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It only give you +5 to hit on the first attack and only at really high levels (level 12 for an effective +4 and that's essentially retirement). Sure, it's a no brainer when you only get 1 attack, but once you start getting iteratives or hasted attacks it only removes the penalty for one (the very first) attack.
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To be honest, Furious Focus is a nice feat, but, overall, not usually worth it for a PC you plan to play past having a +5 BAB.
Feats are usually rare, so spending one to make your first attack do extra damage without taking the to hit penalty is not very strong.
Weapon Focus, for example, counteracts the penalty entirely for the first three levels, and still reduces the penalty for every attack once you have iterative attacks. Plus, when you aren't Power Attacking, it actually increases your chance to hit in general.
Then again, at low levels, Power Attack itself is usually not going to be worth spending the feat on its own, since low CR opponents, in general, are going to die in one hit from an 18 Str using a two-handed weapon. 2d6+6 gives 8-18 points of damage, average 13.
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Yeah well that cost tons of cash right? This feat in effect give you a +5 to hit, while you maintain the end game of +10 damage right?
Sorry but I don't really follow. At low levels Furious Focus isn't needed as enemies have really low AC. At medium levels you can get a +2 weapon easily. Furious Focus can be of some help here to counter an initial power attack. But once you get a +3 weapon a full BAB class the weapon bonus and power attack is a wash, leaving you with a Str/Dex mod and BAB. A non full BAB class should be around the same.
I really like getting weapon focus and stacking static modifiers, be it a hit modifier or damage modifier.
For me, it is nice to have at higher levels, 13+, when trying to hit that high AC NPC and still power attacking. Every little thing helps at those levels, including taking Weapon Focus along with it if you can.
It is a nice feet within a couple of character concepts
1) Characters that only take 1 attack - Charge builds without the pounce ability, vital strike builds.
2) 3/4 BAB characters - Since the 3/4 BAB is limiting your number of attacks and already decreasing your Hit, furious focus makes much more sense.
IMHO furious focus is less useful for full BAB classes. This is because you will almost always hit with the first attack anyway. It is really those later attacks that you want to boost.
In my home group we're pretty much perma-banend Furious Focus for being so blatently over-powered.
Except, you know, it's not. Does you home group consist of only Vital-striking or spring-attacking machines, or only plays at levels 13+?
Otherwise there are tons of feats worth more.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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In my home group we're pretty much perma-banend Furious Focus for being so blatently over-powered.
At levels 1-3, it's worse than Weapon Focus: it's the same increase in to-hit, but doesn't help your AoOs like Weapon Focus does.
At levels 4-5, it's probably about equal to Weapon Focus: 1 point better on the first attack, but still does nothing on AoOs.
At levels 6+, well... the more attacks you can get in a round, the more Weapon Focus pulls ahead of Furious Focus.
Furious focues shines when you definitely can not spare to have a penalty to hit. A couple of examples
True, but in those cases you can always choose to not activate Power Attack. Who knew!
Either way I still think this thread belongs in the advice forum.
Does anyone else feel this is possibily too good of a feat?
I almost never, ever take it. Full Martials almost never have a problem making their first attack hit anyway... generally speaking for them Weapon Focus is more potent once they begin to get iterative attacks.
I feel like it is too weak of a feat. Power Attack's penalty is not bad (and you can just not use it if you want to avoid the penalty).
Further, since it only helps your first attack, the one most likely to hit anyway, it's of dubious use as soon as you're making more than one attack (and you should always do your best to make more than one attack--Vital Strike blows!).
Most two-handed weapon users consider it, but I've yet to see one bother to take it.
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For full BAB martial characters, the real damage comes from full attacks. And your first attack isn't the one that needs bonuses to hit - frequently connecting on a roll of 2-5 during a full attack. During a charge (the only time most characters should be doing a single attack), the +2 charge bonus should nearly eliminate any chance of missing.
BAB/attack bonus
1 +1 worse than weapon focus
2 +1 worse than weapon focus
3 +1 worse than weapon focus
4 +2 about equal to weapon focus, not as good as Weapon Specialization
5 +2 about equal to weapon focus, not as good as Weapon Specialization
6 +2 worse than weapon focus
7 +2 worse than weapon focus
8 +3 Now you qualify for better feats, and Furious Focus isn't better than things like Improved Critical, Spirited Charge, Whirlwind Attack, etc.
Reading these posts, I guess it depends on your DM and your style of play.
If you play in groups like mine, Furious Focus might be well worth it. Power Attack as well. Constructs, skeletons with platemails, ... funny weak monsters that mop the floor with your average run of the mill group.
If your GM likes to put NPCs against your group with a group of mooks that assist each other... only thing that saved us last time against a level 7 wizard was a summon monster I spell with a rat that critted the wizard... and a tumbling attack with furious focus and a critical against a level 6 fighter... who was onehitkilled by our level 2 halforc.
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I am adding to my list of things learned on this forum that no one should ever take Furious Focus ever for any reason.
It's good for a 3/4 BAB character. My Bard/DragonDisciple gets good use of it
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I mean, it's okay because this forum already taught me that I should only ever play a quadruped pounce synthesist 18 / paladin 2 for the rest of my life anyway, so I don't really need to worry about Furious Focus or two-handed weapons at all.
It's good for a 3/4 BAB character. My Bard/DragonDisciple gets good use of it
I like it for my Psychic Warrior, too. But I don't think it's really any better than Weapon Focus and I don't think Weapon Focus is really that exciting, either.
The math above indicates it is not unreasonable. The only objection I have to it is that it is limited to two handed weapon users. In my home campaign I allow it for all melee weapon configurations.
