3 Feats for Shadow Blade? (TWF Build)

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

starless

Jun 04, 2008 10:29:51		I'm working on a build for a variant soulknife of 21st-level. The notable variations are that the class has d6 HD, gains Sneak Attack dice every 3rd level instead of Psychic Strike, and gains 4th-level psionic powers (mostly mobility-based, with some buffs like the precognition/prescience powers) akin to Rangers/Paladins getting 4th-level spells.

I'm focusing on TWF, and right now, with necessary TWF feats and Weapon Finesse, I have 5 additional feats to work with.

Obviously, I want to get my Dexterity bonus to my damage rolls if possible, and I have two options for that. The first is to take Martial Study, Martial Stance, and Shadow Blade. This has the advantage of netting Assassin's Stance and allowing me to use my full Dexterity bonus on my off-hand attacks, but it does cost three feats, limiting what I could do with the remainder of my feats. Dipping Swordsage isn't an option, as my favored class is Rogue and the DM does enforce these.

I also have access to the Improved Finesse epic feat (from Ascension, a 3rd-party source) that would allow me to substitute Dexterity for Strength on my damage rolls. This costs only one feat (since I'm already taking Weapon Finesse), but has the downside of only allowing half of my Dexterity bonus on off-hand attacks. Going this route, I had considered taking Staggering Strike and aiming for Elusive Target to enhance my survivability since I'm going to be in melee pretty regularly.

Generally, I'm just not sure I want to spend the two extra feats to get Shadow Blade, when a much simpler option is available. Are there feats out there that are worth losing half my DEX on off-hand attacks? I think Staggering Strike and Elusive Target *are* pretty strong contenders, at least.

Most non-setting-specific books are available, so if there are some useful feats out there that I'd be unable to take if I went with Shadow Blade, I'd like to hear about them. (Unfortunately, the DM's unavailable from now until Game Day, and I forgot to ask him about Craven, which means that's probably no-go, though it does actually fit this character, which is a rebuild of an old 3.0 character, very well).