RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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On the Precise shot feat thread, Point Blank Shot was mentioned as a weak feat to have to take as a pre-requisite, which I agree with. I think that this could be either improved to become a better feat, or replaced with a different ranged attack feat.
My first thought would be to change it from +1 attack and +1 damage within 30 feat to +2 attack and no change to damage.
Thoughts or other suggestions?
Immediate Action to be able to take an AoO shot against an opponent moving into melee range against you? (assuming ammo is armed)
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I think a scaling +1 to attack and damage every +5 BAB after 1st level is an excellent suggestion.
Fighters get the obvious boost, and it's especially useful for Rangers with the Archery path. Rogues get a nice +4 bonus by 20th level, and even wizards who take it for their rays can get a boost at 10th and 20th level.
I like this option. A lot.
Immediate Action to be able to take an AoO shot against an opponent moving into melee range against you? (assuming ammo is armed)Wow! Great ability, but probably too much for PBS. I'd make that a feat for which PBS is a prereq.
Yeah, it'd probably be more balanced as a separate Feat. But I WOULD like to see one that worked like that.
Hmm...
"Too Close for Comfort"
Pre-Req: PBS, Rapid Fire, Precise Shot (+BAB?)
If you are armed with a Ranged Weapon, and it's ammo is readied (bows are assumed to be, crossbows must be loaded), you may take AoOs against opponents who move adjacent to you (5' Steps never provoke, as normal). Flanking and Precision Damage bonuses do not apply. Note that you can’t execute an attack of opportunity against opponents with cover or total concealment.
...?
I disagree that point blank shot is a weak feat. The 30' limitation means it doesnt work sometimes but as it adds to hit and damage and it stacks with weapon focus it is great. Any feat that stacks and adds to hit is great.
As for that too close for comfort idea. IMO archers are already the superior fighter build, they should not get AoO.
Scene
Melee fighter with a sword closes (gets shot) has 1 attack.
Archer steps back 5' fires full attack without getting hit.
(melee fighter player whines about how it is ridiculous the archer can just disengage to shoot him like that, DM shrugs and says thats the rules)
melee fighter steps up 5' (gets shot)has full attack
archer steps back 5'.......
etc etc
I don't disagree that Archers can rock, but I don't see a problem with your example.
If your Archer had a Reach Weapon instead, it would have been the exact same, but he would have gotten an AoO.
My suggestion would require a high-level Feat to do the same thing, would still be subject to the same rules as AoOs, so 5' steps wouldn't provoke it. I also limited it so Flanking & Sneak Attack can't work. It's a good Feat, but most Archers would never want to be in the position where they're using it in the first place.
(and it's only one more shot in those situations)
Anyhow, I guess I'm not SO attached to this Feat idea, I just thought it was a neat possibility.
And there's so many of those, you know...
Point Blank Shot does have some scaling with level already built in. Every time you get another attack, PBS contributes it's +1 to attack and damage.
PBS, Warmage Edge (Int mod as bonus damage on evocations), and spells like scorching ray (Int mod as bonus damage on evocations) are actually pretty good at getting evocations to be decent. At 11th level, a warmage with an Int of 24 (18 base, +2 level, +4 item) can throw out a 12d6+24 scorching ray. Not bad for just one second-level spell slot. (That's assuming I'm recalling Warmage Edge correctly. It could be Int mod added as damage only once, not per missile, in which case [Dr. Orpheous] Ignore Meeeee...[/Dr. Orpheous])
Warmages aren't OGL. The fact that they benefit from PBS in it's current incarnation doesn't mean the feat can't be made better. I'm more rambling on at this point to show an example of PBS scaling, adding a total of +3 damage in the example. An archer with PBS, Rapid Shot, a high base attack, and haste is getting +5, maybe +6 damage that round out of the feat. It's just all spread out.
Don't scale feat please. Make other higher level feats, but scaling feats will make the game at high levels more unbalanced than ever.
A rule change I am exploring is making Point Blank Range be the first Range Increment instead of 30' It makes more sense (to me anyway)
Does it reduce point blank range for some weapons. sure. But be honest you use those weapons for style not for crunch anyway. (and they have Other advantages)
As for archers being able to step back and do a full attack on the fighter who made one attack after closing? Just sunder his bowstring with your one attack. That sinew string is a liability which is why no bow archer should melee.
Weapon-like spells such as rays = 30 feet as per normal.
I'd say it would be best improved by either:
1- getting rid of it completely
or
2- Making it stackable with improved critical and having it be the same as improved crit. within 30 ft.
Realistically speaking, longbow men were their deadliest at close range because they were so skilled, they would aim for the eye slits of the knights while the knights were mounted and charging them. That's why when you look at helmets through different ages the eye slits get a lot smaller.
I don't like the idea of scaling with level. Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization do not scale... other then with greater versions of new feats. Changing a feat to allow it to mimic with a range weapon the class powers of a fighter or ranger is too much for any one feat.
PBS is already a fair mix of both those two feats and is available to any class and not just the fighter. I would suggest adding additional versions that either extend the bonus to hit and damage just like Greater Weapon Focus... or maybe a version that extends the range limit beyond 30 feet.
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point blank shot it perfectly fine, if i could get a feat like that for melee i would be tickled pink (that is a feat that stacks with weapon focus that gives a bonus to damage) i would say it would apply to only ONE melee attack per round
precise shot is the real loser feat. the 3.5 mechanism for applying a -4 to firing into melee is idiotic. I would love to go back to applying cover penalty to ranged attacks were your allies are in the way of perfect line of sight. HOW THE F*&K CAN I NOT ACCIDENTALLY SHOOT AN ALLY WHO IS ALL BUT BLOCKING AN ENEMY?!!!? I would prefer if the feat ignore up to 2 points of cover penalty, that could be from an ally being sorta in the way or if the enemy is shooting from around a tree. sooooo much better.
Don't scale feat please. Make other higher level feats, but scaling feats will make the game at high levels more unbalanced than ever.
I completely disagree. I think even further, all feats should be reviewed for "suckitude" at upper levels and they should be rewritten so that they remain useful at all levels. Ideally I'd like to see the same thing done for spells, that certain spells don't eventually become useless (ala Sleep once you are higher level). For feats (and spells) that become useless just add a scaling element to them. I really like the idea of having the bonus (mentioned above) increase with every +5 BAB.
Unrelated but I'd like to see spells like Sleep that max at X hit dice change so the hit die cap increases over the levels, but thats a matter for another thread. With that you could completely eliminate the silly "Greater/Improved/Even Spiffier" versions of all the spells and just have the base spells scale with caster level - but as I said, that's a discussion for next weeks threads.
I would prefer if the feat ignore up to 2 points of cover penalty, that could be from an ally being sorta in the way or if the enemy is shooting from around a tree. sooooo much better.
I actually like that idea as well. Just make precise shot ignore 2 points of cover and go back to people in front of people grant cover.
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(That's assuming I'm recalling Warmage Edge correctly. It could be Int mod added as damage only once, not per missile
Unfortunately for your Warmage builds, that's correct. You get the effects of Warmage edge once per round per spell. That is, scorching ray gets the bonus on only one ray.
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