So we played our Evil characters with my Mobile Fighter Tank last night, and we had an encounter where we fought a bunch of angels and a dragon. We're 10th level, and with my fully-buffed and Furious Focused +23 to hit for my first attack, I practically didn't need to roll a 1 to hit. That's not including Flanking bonuses or the like.
Rocking at a +25 to each damage roll, (+7 Strength modifier with 1.5x for two-handed weapons, +1 Weapon, +12 Power Attack, +3 Divine Favor, +2 Leaping Attack Class Feature) getting more hits allows me to pump out 54+ DPR, assuming minimum damage rolls, and since I'll be getting Boots of Speed soon and my 11th level feature, snatching up more attacks for more damage will be great, without compromising my defenses.
However, my second iterative drops down to an insanely lower +14; running it at 5 BAB lower, and inputting a -4 back from Power Attack (A 3.X Magic Item treated me as if I was 4 BAB higher for the purposes of determining Power Attack bonuses/penalties), I was looking at needing to roll an 11 or higher to hit the targets. This is going to be a major problem when I get into the higher levels, especially when I use options like Fighting Defensively on a regular basis, and when Combat Expertise becomes available for me, tacking on even more negatives (though I only get a -2 with Fighting Defensively due to a feat).
So my question boils down to this: Besides getting more pluses to hit (which is difficult, given we are technically a low-magic campaign compared to what's on the boards, though I'm trying my best being both a tank and a damage-dealer), what ways can I utilize to help make sure my lower iteratives are hits?
If it is perhaps relevant, here's the rest of party composition:
Winter Witch (with the Deception Patron)
Admixture Specialist Wizard (with Illusion and Transmutation as Opposed Schools)
Invulnerable Rager Barbarian
Skirmisher Ranger
Swashbuckler (from ACG)
Most 3.X hardcover material is allowed, though no 3PP outside that.
The Outflank feat might be useful if you're able to consistently flank. With Haste (from Boots of Speed) and Outflank, you'd be at: +28/+24*/+19. Also, if your ally crits, you get an AoO at +24 to hit, which is pretty nice.
Enemies who are Blinded, Stunned, or Entangled all take penalties to AC. If you or your party can cheaply (in terms of opportunity cost) apply those conditions, it would help.
If you're able to find them in your world, I still love Gloves of Dueling, which would also help the cause.
*from Haste - don't think that benefits from FF
Thanks for showing that, I just might propose that me and the Swashbuckler (who criticals on 15-20) take this feat, since I do have Combat Reflexes and a 16 Dexterity, so I can take several attacks, even though I use them for Aid Another via Bodyguard; if I'm flanking, I wouldn't be able to help him out anyway. And he has more AC than me, surprisingly enough. (Also, is there a way to get flanking without the position issue?)
I generally don't like being forced to take Teamwork feats, but when the feat is this good, it's worth it to try and convince your melee party members to follow through; it's also making me question if I should use a Nodachi instead of a Greatsword and give my Swashbuckler some free AoOs, since our GM is pretty lax with feats and stuff.
As an aside, we did nerf the Haste spell; it doesn't give +1 to hit and AC/Reflex Saves, and it only affects one target. You still get 30 movement speed and an extra attack at your highest BAB, so it's still plenty good (and makes it more on-par with the Speed weapon property). That being said, since I decided to forgo Vital Strike to take Penetrating Strike feats down the road, Haste works better with my class features anyway.
I'd totally get Gloves of Dueling if I had Weapon Training; however, since I get Leaping Attack (which isn't difficult for me to have each round, especially with Feather Step Slippers) in place of it, I can't get that benefit by RAW. I wouldn't mind trying to see if I could houserule it to work with replacement features, assuming they are similar, but no guarantees on that.
Applying conditions like that are difficult without having Critical Feats or with them being riders on spells. The issue is the feat investments (which are pretty difficult), as well as Save DCs versus Monster Saves; although our Wizard with a 22 Intelligence is throwing out DC 20 Fireballs with +5 damage and the ability to change it into whatever element he wants, it's not a feature that works well with debuff sorts of spells, if at all. Though, we have a Witch with -4 to Hit, AC, Saves, Skills on her Evil Eye hex, and we do run the Critical Hit cards, so we do get those conditions popping up once it a while, as well as most likely Dexterity/Constitution damage cards, so that always helps.
We use modified Weapons of Legacy. I get Divine Favor 3/day as a C-Power at CL 10th. (I wanted it to be a constant, but it was too good apparently.)
To be honest, I figured that was the case. It's a shame, really. The Outflank feat does give me something to think about; using my AoOs at full BAB to deal some wicked damage each round, and if I'm lucky I can give my Swashbuckler buddy a chance to give me another hit if I get a critical. I just need to have him on board (and maybe the Barbarian too).
I just thought there was some obscure method of increasing iterative BAB effectiveness that I overlooked.
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If you are going with Combat Expertise anyway, which it sounds like, consider the Gang Up feat as a follow-up. It sounds like you have enough melee buddies to support it, and it only requires that at least two of them threaten the same target you do.
Another thing that can improve your chances to hit with your iteratives, and impose a to hit penalty or free AoO onyour target, is Improved Trip. Greater Trip, if you have the feat room, makes it really ugly, since everyone threatening gets an AoO on your trip target.
Pretty sure Furious Focus applies to your first attack of the round, not your first iterative attack. In other words, you don't lose the ability just because you sacrificed one attack for extra mobility. Your second attack becomes your first for the round and thus benefits from the feat.
Yes, I am trying to obtain Combat Expertise; I was originally going to be the largest AC tank, though the Swashbuckler beats me out with his insane dexterity, having more/stronger items, and Combat Expertise makes him practically invincible.
I normally didn't want to incorporate it into my build, but it's an AC reservoir that I'm going to need, especially since Fighting Defensively, while I get 3 AC, isn't going to cut it in the endgame. I also thought about picking up Stalwart and Improved Stalwart to get DR if my AC is high enough, so even if they do hit it wouldn't be as bad (and it will stack with DR that I would get from Armor Mastery at 19th), though the Diehard feat requirement is pretty lame, and I'm hurting for feats as it is, since I'm trying to balance Shield Focus/Specialization, Weapon Focus/Specialization, and Penetrating Strikes, which constitutes half my feats. (Thankfully, this is mitigated by having access to the Anti-Feat system from 3.X and the Special Points system, allowing us extra "odd-ball" feats.)
Taking in GWS, GSS, PS, and GPS, leaves me 6 more feats to work with.
From there I could take: Diehard, Stalwart, Improved Stalwart, Combat Expertise, Gang Up, and Outflank.