| 2 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
I'm asking because I haven't been able to find anything on the subject.
The feats read like this:
Stalwart
Benefit: While using the total defense action, fighting defensively action, or Combat Expertise, you can forgo the dodge bonus to AC you would normally gain to instead gain an equivalent amount of DR, to a maximum of DR 5/—, until the start of your next turn. This damage reduction stacks with DR you gain from class features, such as the barbarian's, but not with DR from any other source. If you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC, you are also denied this DR.
Improved Stalwart
Benefit: Double the DR you gain from Stalwart, to a maximum of DR 10/—.
Okay, so levels 1-19 (if you're a full martial) this works just fine, but what about level 20? You are maxxed at DR 5/- or DR 10/-, but you take an additional -1 to your attack bonus when you reach +20 BAB. You just get penalized as a capstone?
I would think either the penalty at 20th level would be removed or the DR maximum would be raised to reflect the penalty increase.
Well, you don't have to use the DR. You could just use the +6 dodge bonus to AC. (I would probably house rule you could have DR 10 and a +1 dodge bonus but that's obviously not official.) Also, this has nothing to do with a "capstone" it's just the way the math works out at 20th level. Combat Expertise was not written with Stalwart in mind.
Another house rule I use which I think should be official is letting the player decide how much Power Attack/Combat Expertise/Deadly Aim they want to use out of what they have available (if that makes sense.)
So again, I don't think this is a "bug" or a problem that needs fixin', I think 10 is just the hard cap for the feat.
Well, you don't have to use the DR. You could just use the +6 dodge bonus to AC. (I would probably house rule you could have DR 10 and a +1 dodge bonus but that's obviously not official.) Also, this has nothing to do with a "capstone" it's just the way the math works out at 20th level. Combat Expertise was not written with Stalwart in mind.
Another house rule I use which I think should be official is letting the player decide how much Power Attack/Combat Expertise/Deadly Aim they want to use out of what they have available (if that makes sense.)
So again, I don't think this is a "bug" or a problem that needs fixin', I think 10 is just the hard cap for the feat.
I know that Combat Expertise wasn;t written with Stalwart in mind, but clearly Stalwart was written with Combat Expertise in mind... I used the term 'capstone' facietiously to indicate you reaching the best you will ever be... only to be penalized. Any idea why the need for the hard cap since it would only apply at the penultimate of the character's career?
If you use both combat expertise and fighting defensively together, you can reach DR 10 as early as level 8 (and without a hard cap, you would then reach DR 16 at level 20).
Edit: Assuming you would let them stack for Stalwart-purposes, that is.
Edit 2: Of course, you couldn't get that until level 11, since Improved Stalwart requires BAB +11. It's still a good bit before level 20 :)
If you use both combat expertise and fighting defensively together, you can reach DR 10 as early as level 8 (and without a hard cap, you would then reach DR 16 at level 20).
Considering that Improved Stalwart has a pre-req of +11 BaB, that's not likely.
Still, the idea of combining Combat Expertise and Fighting Defensively (along with a few ranks in Acrobatics) is an interesting one... IF you can absorb the hit to your attack roll.
There are also some class features that increase the bonus you get when fighting defensively or using total defense, so the hard cap may well exist for such reasons as well.
The crane style feats makes fighting defensively much better than combat expertise (but of course takes more feats). My halfling fighter hit the cap with a -1 to hit.
There are also some class features that increase the bonus you get when fighting defensively or using total defense, so the hard cap may well exist for such reasons as well.
I really hadn't thought of that. Makes more sense now...