Flame Blade and TWF

[Trifikas]

I can't find the answer to this anywhere in the forums or the wiki. For the Druid spell Flame Blade, do you need to take the TWF feats to overcome the usual TWF penalties (to hit and off hand procs), or are no penalties incurred because they are actually a spell?

[Mercureal]

They function like weapons, so the effectiveness does depend on the appropriate weapon feats. You won't get any increase to offhand attacks just by casting the spell.

[Trifikas]

OK, thanks. So Oversized TWF would help as well, right?

Likewise, I assume summoning the two-handed version would benefit from the THF line of feats and also grant me proficiency with that particular two-handed weapon.

[unbongwah]

It's not a 2H (falchion) version, it's just a single flaming scimitar. It ought to benefit from SWF if you take those feats, though.

[Trifikas]

So the spell description says this - " The user can choose to summon one-handed or two-handed versions", the two-handed version is just another scimitar?

If all of the above mentioned feats work with Flame Blade, I'm assuming that Power Attack will as well, right?

[unbongwah]

I don't know what the in-game description says, but I believe the wiki page (http://ddowiki.com/page/Flame_Blade) is correct: "The user can chose to summon a single scimitar or two for dual wielding." And yes, any feats which would affect a normal weapon's DPS apply here (Power Atk, TWF/SWF, etc.). Note that if you go into wolf or bear form, you lose the sub-WIS-for-STR effect, just as you would with a regular weapon with a non-standard to-hit/dmg mod. Added bonus: Flame Blades count as ki weapons, so you remain centered on Drunks. Bear in mind the Flame Blade is dispelled if you unequip it, so you have to recast the spell every time you swap in a scroll, wand, etc.

[jadenkorr]

So the spell description says this - " The user can choose to summon one-handed or two-handed versions", the two-handed version is just another scimitar?

If all of the above mentioned feats work with Flame Blade, I'm assuming that Power Attack will as well, right?

I was messing around with flame blade the other day. Can confirm that you summon either a single, one-handed scimitar, or two one-handed scimitars. There is no option to summon a two handed falchion or something.

Was tinkering with building around flameblade some sort of druid monk multiclass, or even druid bard for swashbuckling but concluded that it just isnt worth it. The main problem is that the weapon itself doesnt scale well into the higher levels. Would make an awesome flavour build though, flame elemental transformation along with flaming scimitars! If the devs wanted to make the spell worth building around, I think some sort of scaling the weapon with flame spellpower would be needed.

[Sunnie]

I've got another question on the subject of Flame Blades. Do they benefit from Improved Critical: Slashing ?

[unbongwah]

The main problem is that the weapon itself doesnt scale well into the higher levels. Would make an awesome flavour build though, flame elemental transformation along with flaming scimitars! If the devs wanted to make the spell worth building around, I think some sort of scaling the weapon with flame spellpower would be needed.
Agreed. They're okay for heroic-leveling a pure or mostly-pure first-life druid who doesn't have any gear to start; but the fact they don't scale past CL:20 is a problem in epics. Plus of course they're useless against fire-immune mobs; they should've made the spell "Elemental Blades" and let you pick which element to use when you cast.

Do they benefit from Improved Critical: Slashing ?
If you are in human / elemental form, yes; if you are in wolf / bear form, no - as mentioned above, you need IC:Blunt for animal-form atks which are considered unarmed.

[Sunnie]

If you are in human / elemental form, yes
That's good to know. Thanks.