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As currently written, when you use Whirlwind Attack you lose all other feat bonuses. But as the end of the Dodge-Mobility-Spring Attack chain, I'm very likely a high Dex fighter or rogue, and as such, Weapon Finesse means a lot to me. As I project my current character forward I'll be taking Weapon Finesse, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility and Spring Attack. Whirlwind seemed like a natural culmination but my Str sucks, I'm all dodgy and finessy. Do others run into this? Maybe it cold forfeit all feat bonus except for those granted by Weapon Finesse. Or maybe the whole "forfeit everything" part goes away entirely.
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As currently written, when you use Whirlwind Attack you lose all other feat bonuses.Nope, that is not the case. Read below.
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When you use the Whirlwind Attack feat, you also forfeit any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats, spells, or abilities.
So being able to use my Dex bonus rather than my Str bonus isn't considered a feat-granted bonus? That would be great and would make sense with the spirit of the feat, but if that is the case, I think the way it is written is unclear.
As currently written, when you use Whirlwind Attack you lose all other feat bonuses.Nope, that is not the case. Read below.
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When you use the Whirlwind Attack feat, you also forfeit any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats, spells, or abilities.What this part of the sentence forfeit any bonus or extra attacks means is that you forfeit any bonus attacks or extra attacks granted by other feats, spells, or abilities. It's not talking about bonus' to hit or damage.
My concerns with Whirlwind Attack are compound.
First, Whirlwind Attack shares no synergy with the prerequisite Feats.
Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack are all intended to support a mobile combatant, focused around standard action attack options. At a full round action, in order to setup a Whirlwind Attack the character must position themselves within 5' or 10' of a group of several opponents, thereby opening themselves up to a full round attack by the group they are trying to affect. Or, to use Whirlwind Attack to optimum effect, the character must allow themselves to be surrounded and/or flanked, which is counter to the goals of the prerequisite feats. When it is useful, it is reasonably so, but it requires the commitment of a full round action, which is a noticable weakness.
Since Whirlwind Attack is circumstantial (must be surrounded/flanked), if it is going to remain a full round action, the benefit must be better than a single attack at full BAB against every oponent within reach, as that is not a situation encouraged by the prerequisite feats. Even in the best case, where you have a reach weapon, it is still counter to being a mobile combatant. I would like to see Whirlwind Attack have some synergy with battlefield mobility. If it allowed a manuever, like Trip, against all targets within the area as a rider to the single attack against all targets, like Shield Slam does with Bullrush, it might be a reasonable capstone to a mobility tree, as it allows the mobile combatant to get out of situations where they would lose their mobility.
So being able to use my Dex bonus rather than my Str bonus isn't considered a feat-granted bonus? That would be great and would make sense with the spirit of the feat, but if that is the case, I think the way it is written is unclear.As currently written, when you use Whirlwind Attack you lose all other feat bonuses.Nope, that is not the case. Read below.
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When you use the Whirlwind Attack feat, you also forfeit any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats, spells, or abilities.
I think it means "any bonus ATTACKS or extra attacks granted by other feats, spells, or abilities."
...but I see I was already ninja'd in saying this...
