You draw upon your arcane power to enhance your weapons with magical energy.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast arcane spells.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can imbue your weapons with a fraction of your power. For 1 round, your weapons deal +1 damage and are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. For every five caster levels you possess, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
Does anyone else with arcane strike added "to hit" instead of damage?
When I first read arcane strike I was excited because I thought it was a Magical bonus to attack and damage, but alas no.
I suppose it's useful for the martial/arcane blended classes (magus, arcane archer, Eldrich Knight), but even then only a little. Even +5 damage per hit isn't much at 20th level. I suppose if you've exhausted every other means of increased damage it'd be a nice little bump, but that's it.
I'd love to play an elven wizard that was adequate (note: still not great) with a bow via this feat.
Anyway, Just wanted to rant a sec and say that I don't get it. Is there some aspect that I'm just not picking up on?
It seems to be a way of using swift action for caster before they get Quicken Spell. I am not sure if I prefer this version or 3.5 where caster burned spell prepared or spell slot to augment his weapon attack - the current version is nice for Arcane Duelists and Magi but of not quite much use to full casters that didn't bothered with multiclassing into some sort of weapon combat-oriented combo.
In comparison greater weapon focus requires 3 other feats and only nets you a grand total of +4 on damage.
Power attack gives you a penalty to hit and only provides a +2 damage bonus per point of penalty.
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Well, the more attacks you get, the nastier this ability gets. Not surprisingly, a Synthesist summoner can abuse this horribly. Just combining this with Two-weapon fighting / Multi-weapon fighting alongside a large number of natural attacks is scary. Since a summoner is an arcane caster with a full 20 levels of caster levels, they get the full benefit of the damage increase progression.
Of course, this is a synthesist summoner, and to find yet another powerful tool at their disposal is nothing short of beating a dead horse.
Its a quick way to punch Ghosts! think monk dragon disciple
In comparison greater weapon focus requires 3 other feats and only nets you a grand total of +4 on damage.
Power attack gives you a penalty to hit and only provides a +2 damage bonus per point of penalty.
Just a note, the +2 to hit is probably going to help a lot more than the +4 to damage.
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It's extremely useful for bards, especially archer bards. It's some nice damage, and unlike powerattack, doesn't hurt your to-hit.
True regarding weapon focus vs arcane strike, however to use weapon focus you don't have to be a caster. Casters have much worse Attack bonuses than fighters and typically do less damage with a weapon. Which is fine, because that's not their purpose usually.
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My arcane duelist archer bard likes it. At low levels (we're only 3 so far) it is a great way to get a "magical" attack. The +1 to damage isn't bad, either, and it scales up nicely over time.
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Around the time that Fighters can get Weapon Specialization, Arcane Strike gives a bonus that's as good as it, and keeps going up from there. It's also a convenient way to get around DR and applies to every weapon. (It does cost your swift action, though.) It's a very good feat that every bard should consider as it is. Granting a hit bonus on top of what it already does would make it crazysauce powerful.
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My issue with Arcane Strike is that it eats up the swift action, which at low levels does not matter, but then Quicken Spell happens.
Gish characters can use it, although then there's a clash with the Eldritch Knight capstone ability or Dimensional Dervish.
But you can add Arcane Strike to ray spells (at least AFAIK) so there's that
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My issue with Arcane Strike is that it eats up the swift action, which at low levels does not matter, but then Quicken Spell happens.
Having options for your swift action isn't a bad thing.
Around the time that Fighters can get Weapon Specialization, Arcane Strike gives a bonus that's as good as it, and keeps going up from there. It's also a convenient way to get around DR and applies to every weapon. (It does cost your swift action, though.) It's a very good feat that every bard should consider as it is. Granting a hit bonus on top of what it already does would make it crazysauce powerful.
My suggestion was to hit instead of damage. Not on top of.
Around the time that Fighters can get Weapon Specialization, Arcane Strike gives a bonus that's as good as it, and keeps going up from there. It's also a convenient way to get around DR and applies to every weapon. (It does cost your swift action, though.) It's a very good feat that every bard should consider as it is. Granting a hit bonus on top of what it already does would make it crazysauce powerful.
+1
A rock solid feat.Stacks with everything, multiplies when you crit . Any bard will love it, my bard did.
