TWF with Brokeback Seax and Morningstar...

[VoodistMonk]

I just found the exotic one-handed weapon called the Broken-back Seax...

Cost 40 gp Weight 4 lb.
Damage 1d8 (small), 1d10 (medium)
Critical 19-20/x2
Type PIERCING & SLASHING
Range Increment –
Proficiency exotic
Weapon Groups light blades
Special See Text

Seaxes are straight, single-edged blades. The broken-back seax is the size of a short sword, and has a broad blade with a distinctive trapezoidal shape. If your Strength score is less than 15, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls with a broken-back seax, as you’re unable to put enough force into the blows to land them effectively.

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Seax does P&S, Morningstar does P&B, it seems like it would be an awesome combination.

How do you make it work?

A level of Aquanaut Fighter for Piercing Focus, then Ranger/Slayer for TWF feats without prerequisites?

Obviously going to want Effortless Lace on the off-hand to reduce the TWF penalty from -4 to -2.

How would you build for this combination?

[MrCharisma]

I'm not great at TWF builds, but they're both light/1-handed piercing weapons, so if you can slip in 1 level of swashbuckler you can use weapon finesse on both and regain panache from both (and get parry).

I'm not sure that finesse necessarily helps since you need 15 STR anyway, but I just thought I'd point this out.

[VoodistMonk]

In order to use Parry&Riposte/Panache, it would require Two Weapon Grace...

Full Dex with a 15 Strength isn't impossible, bad, or even difficult.

That definitely opens up the Class options!

[MrCharisma]

VoodistMonk wrote:

In order to use Parry&Riposte/Panache, it would require Two Weapon Grace...

Nope. In order to get DEX to damage you'd need some extra feats/etc, but the panache restores as long as you get a crit/kill with an appropriate weapon (which they both are).

Opportune Parry and Riposte doesn't even require an appropriate weapon. You can parry and Riposte with a Dwarven Longhammer if you want to, you don't even need proficiency (although that -4 to hit is going to hurt your chances of success). The problem is that it uses Panache, so it's a good idea to find a way of getting Panache back (like using appropriate weapons).

[MrCharisma]

Having said all of that, you don't need to do the Swashbuckler dip, so I might leave it there to avoid derailing the thread.

[avr]

The damage type thing seems to be a minor point since that's just one feat - weapon versatility. Basically this is highly similar to dual-wielding bastard swords. IIRC that works best with an enlarge effect and/or lead blades. Being a ranger does seem the natural way to do so since they can cast lead blades naturally and get TWF feats which don't go away when their Dex drops due to enlarge person.

If effortless lace is difficult to get for any reason then the possessed hand & hand's autonomy feats can substitute for it. A human ranger could pick up both those feats at 1st level then get TWF via combat style at 2nd to bring this fighting style online ASAP.

[Scott Wilhelm]

Since they are both Piercing Weapons, I would take Hamatula Strike and wear Armor Spikes. When you have Hamatula Strike, every hit with a Piercing Weapon gives you a Grapple attack, and every successful Grapple Attack scores you Armor Spike Damage.

Since we are talking about Effortless Lace, I would start off as a Sword and Board character, 2 weapon fighting with Seax and use Armor Spikes as my off-hand weapon. When you can afford Effortless Lace, then consider fighting with 2 Seaxes instead for the more Damage, or working that Shield into your Full Attack say with Shield Slam, and take Greater Bull Rush to give all your allies Attacks of Opportunity and Paired Opportunist to give yourself some, too. There's an Advance Weapon Training that lets you use Teamwork Feats as if all your allies had all your Teamwork Feats. FWIW, even though I am offering alternatives to Morningstar and Seax, I do think M&S is a solid combo.

When I got enough levels in Fighter, I'd take the Advanced Weapon Training I think is called Focused Weapon which lets you do Sacred Weapon Damage instead of regular damage, so those Armor Spikes do more damage.

avr wrote:

The damage type thing seems to be a minor point since that's just one feat - weapon versatility.

Good Call.

avr wrote:

Being a ranger does seem the natural way to do so since they can cast lead blades naturally

He only needs a 1 level dip in Ranger in order to be able to use a Wand of Lead Blades.

avr wrote:

and get TWF feats

And it is fair to say that with only 1 level more, he gets 2wf or Shield Slam.

avr wrote:

which don't go away when their Dex drops due to enlarge person.

And my favorite way to get Enlarge Person is with a 1 level dip in Living Monolith which lets you cast EP 3/day as a Swift Action. But you need the Endurance Feat before you can take a level in Living Monolith, and with a 3rd level in Ranger, you get the Endurance Feat. And it's only 1 more level after that before you can actually cast our Lead Blades Spell instead of having to use a Wand.

[avr]

Living monolith is both good and cool, but it comes with a pretty difficult prereq anywhere outside PFS. A ceremony witnessed by a sphinx may be hard to set up. A dip in cleric of Gozreh or Erastil with the plant/growth subdomain is appropriate to a ranger and has no prereqs.

[Scott Wilhelm]

avr wrote:

Living monolith is both good and cool, but it comes with a pretty difficult prereq anywhere outside PFS. A ceremony witnessed by a sphinx may be hard to set up. A dip in cleric of Gozreh or Erastil with the plant/growth subdomain is appropriate to a ranger and has no prereqs.

A sphinx or another Living Monolith. If the GM requires that roleplaying prereq, and then doesn't let it happen, then he should just tell you he doesn't want to let you take any levels in LM. You should always vet your character builds with your GM.