The feat Point Blank Shot is a little odd.
The feat give you +1 to hit and damage with any ranged weapon used at a range up to 30 feet.
Now, there's a big difference between being an expert at hitting at close range with a bow vs. say, throwing a dagger, but Point Blank, as it stands, gives you a bonus with either, or any ranged weapon for that matter.
Not to mention that the range increments of such weapons are very different:
For a bow, 30 feet is 3/10 of its range increment of 100.
For a dagger, 30 feet is 3x its range increment of 10.
Yet each is treated equally at 30 feet under the Point Blank feat. Odd.
Ex. The range increment of a dagger is 10 feet. The rules state that a -2 to hit applies for each range increment. So the difficulty of hitting with a thrown dagger at 30 feet is such that a -6(!) applies to the to hit roll. Yet, we are supposed to believe that this constitutes "point blank" range for those with this feat?
Of course, magical rays are treated as ranged weapons as well, so that a Wizard with the Point Blank feat gets a bonus at using them at 30 feet or within...even if the maximum range of the relevant spell is less than 30 feet. Odd.
It also doesn't really make sense to me that in such a situation, even if being at close range would offer you a bonus to hit, that somehow the magic, which has nothing to do with your strength, does more damage if it hits.
If the rationale behind the Point Blank range is physics, and that ranged weapons do more damage at the shortest distances, well then ok...but then Point Blank should just be a new range category, applicable to everyone using a ranged weapon. And if the rationale is indeed physics, well then Point Blank range should be different for each weapon.
As well, physics would also dictate that if it's easier to hit and do more damage at ultra-close range, it's harder to hit and you are likely to do less damage at ultra-long ranges. The rules already account for the difficulty of hitting at long range, but the damage is not lowered.
Now, if the rationale is special training which the character received, I find it odd that a character with this feat would be presumed to have this training/ability with EVERY single ranged weapon (many of which he may have never encountered in his life, and with which he needn't have any proficiency to use!).
As it stands now, there are no prerequisites for this feat, so a character need not have any proficiency in ranged weaponry, and could have a dexterity of 4, yet still get this bonus somehow. Odd.
I guess we are supposed to buy that the rationale is that the character has this inborn ability (despite the fact that you can take the feat at upper levels, in effect having what would be an inborn ability suddenly manifest later in life), which enables her(regardless of strength, dexterity or weapons training) to somehow focus in her senses on an opponent within this all important 30 feet range of her missile weapon, whether that be a thrown dagger or shuriken or hand axe, a long bow, a heavy crossbow, or an arquebus, such that she is able to more easily hit and do more damage than anyone else similarly situated. Odd...
Even more oddly under this rationale, these heightened senses are inapplicable to any other type of skill or martial action, such that no increases would apply to melee attacks, which are of necessity, within 30 feet.
So we have to discount the heightened senses rationale, and say that this inborn ability only applies to ranged weapons somehow. Odd...
Ok, since this is a feat, and not a class or racial feature, I have no concerns about balance, as any changes would apply to anyone evenly. The only possible bias would be against characters primarily using ranged weapons.
I propose one of, or a combination of, three changes:
1) Getting rid of the feat altogether.
2) (Physics rationale) Get rid of the feat, but institute "point blank" as the new, closest range category, with +1, +1 bonuses available to all, while (alternately) changing the 5th range increment to "ultra long" range and applying -1 damage penalty to that increment. Change point blank to be the lower of 30 feet or the range increment.
3) (Training rationale) Change the feat, adding appropriate prerequisites, such as proficiency in certain types of weaponry and minimum strength and/or dexterity scores. Also, acknowledge that ranged attacks vary, so allow Point Blank Shot to be taken with each of certain categories of attacks: ranged thrown, ranged, and ranged touch categories. Change point blank to be the lower of 30 feet or the range increment.
4) (Natural ability rationale) Since this inborn ability would become applicable for the character at 30 feet or below, regardless of weapon (maybe his sight, hearing, sense of touch increase at that range), the range increment wouldn't matter. Dex or Str prerequisite?
5) Combination of 3 and 4: The character has received training which helps bring out his natural ability of heightened senses within 30 feet. All of 3 applies, save the last sentence.
6) Change nothing. Rationale: don't need one.
I'm open-minded here, but am in need of convincing as to a rationale for leaving the feat as it currently is.
I'm also open to #6, and it just not having to make any sense, since this is, after all, a game, and not a reality-simulation. :)
