osxmallard - 3/3/2006 5:02 PMActually, I think that Weapon Master is that great, and whirlwind isn't.Whirlwind is fun to use... but it only really works against lower level enemies since you can be surrounded bythem and not take huge amounts of damage while taking them out with 2-3 attacks. When you get to theharder opponents that surround you, it is more of a "last ditch effort" to hope you survive bringing too manyenemies at the same time and would probably not be used (since you give up the other attacks that roundwhen you use it).WM is not "great" at the lower levels, but when you hit level 5 in WM and bump your critical to x3 from x2, etc.you can start dealing massive damage with criticals. Combined with Improved Critical, it can be devastating.Further, when you get to level 7 in WM, your critical threat range goes up +2 as well, effectively making aWM w/ Rapier have a critical range of (14-20?) with Imp Crit and WM 7. That's hitting (bad math may occur here) about 40% of the time with a x3 critical hit. Ouch!There are disadvantages as well... you are giving up the fighter bonus feats (if you were a fighter) while youtake the levels in WM (since only epic WM's get bonus feats) and the first few levels give you very minor benefits (Ki Damage, etc.)I'd love to hear from the more experienced WM's out there to see if I am totally wrong...
osxmallard - 3/3/2006 4:02 PMActually, I think that Weapon Master is that great, and whirlwind isn't.Whirlwind is fun to use... but it only really works against lower level enemies since you can be surrounded bythem and not take huge amounts of damage while taking them out with 2-3 attacks. When you get to theharder opponents that surround you, it is more of a "last ditch effort" to hope you survive bringing too manyenemies at the same time and would probably not be used (since you give up the other attacks that roundwhen you use it).WM is not "great" at the lower levels, but when you hit level 5 in WM and bump your critical to x3 from x2, etc.you can start dealing massive damage with criticals. Combined with Improved Critical, it can be devastating.Further, when you get to level 7 in WM, your critical threat range goes up +2 as well, effectively making aWM w/ Rapier have a critical range of (14-20?) with Imp Crit and WM 7. That's hitting (bad math may occur here) about 40% of the time with a x3 critical hit. Ouch!There are disadvantages as well... you are giving up the fighter bonus feats (if you were a fighter) while youtake the levels in WM (since only epic WM's get bonus feats) and the first few levels give you very minor benefits (Ki Damage, etc.)I'd love to hear from the more experienced WM's out there to see if I am totally wrong...
Eight-Bit - 3/3/2006 10:57 AMI agree with the posts above. Who really needs to be dealing 60-70 damage on 55% percent of your six attacks a round because you're an adorable little bugger with bendy knives who likes to hack away needlessly at a horde of mindless enemies?
Talan Va'lash - 3/3/2006 1:04 PMQuoteEight-Bit - 3/3/2006 10:57 AMI agree with the posts above. Who really needs to be dealing 60-70 damage on 55% percent of your six attacks a round because you're an adorable little bugger with bendy knives who likes to hack away needlessly at a horde of mindless enemies? Lol! is this an argument pro or con? ;P
Rayenoir - 3/3/2006 3:30 PMNWN2 will be 3.5 rules. 3.5 no longer has the Weapon Master as a prestige class.And on another note... for the record, there are some crazy Fighter/Wizards out there that will deliberately wade with 50% concealment and 20/+3 DR into a mass of enemies, and that makes whirlwind glorious.