Applies to any weapon against any foe. Good as it is.
Our Magus even has it and he likes it.
When I first read arcane strike I was excited because I thought it was a Magical bonus to attack and damage, but alas no.
I read it that way at first, too.
Anyway, Just wanted to rant a sec and say that I don't get it. Is there some aspect that I'm just not picking up on?
It's just plain ol' extra damage (assuming you're not using your swift action for something else). There's not really that many feats that give you extra damage beyond Power Attack and Weapon Specialization.
I thought about taking it for my monk/dragon disciple, but I'd rather save my swift actions for using ki points most of the time.
For monks with multi encounter days, Ki points can dry up. This is a nice alternative. Multi class caster monks have a hard time hitting as it is and tend to lack the Ki to make it through every round of combat on Ki burns.
I agree that it's a bard feat that helps shore up the MAD issue. Magus gets a similar benefit. I've seen it used by rogues as well though I'm not sure ifthats exactly optimal.
I've allowed it to Alchemists (we had a long debate on this) and it is a very good feat in their hands.
I feel slack that I've never put it on a dragon before.
Thx James.
For monks with multi encounter days, Ki points can dry up. This is a nice alternative. Multi class caster monks have a hard time hitting as it is and tend to lack the Ki to make it through every round of combat on Ki burns.
I agree that it's a bard feat that helps shore up the MAD issue. Magus gets a similar benefit. I've seen it used by rogues as well though I'm not sure ifthats exactly optimal.
I've allowed it to Alchemists (we had a long debate on this) and it is a very good feat in their hands.
I feel slack that I've never put it on a dragon before.
Thx James.
By RAW Alchs can't get Arcane Strike, as a houserule it seems fine.
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depending on your GM Arcane Strike can be awesome for Arcane Tricksters
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Chalk me down with the group that says it's a great bard feat. Also, swift-actions are nice but not every gish is going to be quickening everything under the sun. It's downright sexy on certain gish builds, and since it's a flat modifier it's multiplied on critical hits. It stacks with stuff like Power Attack as well with no drawback at all.
It's gross on monsters though. My players should probably hate it. Drop it on stuff with caster levels and it gets scary fast. Rakshasa, fiends with class levels (qualify by being able to cast arcane spells, milk the fact the bonus doesn't care where the caster levels are coming from), and so on.
But yes, it makes bards darn scary. It's an extra +5 damage that stacks with magic weapons and bardic music, for nothing more than just spending a swift action. Booya.
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Doing some necro again.
Does arcane strike make Arrows shot magic for overcoming DR?
And do they count as magic when it comes to hurting incorporeals, too?
Took this feat at lv1 with my vanilla bard, and never regretted it for a second. At level 1, damage is hard to come by. Lots of ways to get to-hit (bless, flanking, higher ground, other various conditions), but not so many to get damage (bard's inspire courage, divine favor, magic weapon spell, strength and that is about it).
At lv5 it is basically Weapon Specialization with ALL weapons. In addition to making them hurt DR X/Magic and make anything I flail around dangerous for incorporeal monsters.
As Ashiel says, it makes for good damage. Between Arcane Strike, str14, a +1 longsword, power attack and 1 round of buffs (Inspire Courage for +2 to hit & damage, and Good Hope for another +2), my bard does 1d8+16 damage with his longsword at level 7. All the little creeks turns into a mighty river.
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It's a nice way to get around DR on the cheap.
With arcane strike and 100 gold, you have a magic silver weapon, magic cold iron weapon, magic bludgeoning weapon....
Level one, it helped my bard keep up with some melee fighters which surprised some of the members of my party. I have Strength 16 and a Longsword I two hand as well as the Dirty Fighter trait. With my bardic performance on at level 1, I was doing 1d8+4(Strength Two Handed) +1 (Arcane Strike) +1 (Bardic Performance) +1 (Dirty Fighter if Flanking). So at level 1, I'm at least doing 8 damage to things and ignoring DR/Magic. Not too shabby. Now that I have a magic weapon and Power Attack, I can add up to 10 Damage to my Longsword.
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Follow up on this thread I know it was awhile ago, I am using my kitsune ninja with arcane strike. Kitsune qualify due to their dancing lights.
Benefits I get from that.
