I have an Elven Ranger with the TWF style. I gave him a bunch of Dex and Str both. I am looking to use a Rapier in the primary (probably +1 Keen at my level 6 for a while). I would like to have a nice off-hand weapon too.
Since a second Rapier would hurt my to-hit in TWF, I am looking for a small offhand weapon that's good both for the theme and mechanically.
Ideas:
1. Small sized rapier statistics, but on a normal-sized weapon. d4, crit 18-20, Piercing.
2. Kukri. d4, crit 18-20, Slashing. Ugly.
3. Wakizashi statistics. d6, crit 18-20, Piercing/Slashing.
4. Shortsword. d6, crit 19-20, Slashing.
5. WMH built weapon. I could build either d4 or d6, but there just aren't enough design points available to get from crits of 19-20 to an 18-20.
I would likely call the weapon Elven Thinblade or Elven Lightblade (especially if using a d6), or Main Gauche (like the one from 2e, especially if only using a d4).
As TWF takes up lots of feats already, I was looking to get Weapon Focus that works for both hands. I have seen some weapons that say that if you have skills with x, you also get them with y. Could one get away with a Rapier in the primary, and this not-exactly a Rapier in the offhand with just the one feat?
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Get another rapier and use Effortless Lace on one or both.
Putting it on both provides a cushion against it being sundered, but honestly, even if it does get sundered it's only a -2 to hit, which isn't the end of the world as a temporary penalty.
I second the 2nd rapier and effortless lace suggestion. Plus "fighting with 2 rapiers" is a real life historical style (google "case of rapiers") from Italy which makes it entirely aesthetically satisfying.
Hey guys, I do really like that idea. I assume you would sweet-talk the GM into ignoring this:
"reducing the attack roll penalty incurred by a wielder who is SMALLER than the weapon’s intended wielder by 2 (to a minimum penalty of 0)."
That would be easier than working through some more wide-ranging house rule like so, and leaving Effortless Lace as written:
If the wielder is one size larger than the intended user's size, the size differential penalty of -2 can be ignored.
This would reflect that using a halfling shortsword would be like a knife for a human, or a halfling longsword would be like a shortsword, with no additional penalties.
Only going up-sized for the weapon, or going two sizes smaller, would generate the penalty. And then the Effortless Lace would still work for using the larger weapons.
I don't think that clause really applies in this situation. Effortless Lace does two things:
1) It reduces the penalty for using a weapon that is too large for your size.
2) It allows you to count a one-handed piercing or slashing weapon as if it were light.
So if you wrap the lace around your off-hand rapier, it will be treated as light for purposes of two-weapon fighting, so your penalties for fighting with the TWF feat would be -2/-2 instead of –4/-4.
So effortless lace lets you TWF with two rapiers, two falcatas, two estocs (though that's silly), two katanas, etc. (though you actually need the Two-Weapon Fighting feat for this effect to apply.)
Duh. I get it now. I was just stuck on my own concept of getting a small rapier, and using this magical wrap method as a Band-Aid to eliminate the additional -2.
I would just use Rapier 1 and Rapier 2 both with the same normal size for my character, and a single Effortless Lace will make that Rapier 2 get treated with the effort of just any other light martial weapon (no exotic or small sized weapon required). And it will have its regular d6 damage, piercing nature, and 18-20 criticals. I would still be taking the -2 on each for TWF, but that's entirely expected.
Wow. Even better on re-reading this, I may eventually be dual-wielding a couple of +x Keen Longswords or Rapiers to keep up with the rest of the party (and since we've never seen a Katana in our Western-styled area).
Many thanks!
Personally as a GM, I would have absolutely no problem having you craft a new style of weapon that worked the exact same as a kukri except it did piercing instead of slashing.
Just three levels of Weaponmaster and Gloves of Dueling more than compensates for going dual-rapier even if you're taking a -2.
I am not too sure about the fighter stuff. I just got to 6th and have some favored enemies that are no closer than 1000 miles away in the game world, so maybe some fighter feats would be good. Lots to consider. Thanks guys!
Short sword is piercing, actually.
I always presumed they were meant to be some kind of stiletto dagger (the old school medieval kind, not the switch blades used by 1950's gangsters). They were common side arms in the middle ages, used because their thin, needle like blades could go into the common chainmail fairly easily (or at least go into a nice eye slot). They were worn like jewelry by the upper class because of the same reasons (since those are the types able to afford chain mail and heavy leather for just clothes). Just look up "medieval stiletto", and I think you would be satisfied style wise with the appearance.
Of course, this is mostly an optimization thread, so I doubt this discussion will be much appreciated.
Can you dual-wield wakizashis? They're 1d6 (18-20/x2). Might have to go tengu or half-elf alternate racial trait to get proficiency.