The math above indicates it is not unreasonable. The only objection I have to it is that it is limited to two handed weapon users. In my home campaign I allow it for all melee weapon configurations.
I like that house rule. I'd actually kinda forgotten that it's only usable with two-hands.
I am adding to my list of things learned on this forum that no one should ever take Furious Focus ever for any reason.
You were probably being sarcastic, but it is the better feat for the character I'm playing. I'm a vital strike build that uses multiple weapons (for melee and throwing). In this case, weapon focus doesn't cover both of my weapon types, but furious focus does.
Cheers,
Rubia
Exactly. My rules also include never ever playing rogues ever because of every other class and never playing a fighter because paladins exist. I also never heal ever in combat and only use falchions and kukris ever as weapons.
I am adding to my list of things learned on this forum that no one should ever take Furious Focus ever for any reason.
You were probably being sarcastic, but it is the better feat for the character I'm playing. I'm playing a vital strike build that uses multiple weapons (for melee and throwing). In this case, weapon focus doesn't cover both of my weapon types, but furious focus does.
Cheers,
Rubia
He is being sarcastic, but his words are right in your case, not because Furious Focus doesn't benefit Vital Strike, but because Vital Strike sucks horribly and isn't worth making a build around ;)
I love Furious Focus, I take it as soon as possible. I love single attack character builds, I call it the "One Hit Wonder". It is my favorite character build but I am the only person in my group that even considers the build because I don't care about multiple attacks and everyone else in my group prefers to do as many attacks as possible. But to answer the question it is a must have for me but I do not see it as an overpowered feat, if it was everyone in my group would use it and I am the only one who ever uses power attack.
For my Inquisitor, I'm loving it at 5th, will definitely love it 6th-7th, and probably will continue to love it 8th-14th where the one iterative that doesn't benefit from it will probably not be that big of a deal. Unlike some of the more vocal members of the boards, just because it's not THE most absolute best and most optimal thing to take, doesn't mean it's BAD.
Besides, not counting attacks of opportunity which are never a guarantee, at BAB <4 it's equal to Weapon Focus, at BAB = 4 or 5 it's better, and BAB = 6-10 it breaks even boosting one attack but not the iterative. So for one feat, having that range of usefulness seems like a good deal to me.
It's not that good of a feat, I don't like it. It won't help iterative attacks or AoOs at all, and an effective martial character should be utilizing one or both of those in how he fights.
I mostly see it as a feat tax for Dreadful Carnage, the feat I actually want.
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Yeah well that cost tons of cash right? This feat in effect give you a +5 to hit, while you maintain the end game of +10 damage right?Sorry but I don't really follow. At low levels Furious Focus isn't needed as enemies have really low AC. At medium levels you can get a +2 weapon easily. Furious Focus can be of some help here to counter an initial power attack. But once you get a +3 weapon a full BAB class the weapon bonus and power attack is a wash, leaving you with a Str/Dex mod and BAB. A non full BAB class should be around the same.
I really like getting weapon focus and stacking static modifiers, be it a hit modifier or damage modifier.
I favor the feat for middle BAB characters with power attack such as strength rogues, monks, inquisitors, etc. Every bonus to hit counts for these characters.
I personally really liked the feat for my vital striking oracle (battle mystery) but I dont think that I would use it on a character that dosent use vital strike or spring attack.
I know a large number of gamers who fit the Batman enemy label (a cowardly and superstitious lot) when it comes to character design. They are utterly convinced that their dice hate them and hence believe they always roll poorly.
Thus they always push as many plusses into their builds as possible for to hit. As such, furious focus is quite popular (especially since I allow it for all melee).
I use furious focus on my Paladin. Currently he is 7th level and while he doesn't get the bonus to hit on iterative attacks that first attack with smite evil is such a big one (double damage on undead/evil outsiders/dragons/anti-paladins) that it is more important that my first attack land anyways. It might math wise work out to be similar or a little worse as weapon focus normally but when smiting that extra bump on the first while power attacking makes a difference.
I use furious focus on my Paladin. Currently he is 7th level and while he doesn't get the bonus to hit on iterative attacks that first attack with smite evil is such a big one (double damage on undead/evil outsiders/dragons/anti-paladins) that it is more important that my first attack land anyways. It might math wise work out to be similar or a little worse as weapon focus normally but when smiting that extra bump on the first while power attacking makes a difference.
I also use Furious Focus on my Paladin. The edge it has over Weapon Focus is that I can use it with my sword or lance, and the lance gets pulled out for a lot of 1st round, smite evil, power attacking, spirited charge for triple damage openings! (I get a little giddy just thinking about it:)
But just because it's a good choice for certain character builds doesn't mean it's overpowered.
Yeah for the full BaB classes its a weak feat. For 3/4 BaB classes or vital strike builds its pretty good. But in the end vital strike is sub-par and 3/4 BaB classes do less power attack damage so its pretty much not so great.
Human Fighter: 20, 13, 16, 7, 8, 7 [20 point buy], PFS legal.
Level 1 Feats: Power Attack, Weapons Focus[greatsword], Furious Focus
Traits: Defender of the Society, Indomitable Faith
Put your skill points into Perception and Intimidate.
Favored Class bonus into hit points: You'll have 14.
With the 150 gold, you have enough to buy a Greatsword and Banded mail.
You will have 19AC with 20 movement.
Your saves are Fort: 5, Reflex: 1, and Will: 0.
Go to PFS cons and have a blast!
That's 15 Pathfinder sessions of Rawr! before you're +6 BAB.
Power Attack every turn!
You are +6 to hit, and do 2d6+10 at level one!
Honestly, sometimes you get tired of making skill checks and you just want to settle things with a blade.
