Reckless Rage: Does Furious Focus negate the penalty?


Rules Questions

Shadow Lodge

7 people marked this as FAQ candidate.

I might as well get this question out in the open for clarification, since I'm sure it will be another light to draw moths.

Reckless Rage is a new feat.

Reckless Rage wrote:
Benefit: When you use Power Attack while raging or while using raging song, you take an additional –1 penalty on melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, and you gain an additional +2 bonus on melee damage rolls. Modify this damage bonus appropriately based on the type of weapon you are using, as normal for Power Attack.
Furious Focus wrote:
Benefit: When you are wielding a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon with two hands, and using the Power Attack feat, you do not suffer Power Attack’s penalty on melee attack rolls on the first attack you make each turn. You still suffer the penalty on any additional attacks, including attacks of opportunity.

I imagine some folks will read Reckless Rage as modifying the Power Attack ability and other folks will read it as a separate ability. Especially since it cites "when you use Power Attack" and "take an additional", it certainly could be read as just increasing what is happening with Power Attack, and thus Furious Focus would negate the penalties.

I could flip a coin on this one. Thoughts?


My thoughts are that, no, it doesn't negate the penalty of Reckless Rage. That may be a penalty that you take when power attacking, but it's not "Power Attack's penalty".

EDIT: That being said, I don't think it's a huge thing to let it.


Normal Power Attack:
-1 penalty/+2 damage

w/ Furious Focus:
no penalty first attack/+2 damage

w/ Reckless Rage:
-1 penalty and -1 additional penalty/+2 damage and +2 additional damage

w/ FF & RR:
no penalty first attack and -1 additional penalty/+2 damage and +2 additional damage

So, with both, on your first attack you only suffer -1 penalty to get +4 damage (or +6 w/ 2-h weapon) and subsequent attacks get the full -2 net penalty. But they are still counted as separate penalties/bonuses since, as you can see, it requires a caveat stating the additional bonus damage from RR is still modified by normal Power Attack bonus damage factors (+50% for 2-h, -50% for off-hand). If it were a change to the base value, that caveat would not be necessary or, at least, would be worded differently.

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