Pick your weapon, pick it well. Invest feats into its efficacy which pursuing other paths. What was Ogami Itto without his fabled Dotanuki, after all? Well he was still a badass, but especially with that Dotanuki sword.
The Weapon Path
Start with proficiency, rise to Improved Critical. This path has a small number of feats, two of which are level-sensitive, so it is one that many accomplished fighters pick up along the way while pursuing other paths (it works well with all of the others).
- Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus
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- Weapon Specialization
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- Improved Critical
That’s right, so long as you’re proficient with the weapon in question (and fighters are proficient in all martial weapons), this is a three-feat path that cannot be perfected until lvl8.
Each feat in this path is specific to one type of weapon. If you wish to have Weapon Focus on your Short Sword and your Longbow, you need to take the feat twice.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency allows a fighter to use crazy weapons like the Spiked Chain without penalty. If you’re going to master the use of one weapon, you need to start with proficiency.
Weapon Focus grants the fighter a +1 competance bonus to all attack rolls. It also opens the door to Weapon Specialization.
Weapon Specialization is only available to characters with four levels of Fighter. I don’t care how mighty of a Paladin you are, if you don’t have 4 levels of fighter under your belt, you don’t get this feat. With the chosen weapon type, the fighter gains a +2 to all damage dealt. With ranged weapons this only applies within 30 feet of the target.
Improved Critical doubles the critical threat range for the chosen type of weapon. A Longsword (threat range 19-20) in the hands of somebody with Improved Critical(Longsword) threatens on a natural roll of 17, 18, 19, or 20. This potent feat is only available to characters with a +8 base attack bonus.
Upon completing this path, a fighter has an extra +1 to attack, +2 to damage, and double the chance to critical with his chosen weapon. This path is an excellent secondary path to pick up while working on anothe path (such as Mounted, Expertise, or Power Attack).
this path also applies to ranged fighters (see The Archer Path) as any feats that improve hitting or damage are a must for anyone who wishes to hurt someone else.
Indeed it does. This is why shortly after the little listing of feats I mention both the short sword and the longbow. Note that Weapon Specialization only improves damage for attacks within 30′, per the rules.