Vital Strike and Explosive Missiles

[Warboss666]

My favourite build for an Alchemist is using a Longbow and Explosive Missile to long-range bomb people.

I recently discovered that Vital Strike applies to ranged attacks as well.

I was wondering if I apply Vital Strike to a single Explosive Missile attack (which has been OK'd by my GM).

Would the Vital Strike apply to both the Arrow damage and the Bomb Damage.

According to the Vital Strike rules, it doesn't increase damage of precision-based damage (sneak attacks, etc.) or weapon abilities (flaming, shocking, etc.). The bomb damage is neither.

[Zwordsman]

It should only do the long bow's weapon damage, because the bomb is a rider effect rather than the long bow weapon damage.

Though if your gm wanted to apply it to bombs as well, it would only increase the original 1d6 (bomb ability specifies that somewhere I believe)

Also I've done that combo with a crossbow, it was tons of fun, hard to catch~

[Warboss666]

Cheers dude

[Mojorat]

Two things its a standard action so simply doesn't work with vital strike. Second you can infer by how criticalz work with bombs that if you could somehow get vital strike to work with bombs the base damage is just 1d6.

[Zwordsman]

Mojorat~

His GM okayed it (quite a few gms will just allow you to put vital strike on any 'attack action' (the word concept not the specific standard action. so they put it on a charge attack, first hit of full attack, with precise strike etc. Doesn't break much but it's pretty useful)

and yup, that was the line I forgot. On a crit only 1d6 is multiplied so that should be the 'base" weapon damage of bombs. So if your gm wanted you to boost both the arrow and the bomb base ddamage via vital strike it'd only be the 1d6. Still thats still a nice boost.

Though I'm still pretty sure it'll only boost the arrow damage and not the bomb's rider damage.