I've played two sessions now with my two-handed fighter (with the two-handed archetype), and I'm dealing ridiculous damage. I would like some help double - and triple - checking my math. Here is my build:
Human Fighter (Two-Handed Fighter archetype), level 1
Str 19, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
BAB +1
Feats: Power Attack, Furious Focus, Cleave
Weapon: Falchion
So here's my math:
My falchion deals 2d4 damage. I'm wielding it in two hands, and my Str mod is +4, so I get +1.5 Str mod damage, for a total of 2d4+6. Power attack grants +2 +half for two-handed, for +3. This increases it to 2d4+6+3 = 2d4+9. I crit on an 18-20 for x2 damage. On a crit, I deal 4d4+18.
As you can see, 11-17 damage (22-34 damage on a crit) is quite high. My GM, though this is only his first campaign as a GM, also thinks this is quite high. Would someone mind looking at my math? And if this math is correct, how can my GM deal with such high damage output (since I can fell most opponents with one hit, at a +5 attack (BAB +1, Str +4, Power Attack -1, Furious Focus negates first Power Attack per round)?
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Your math is fine. Crazy high damage is what high-strength fighters *do*. As for one-shotting things at first level, that's to be expected. You'll be running into many enemies that can one-shot you right back (although they'll have to roll better than your fighter does), so not having someone able to do so makes first level potentially very dangerous.
Yep, you're fine, right in line with most two-handed fighters, barbarians, samurai, etc at low level. It's what your character is designed to do!
Eventually your GM will figure out that you have a relatively low Will save, lack Perception and can generally be caught flat-footed fairly easily due to your low initiative...but hopefully, you'll figure all those out first and work to shore those little foibles up.
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All looks correct and fairly standard to me. Use a greatsword, and it's 2d6+9. Be a barbarian, and you get pretty much all of that, plus more Str and Con out of Rage - fairly standard build where I come from.
Also, note that your damage output doesn't exactly go up too much from here. You'll get an extra +1 out of a magic weapon eventually, and maybe +2 from Specialisation if you go that way. Apart from that, until you get iterative attacks, you won't be doing much more damage than this.
As others have said, your math is fine. Two handed figthers who dedicate their build to damage do that very, very well.
How your DM should deal with it? He shouldn't worry too much about it. 1st and 2nd level are like that. Some PCs also have just single digit HPs and can be oneshotted by a lucky hit and maybe even killed by a lucky crit as well. One advice to the GM: Avoid x3 or x4 weapons at those levels, for that very reason.
It will sort itself out in a few levels. Your damage won't significantly increase till 4th level, when you get to the next tier of power attack, but the HPs of NPCs at that level will have aproximately trippled.
Also, note that your damage output doesn't exactly go up too much from here. You'll get an extra +1 out of a magic weapon eventually, and maybe +2 from Specialisation if you go that way. Apart from that, until you get iterative attacks, you won't be doing much more damage than this.
Uh...
and Power Attack, which scales quite heavily with a 2-hander
All looks correct and fairly standard to me. Use a greatsword, and it's 2d6+9. Be a barbarian, and you get pretty much all of that, plus more Str and Con out of Rage - fairly standard build where I come from.
Also, note that your damage output doesn't exactly go up too much from here. You'll get an extra +1 out of a magic weapon eventually, and maybe +2 from Specialisation if you go that way. Apart from that, until you get iterative attacks, you won't be doing much more damage than this.
I disagree. A belt of strength and level 4 bump +2 damage.
Overhand chop. A dip in barb. potions of enlarge. Plus power attack will grow every 4th level. If someone wants a two handed pounder their damage stay obscene.It gets to the point the dice matter little and the bonuses do the damage.
The damage calculation is correct, but how do you have a 19 Strength? Those stats add to a 22 point buy.
The damage calculation is correct, but how do you have a 19 Strength? Those stats add to a 22 point buy.
I get 20 points; are you subtracting the 2 points for the 8 CHA? Or they could have just rolled stats.
17 str+2 racial 13points
12 dex 2 points
14 con 5 points
12 wisdom 2 points
8 cha -2 points
thats 20 points.
HUMAN fighter
I thought you don't multiply the +9 on a crit...
You multiply everything that doesn't say don't multiply it.
Enhancement Damage
Power Attack Damage
Strength Damage
Weapon Specialization Damage
Magus Spellstrike Damage
What you don't multiply :
Elemental Bonuses (Shock, Flame, etc)
Sneak Attack Damage
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bah...this isn't even all that high a damage build. My level 1 barbarian with +12-15 UMD check will have 24 str while raging. Enlarge for +2 str + bigger dice. Lead blade for bigger dice. That with a large huge aklys is 6d6+10 damage. I will admit that the -4 to hit means I only hit at a +4 at level 1. Average damage will be 31 however. If the damage of a plain old falchion THF frightens you...then you haven't seen nothing yet :P .
i have a 2H fighter 3/Barb 1/Alch 1 and with rage and mutagen, plus enlarge and lead blade (from an item) his tetsubo does an average of like 45 damage per hit at 5th level... he crit something last session for 180 damage.
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I've been playing crits wrong for a long, long time.
I've never felt so dumb.
LOL
No biggie dude, I wish I had $1 for everytime I've found a rule I was using wrong (due to changes in versions, or FAQs, or just getting 2 different similar systems confused, or forgetting it was a houserule from 10 years ago).
The damage calculation is correct, but how do you have a 19 Strength? Those stats add to a 22 point buy.
Ignore my post, I'm a doofus. I added wrong.
Thanks for the advise and confirmation, guys. You're right: it's a 20-point buy, with my human's +2 going into Strength. Also, I played D&D 3/3.5 on and off for about five years, plus GMed a Pathfinder game for six months before I realized you multiply the +9 on a crit. (Actually, a player brought it to my attention, the same one who is testing out the GM seat now.) As for the nodachi, yeah, it may be better, but my character doesn't currently have access to eastern weapons.
BFobar,
Can't do that without stuff beyond core. Core only is what a lot of gms, myself included, are used to. Spell specialization, etc are what allow you to really ramp up the power of blasts.
While I can see that many GMs are core only, I'm betting even more are at the very least expanded core (the PFS core assumption meaning the hard cover books mostly) if not the full line up. When talking about power levels of builds in the advice forum its pretty much assumed to not be core only unless stated otherwise. Considering that archetypes were being talked about pretty early on in this thread, its safe to assume its not "core only".
Heal-bots, sword and board, and rogues of nearly any type still are on the bottom tier of power level even with full access to everything. Blasters while not optimal are at least viable now.
Well, focusing on blasting is suboptimal after early game anyway.
Not when you have the retraining rules. Be optimal at all levels of your adventuring career! :D
They are in Ultimate Campaign. They can also be found in Paizo's official rule's site, the official PRD online.
The retraining rules fill out the gap in "where do PC class people come from?" The answer is they retrain their level 1 commoner they were born with.
Seeing as he can only kill one creature at a time, he really isn't.