Since I'm allowed to take the Vital Strike line and use it with other feats like Spirited charge my question is the amount of damage I would do with a Transfixing Charge with a critical hit against the Tarrasque that we are fighting.
Charisma Score: 21 (+5)
Feats:
Level 1 = Mounted Combat
Level 1 = Ride-By Attack
Level 3 = Natural Charmer (Dhampyr)
Level 5 = Spirited Charge
Level 6 = Vital Strike
Level 8 = Power Attack
Level 9 = Leadership
Level 11 = Improved Bull Rush
Level 12 = Improved Vital Strike
Level 14 = Spring Attack
Level 15 = Endurance
Level 17 = Unseat
Level 18 = Greater Vital Strike
Level 20 = Deadly Finish
Magic Items: Belt of Physical Might (+6 Str, +2 Con)*, +4 Adamantine Flaming Burst Lance (+2d10 on crit)
* = Already part of the current strength score of 30.
Chosen Order: Sword
Order Benefits
Added Skills: Knowledge (Nobility) and Knowledge (Religion). +10 bonus to the cavalier's rolls on Sense Motive to oppose bluff checks.
Challenge = +5 bonus on attack rolls against the challenged target.
By My Honor: +2 bonus on rolls involving the chosen saving throw (FORT) as long as he maintains the chosen alignment (NG).
Mounted Mastery: +4 AC Dodge bonus to avoid attacks set against his charge. He can add his mount's strength to the damage (+5 = Heavy Warhorse).
Knight's Challenge: This functions like a normal challenge but the cavalier adds his charisma modifier (+5) to all hit and damage rolls. Also a cavalier gets a +4 bonus on confirming critical hits on the challenged target.
Transfixing Charge: At 20th level, a gendarme represents the epitome of mounted combat. Whenever he makes a charge attack while mounted, he deals triple the normal damage (quadruple if using a lance);
this damage includes all increases from the Spirited Charge feat and from the use of a lance. In addition, if the gendarme confirms a critical hit on a charge attack while mounted, the attack deals maximum damage for the weapon wielded. Additional damage from weapon
properties, magic effects, precision-based bonuses, or other increases are rolled normally. This ability replaces supreme charge.
So considering the full weight of his single charge attack on a confirmed critical hit how exactly would I calculate the full damage for this kind of strike as the transfixing charge bit has proven for us to be at least a tad confusing with all the other variables in the mix like Greater Vital Strike.
Normally we would calculate it as 5d8 + 3d8 (GVS) + 1d6 (Flaming Burst non-critical) + 25*5 on a challenged target by Knight's Challenge.
Since its critical hitting would it deal 8d8 + 3d8 + 1d6 + 2d10 (FB on a Crit) + 25*8. Would I add the full amount of the 3d8 (24) to the 8d8 (74) (24+74=98) to the 25*8 (200) then roll normally for the flaming burst (1d6) and (2d10) normally for the damage?
AFAIK, you can't charge and vital strike in the same blow due to how charge is its own special full-round attack action. But if you houserule it to work more power to you. I think it would work thusly...
Normal lance is 1d8, 20/x3 or 3d8 with a critical hit.
Spirited charge with a lance does triple damage or 3d8, 20/x3 or 5d8 (3-1+3-1+1=x5) with a critical as you say.
Transfixing charge with a lance does 4x damage or 4d8, 20/x3 or 6d8 (4-1+3-1+1=x6) with a critical (48) plus bonuses*6.
Greater vital strike would add an additional 3d8 as you indicate and it doesn't seem overpowering at 20th level to max them for 24 damage.
At least that's my take on it. I would like to play around with it in HeroLab to see how they do it before confirming, though.
Bonus damage I calculate as follows (assuming all abilities work as you posted, I haven't looked them up to confirm):
Strength +10 (assumes 1-handed lance)
Weapon +4
Mount's strength +5
Knight's Challenge +5
Power Attack +12 (assumes 1-handed lance)
+1d6 (non-crit) OR +2d10 (crit)
for a total of +36 (all of which is multiplied on a crit) +1d6 (or +2d10 on a crit)
Transfixing charge would then do 9d8 maximized to 72+(36*6=216)+2d10 for a whopping 288+2d10 (or 264+2d10 if you don't allow greater vital strike). At least I think that's how it would work.
Of course the tarrasque has DR 15/epic so you take 15 off the top, but otherwise you should be able to put a good hurt on it. Good luck!
Bonus damage I calculate as follows (assuming all abilities work as you posted, I haven't looked them up to confirm):
Strength +10 (assumes 1-handed lance)
Weapon +4
Mount's strength +5
Knight's Challenge +5
Power Attack +12 (assumes 1-handed lance)
+1d6 (non-crit) OR +2d10 (crit)for a total of +36 (all of which is multiplied on a crit) +1d6 (or +2d10 on a crit)
Transfixing charge would then do 9d8 maximized to 72+(36*6=216)+2d10 for a whopping 288+2d10 (or 264+2d10 if you don't allow greater vital strike). At least I think that's how it would work.
Of course the tarrasque has DR 15/epic so you take 15 off the top, but otherwise you should be able to put a good hurt on it. Good luck!
Thank you Dosgamer for your very much appreciated input, it was proving for us to be a mathimatical nightmare on our side. Plus I can understand better why its not always the best thing from a designers perspective on allowing such stuff as unless you devour this kind of number crunching for B/L/D, one could get very sick of it. :)
We only allowed the combination of the VS feat tree because as a Gendarme it would make sense they would hone themselves to deal the most on horseback with just a lance. Hence why my only allowed weapon is my lance as I'm not attacking several times over massive damage like a ranger might but against one solitary target which is why I would need Cleave or Great Cleave to wreck enemies who vastly number us as I usually spend most of my attack rounds performing a charge attack with Ride-By Attack.
We ended the game for that week's night on an incomplete attack as it was getting pretty late, around 2AM-ish if I remember correctly.
Oh, and for extra giggles, please note that the "average" tarrasque has 525 hp which means a strike for more than 263+15=278 requires it to make a DC 15 Fort save or die on the spot. *grin*
Granted, it won't stay dead due to its regeneration, but one-shotting a tarrasque makes for a good bar story. Good luck!