So, there are a lot of ways to get precision damage in Pathfinder. The most obvious way is through the Sneak Attack class feature, but a lot of other classes can get Precision Damage too, such as the upcoming Swashbuckler. A few rules about precision damage:
1.) You need to do some work to deal it, like flanking or catching a foe flat-footed.
2.) It is not multiplied when you score a critical hit.
It's number 2 that bothers me, on a flavor and game balance level. The flavor of precision damage is that you bypassed a foe's defenses and hit them where it really hurt. Attacks that result in head blows or groin shots are sneak attacks. And of course, there is a critical hit, which is an especially devastating blow. Shouldn't an especially devastating blow on a foe's weak spot all but kill them?
And on the second point, I don't understand mechanically why it should be restricted. As has been mentioned, it can be tough to get Precision Damage. You either have to give up an action to feint, coordinate with an ally, or be especially good at ambushing from hiding. None of those situations is guaranteed in battle. So if you crit after jumping through those hoops, why shouldn't that blow be devastating. You worked to get that extra damage, revel in it!
Anyway, that's my beef with precision damage. Thanks for reading.
Going to preface this by saying I'm not too familiar with rogues. I've never played one in Pathfinder. I'd say because then every rogue would be dual wielding keen weapons with a 17-20 crit range trying to get crits all the time to do vast amounts of damage. Or if you're patient, doing potentially four times your normal sneak attack plus weapon damage with scythe or something, all of which bypasses any and all damage reduction.
Flavor wise I can see your point, balance wise I can see why maybe they wouldn't want to do that. Also as a player, getting sneak attacked by an enemy NPC is already pretty traumatizing in the amount of damage it can deal. I just imagine characters getting one shot because they got flanked.
I'd like it if precision damage bypassed DR or something.
It may be too much to multiply it on crits, but then again, the classic barbarian axe crit usually one-shots stuff anyway.
Because a rogue using the rapier or a similar high crit range weapon is not being iconically roguish and should not be encouraged.
Whatever a crit is supposed to represent, sneak attacks and other forms of precise damage are the same thing. Basically a sneak attack is already a critical hit. I like Petty Alchemy's suggestion though.
|
For Sneak Attack in particular, abilities that add damage dice typically don't get multiplied on a hit (+1d6 Energy Damage, Vital Strike, etc.)
Sneak Attack crit with, say, a scythe or a firearm . . . x4 Sneak Attack dice, yeouch.
Not much scarier than the Scythe Fighter, Paladin, Barbarian, or Ranger[or any other martial really] with Power Attack getting a crit off. Usually, it equates to the same thing...death.
My guess is that you cannot multiply it because the critical hit rules in Pathfinder are pretty overpowering anyway. You can thank Power Attack for it, in the long run. They probably shouldn't get that critical hit multiplier that they do for all of the bonus damage sources. Two points per 4 levels damage (x1.5 IIRC for two handed).
Then there's the 3x and few 4x multiplier weapons, which would get really ugly fast even at low levels.
I agree with you that the situational nature of precision damage means it's much harder than the fighter's greatsword to implement.
15th level rogue
Rapier,3 attacks. there is a 1/12 chance that you crit three times.
So if you get very lucky you get normal damage and 8d6x2 3 times. If we talk minimum Sneak attack damage that's enough to kill a Divine Guardian Hydra.Why you're GM is throwing a CR 5 at you I have no idea.But I think I got my point off.Rogues would be Totally WICKED if that rule were good
Good meaning It actually happened
Doing so ruins game balance. You get a rogue with a high crit range magic weapon with properties that add some extra damage as well and multiply sneak attack, and most things are dead in a few hits.
That being said, I have done away with this rule myself and don't regret it. I allow ALL damage to multiply on crits, and though it has made some fights a bit anti-climatic, it has sped up play tremendously, especially in dungeon crawls.