The Arcane Athenæum

There are a lot of ideas behind improving/redesigning dual wielding for 5e; it’s a pretty consistent discussion. From my perspective, I just don’t think it’s possible to have an effective or fun dual wielding build without having the dual wielder feat. Not being able to draw two weapons at once without burning your action destroys what should be a damage-focused build; you must spend your entire turn getting ready to hit something. Not only that, but two-weapon fighting compared to other feats you a pretty small boost in damage, which falls off pretty quickly as you gain levels.

The dual wielder feat is necessary to mitigate these issues, letting you draw both of your weapons and still attack, and allowing you to wield higher-damage weapons. Even then, it still falls off compared to other builds, but at least it’s useable. The dual wielder feat is essentially an ASI tax for anyone who wants to employ that build, whereas with other builds the appropriate feat enhances an already effective character.  Thus, as a relatively simple answer, I’ve designed two new subclasses, one for the barbarian and one for the fighter, that focuses entirely on dual-wielding combat.

The main idea with these two subclasses is to provide options for people who want to scratch that dual wielder itch, taking some inspiration from 3.5e and WoW mechanics. The barbarian’s Savage subclass flavor makes it a savage berserker, utilizing their rage to swing faster and more often than comparable builds, and granting them features that build off that sense of rabid attacker. The fighter’s Striker subclass flavor plays with the idea of a skilled duelist that expertly mixes dual wielding into their features, and as they gain levels can wield larger and more impressive weapons. It goes a bit anime near the end, letting you dual wield greatswords, but with a cost.

As always, feedback and critique are welcome! 

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Version 1.0 01Jul2021

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