1. Great way of treating your cold iron/silver shuriken or dagger as magical for attacks, great for damage as well.
2. I pair it with my wakizashi for the high crit and since an general bonus it gets stacked with the crit.
3. I always have something to do with my swift action that is relevant. Usually when I have lots of Ki and flanking I use the extra attack but when you are low on Ki arcane strike is nice.
Example at level 6 my +1 agile wakizashi I have a dex of 21 with magic items at this point so my damage on 18-20 is pretty sweet and with weapon finesse I keep a good high to hit.
Magic items of note, added in cracked pale green prism ioun stone +1 hit
Gloves of Dex +2
Base
to hit +12 with +2 for invis/flank or both added sometimes
1d6 + 7 or crit 2d6 + 14 + 3d6 sneak
Arcane Strike Base
1d6 + 9 or crit 2d6 + 18 + 3d6 sneak
Bite Attack
to hit + 7 with +2 for invis/flank or both added sometimes
1d4 + 3d6 for sneak
Arcane Strike Bite Attack
1d4 + 2 + 3d6 Sneak
Necro necro
Would a rogue with Minor Magic be able to take Arcane Strike? If so that's some sexy bonus damage.
They used to be able to, for about two years, but are no longer able to.
What happened was that spell-like abilities, which are what Minor Magic grant, were counted as Spells for prerequisites. This decision was later reversed since it caused a bunch of unintended consequences.
So, long story short, no, not in PFS. Ask your GM for a homegame though, as it's a pretty cool idea.
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Thanks for the fast reply Cheapy!
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Bloodragers that's why. Lol
Full bab, full caster level and very little to do with swift actions. More damage for something i wasn't using anyway yes please.
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Nice necro.
I'd like to throw out arcane strike for Ray specialists. Empowered + Mazimized Scorching Ray getting arcane strike tagged on each Ray is pretty nice.
Or the Bard who takes it instead of deadly aim and switch's between bow and wand of scorching/admonishing Ray. Can fair decent with arcane strike.
Old thread, I know. But my eldritch scoundrel rogue is LOVING this feat. As a rogue archetype that Casts 6 levels of wizard spells I qualify for it. And because rogues lack an inbuilt bonus to damage when they're not sneaking, they need all the help that can get from feats like this to avoid becoming the butt of jokes.
Compared to the Magus I think the e.s. rogue gets even more out of arcane strike, because we don't have anything like arcane pool to eat swift actions.
I liked the 3.5 version: Free action.
That improved Hit and damage, but was fueled by spell slot/prepared spells.
But when I DM I allow both.
I liked the old one too. Bonus to hit equal to the expended spell or slots level(+1 to +9) and extra d4 damage dice at the same rate(+1d4 to +9d4). Really nice, in my opinion.
In my experience, attack boosts are everywhere, but all the time damage bonuses are hard to come by.Huh.. I have the opposite. I can find various damage boosts.You know this really means you 2 should get together to make a giude
Well the cool part is that it is a blanket + to damage. Not an enhancement bonus. SO this stacks with other bonuses.
As someone once stated the synthesist angry caterpillar and his many arms does exponential damage with this feat.
Today it's also a prereq for Riving Strike, which is great for melee support classes.
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** spoiler omitted **
Does anyone else with arcane strike added "to hit" instead of damage?
When I first read arcane strike I was excited because I thought it was a Magical bonus to attack and damage, but alas no.
Arcane casters have True Strike, if hitting is a huge issue. Magic Weapon will also boost hit rolls. This feat allows low strength casters a bit more punch, plus it helps regarding some DR.
I sorta get why.
but i do wish that there were Psychic and Divine versions of it too. Or at least psychic. I sorta see why on divine side, they have better BAB and such.
A psychic strike would be pretty great for a lot of builds haha.
And that they'd work as pre reqs for most of the choices available nowOr if that sneak way was still valid, the SLA or once per day casting tricks.
Yeah, but psychic already comes with the fanstic built in still/silence for the effects of cunning caster. A well trained psychic is never seen casting unless he wants you to see it.
That, and most melee psychics already have great damage boosts. Mediums going full martial, kineticists blasts, mesmerist painful stares. Spiritualist seems a bit low, but they have backup bodies to make up for that.