Hi, I am starting up a Pathfinder campaign.
I am very familiar with the 3.5 rules but have a couple of questions.
1) Power Attack. This is an all or nothing "bonus" (meaning that later, you must take the bigger -/+) that works on all attacks during the round, including AoO's during the round, correct?
1A) When calculating the damage bonus when using a weapon with two hands, a -1 to attack gives a +3 to damage, correct?
1B) When calculating the damage bonus with an off-hand weapon, a -1 to attack gives a +1 to damage, correct?
1C) Is this damage multiplied on Crits? (i.e., is this precision based damage?)
1D) I see that this does not work with touch attacks, what is the reasoning behind this? I like this but want to understand the reasoning.
1E) What feats build off of Power Attack in Pathfinder?
2) Bluff - Will Bluff allow you to influence the action (however minor) of the target? Or is this solely for lying (meaning attitude will not change with a Bluff)?
Thanks,
I'm sure I will have a dozen more in the weeks to come...
Hi, I am starting up a Pathfinder campaign.
I am very familiar with the 3.5 rules but have a couple of questions.
1) Power Attack. This is an all or nothing "bonus" (meaning that later, you must take the bigger -/+) that works on all attacks during the round, including AoO's during the round, correct?
1A) When calculating the damage bonus when using a weapon with two hands, a -1 to attack gives a +3 to damage, correct?
1B) When calculating the damage bonus with an off-hand weapon, a -1 to attack gives a +1 to damage, correct?
1C) Is this damage multiplied on Crits? (i.e., is this precision based damage?)
1D) I see that this does not work with touch attacks, what is the reasoning behind this? I like this but want to understand the reasoning.
1E) What feats build off of Power Attack in Pathfinder?
2) Bluff - Will Bluff allow you to influence the action (however minor) of the target? Or is this solely for lying (meaning attitude will not change with a Bluff)?
Thanks,
I'm sure I will have a dozen more in the weeks to come...
1) yes
1A) yes1B) yes, though it might actually be 0 for a light weapon until your BAB reaches 4 and thus giving you 50%*2=1. The "minimum 1" clause is missing there, so you would have 0 there (50% of 1 rounded down). For a 1-handed weapon it's 1, though.
1C) yes
1D) Well, first of all it's the rule, there does not need to be a reason. Secondly, a touch attack is just that: touching. No powerful smash or such, you do not use your real strength to inflict damage. So it's understandable that you do not receive a bonus damage IMO.
1E) uhm, too many. Look here for starters, but you really have to look for those feats which require power attack.
2) Check out the bluff skill description. You can deceive someone, feint in combat (useful for sneak attack, for example) and deliver secret messages. So there are more uses for it.
Hope this helps :-)
1. Yes
1A.yes
1B.yes
1C. It is multiplied on crits.
1D. To avoid things like the 3.5 wraithstrike spell. Touch attacks are normally very easy to land, and allowing power attack to work with them would defeat the point of the penalty.
1E. Furious Focus from the APG, and the ones listed under it in the feat chart. There are probably some in the Ultimate Combat book also.
2. Bluff only makes someone believe you. It does not change their attitude.
1) Power Attack. This is an all or nothing "bonus" (meaning that later, you must take the bigger -/+) that works on all attacks during the round, including AoO's during the round, correct?
Correct. You can no longer select the penalty like 3.5.
1A) When calculating the damage bonus when using a weapon with two hands, a -1 to attack gives a +3 to damage, correct?
Correct.
1B) When calculating the damage bonus with an off-hand weapon, a -1 to attack gives a +1 to damage, correct?
Correct.
1C) Is this damage multiplied on Crits? (i.e., is this precision based damage?)
Yes, it is multiplied, since it is not expressed as +xdice of damage.
1D) I see that this does not work with touch attacks, what is the reasoning behind this? I like this but want to understand the reasoning.
Does it matter if I touch you hard or touch you gently. Either way I touched you. The extra damage comes from apply extra power not merely making contact.
1E) What feats build off of Power Attack in Pathfinder?
Core--Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Greater Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Greater Overrun, Improved Sunder, Greater Sunder.
2) Bluff - Will Bluff allow you to influence the action (however minor) of the target? Or is this solely for lying (meaning attitude will not change with a Bluff)?
You could cause someone to do something by bluffing. Example, telling a guard someone is being attacked around the corner may get them to stop their rounds to investigate. Changing attitudes is normally handled by Diplomacy. However, if they believe your bluff and they would treat you differently because of that it's possible, but that is really a GM call. An example, might be guard who you bluff into thinking your nobility might be more polite, but that's about it.
2) Bluff - Will Bluff allow you to influence the action (however minor) of the target? Or is this solely for lying (meaning attitude will not change with a Bluff)?
It's possible that your lie could influence actions "Someone outside really needs your help!" but it is really up to the GM. In combat bluff determines how well you feint, but sadly feint isn't all that strong.
It's possible that your lie could influence actions "Someone outside really needs your help!" but it is really up to the GM. In combat bluff determines how well you feint, but sadly feint isn't all that strong.
2) Bluff - Will Bluff allow you to influence the action (however minor) of the target? Or is this solely for lying (meaning attitude will not change with a Bluff)?
It's not bad if you're an open melee rogue and have Improved Feint. Mixes well with the scout archetype.
Thanks for the quick help. Great community here.
As I learn the differences in the rules I find that I like most of the changes. Others make less sense.
There are probably design reasons why they won't allow Power Attack to "stack" with touch attacks. The primary reason this was an issue in the 3.5 rules was that it allowed for MAX Power Attacking when your weapon could bypass Armor with a spell or effect.
But then, if Power Attack doesn't work with Touch Attacks, then Strength really shouldn't either. Think about it, if touch only has to do with your Dex (or should it be Int) then Strength should never figure into attacks that can touch.
But then, if Power Attack doesn't work with Touch Attacks, then Strength really shouldn't either. Think about it, if touch only has to do with your Dex (or should it be Int) then Strength should never figure into attacks that can touch.
Strength only helps your chance to hit with touch attacks, it doesn't add to damage.
Since Power Attack adds to damage, and you don't (normally) deal damage with touch attacks, it wouldn't do anything beneficial.