The penalties end as soon as you have completed the full-attack action that allowed you to attack with both weapons. Any attacks of opportunity you make are at your normal attack bonus.
Generally speaking, penalties on attacks made during your turn do not carry over to attacks of opportunity unless they specifically state otherwise (such as the penalty from using Power Attack or Combat Expertise).
This answer originally appeared in the 9/25/12 Paizo blog.
No penality means the "style" is not in effect, so you are for all intent and purpose using a single weapon during AOO. Note however that your off hand is still "wielding a weapon" and not "free".
Hmm. I think you are being very generous. If a person uses two weapon fighting or a feat that equates to it like two weapon feint then they are attacking with their off hand.
That is good to know Dekalinder. We were playing AOp that way and it makes sense.
However in this case we are talking about actions during the players turn.
To use this deed, a swashbuckler cannot attack with a weapon in her other hand or use a shield other than a buckler.
Once you perform your first off-hand attack you are considered attacking for the entire action, in this case the full round action. You can't "granulary" consider each attack as his own, otherwise the restriction does not make sense, since you are never rolling for both at once.
I think, as soon as you make your first attack you decide whether to two weapon fight or not as you need to determine the penalty before the first attack.
Shield Lawrence seemed to be suggesting that you can get two-handed bonuses by using a weapon with two hands during a full attack where you previously used TWF. I doubt that's the case, especially since it would mean that you could simply make all your attacks with the "off-hand" weapon first, drop it if necessary (not necessary for something like a spiked gauntlet), and then make two-handed attacks with your primary weapon. I'd be surprised it that's RAI.
On the other hand, I'm not 100% sure how using TWF during your turn and then putting both hands on one weapon at the end should affect AoOs. I've permitted the two-handing bonuses in those rare instances where it has come up in the past though. I suppose that this might come into play more often with double weapons.
So in the same idea, if you have two weapon feint, and you are two weapon fighting, and your under lvl 5, assuming only 2 attacks in the round. If you use your first "attack" to use the feint, does your second attack gain the precise damage?
Text on Two Weapon Feint reads you forgo the first attack, and by definition, you decline to make, or refrain to take.
Precise strike reads that you cant attack with your other hand, never stating main, or offhand, just one hand cant attack.
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Multiple Weapons, Extra Attacks, and Two-Weapon Fighting: If I have extra attacks from a high BAB, can I make attacks with different weapons and not incur a two-weapon fighting penalty?
Yes. Basically, you only incur TWF penalties if you are trying to get an extra attack per round.
...(Edited for length)...
Using the longsword/mace example, if you use two-weapon fighting you actually have fewer options than if you aren't. Your options are (ignoring the primary/off hand penalties):
(A') primary longsword at +6, primary longsword at +1, off hand mace at +6
(B') primary mace at +6, primary mace at +1, off hand longsword at +6
In other words, once you decide you're using two-weapon fighting to get that extra attack on your turn (which you have to decide before you take any attacks on your turn), that decision locks you in to the format of "my primary weapon gets my main attack and my iterative attack, and my off hand weapon only gets the extra attack, and I apply two-weapon fighting penalties."
This is a relevant FAQ from the CRB. It suggests that you cannot drop the main hand (feinting) weapon, and then get your iterative with the off hand weapon. The main hand weapon gains the iterative attacks always. I think you are able to drop the off hand weapon in order to two-hand the main hand weapon for the iterative attack for the STR/PA bonus, but I'm not positive.
I would argue that if something uses up an attack through two weapon fighting, which Two Weapon Feint clearly does, that it counts as using Two Weapon Fighting
This whole thing sounds terribly convoluted and probably illegal. Even if the DM allows it initially you might end up seeing your PC get disabled later on by an errata or FAQ.
What is it you're trying to accomplish though? Do you need the enemy to be denied Dex because you have sneak attack damage? Are you just trying to gain attack bonuses? I wonder if you've considered the Shatter Defenses feat. I've always thought it could be fun for a Cavalier from the Order of the Cockatrice. You'd not only make the enemy flat footed but get an additional +2 to hit them. Meanwhile they'd get -2 to hit you (-4 if you use a Cruel weapon)
If the idea of spending a standard action to intimidate your foes bothers you there are various other ways to accomplish it such as Cornugon Smash and Enforcer. The former has the advantage of pairing well with the Hurtful feat, which allows you to attack a foe you've just intimidated as a swift action (potentially nice if you decide to intimidate all foes within 30' as a standard action since you'd still get to attack once)