If your strength has been drained below 13 or, if you were using a magic item to qualify for the feat, if that item ceases to function for you. Otherwise, you should be capable of declaring any attack you make with a weapon to be a power attack (taking the requisite penalties and gaining the requisite bonuses).
Now, there might be times where you shouldn't power attack, but those are more situational.
Pretty much only corner cases will prevent you from using PA. As such we would need to know the specifics of your situation to comment effectively.
Power Attack said "You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage."
Unless I'm mistaken (always possible), this means that you can't take your first iterative attack without power attack and then turn power attack on for your later iterative attacks. Power attack is something you must activate before your first attack of your turn and it remains active until the start of your next turn.
I think you can use it anytime during the round, even on AoO's, but you're stuck with the modifiers until your next turn.
I always took the above passage to mean that you couldn't roll and go "Oh, I got a natural 20, so I'm going to use Power Attack." You say "I'm using Power Attack" and then roll the die, with all the appropriate modifiers.
|
Thanks. I was asking because I'm considering just adding it into my base calculations in my character sheet and just start a session with "I'm always power attacking unless I say I'm not." There isn't a specific case that brought this up, I just didn't want to forget something basic that would negate using Power Attack.
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Unless I'm mistaken (always possible), this means that you can't take your first iterative attack without power attack and then turn power attack on for your later iterative attacks. Power attack is something you must activate before your first attack of your turn and it remains active until the start of your next turn.
you cannot PA when:
<SNIP>
- started the round, not using PA
Unless this statement from SKR has been contradicted since, it's perfectly legal to start your turn not using PA, and then activate it part-way through your actions - even just before making an AoO.
I'm going to have to go ahead say that SKR was just outright wrong on this one unless there was an errata to change it.
Power Attack (Combat)
You can make exceptionally deadly melee attacks by sacrificing accuracy for strength.
Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
Because that is the text of Power Attack, which clearly states you must do it before making an attack. If you made an attack, you can no longer activate power attack, at least by the way I read it.
So, SKR either had a brain fart and didn't double check the rules...or I dunno. But it's clearly in contradiction with the established rules of power attack.
It's different from the wording on Combat Expertise. The "an" attack could (and I believe should) apply to a given attack, not prior to all attacks this turn. The inability to turn it off just means you can't put it on your main attack (which will hit anyway) and flip it off so you'll hit with the iteratives.
@Claxon, I see no language qualifying which attack roll you must decide upon (that may be RAI) but it certainly isn't RAW that it must be the first attack roll you make in a round.
I think you can use it anytime during the round, even on AoO's, but you're stuck with the modifiers until your next turn.
I always took the above passage to mean that you couldn't roll and go "Oh, I got a natural 20, so I'm going to use Power Attack." You say "I'm using Power Attack" and then roll the die, with all the appropriate modifiers.
I think the sentence "You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll..." Has an implied [on your turn] at the end. Which gives the sentence a more clear meaning. In that it is understood that you must choose to use it or not before your FIRST attack in a turn.
I completely grant that this is my interpretation and it is wholly possible that you can choose to turn it on in the middle of a sequence, but I've never seen anyone play that way.
I'm going to have to go ahead say that SKR was just outright wrong on this one unless there was an errata to change it.
Power Attack (Combat)
You can make exceptionally deadly melee attacks by sacrificing accuracy for strength.
Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
Because that is the text of Power Attack, which clearly states you must do it before making an attack. If you made an attack, you can no longer activate power attack, at least by the way I read it.
So, SKR either had a brain fart and didn't double check the rules...or I dunno. But it's clearly in contradiction with the established rules of power attack.
Your second attack roll is an attack roll. (See the old "one is not a nickel" riddle.)
|
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I had no idea that the mental conversion of "before making an attack roll" to "before making your first attack roll of the round" was so common of an error.
What if I use my first attack to chuck a chakram at a dude (obviously not using PA) and then my second attack to swing my sword at a guy in melee? I can never use PA on that? But if I'd started with the sword, I could've used PA?
Are we really saying this is what "before making an attack" roll means?
In all my years of playing DnD everyone I've played with has interpreted it as you must activate it before you make any attacks, because once you've made an attack you failed to activate it before an attack roll.
Perhaps that is too literally of reading, but if they had wanted a different interpretation I think it could have been more clear. I have no problem with being able to activate it later, it actually has less use in doing so as your first attack is the most likely to hit and deal damage, so not gaining the damage to it and gaining the penalty on the remainder seems like a worse proposition.
|
|
In all my years of playing DnD everyone I've played with has interpreted it as you must activate it before you make any attacks, because once you've made an attack you failed to activate it before an attack roll.
Perhaps that is too literally of reading, but if they had wanted a different interpretation I think it could have been more clear. I have no problem with being able to activate it later, it actually has less use in doing so as your first attack is the most likely to hit and deal damage, so not gaining the damage to it and gaining the penalty on the remainder seems like a worse proposition.
I don't see any difference between interpreting it this way and interpreting it in a way that would bar the character from ever using Power Attack except on the first attack of that character's life. Obviously that wouldn't be a proper interpretation, though.
But I can see how it might be read that way, but it definitely doesn't say "before the first attack of the round", just "before an attack roll is made" to preclude someone from looking at their die on the table and saying oh yeah, that's a power attack.
I've always run it as you are able to turn it on at any point when an attack roll is made, but are unable to turn it off until your next turn.
There are situations where it's better to not power attack on your first roll then power attack on iteratives. Maybe you are fighting a high armored enemy you figure that on a later iterative would only hit on a 20 anyway. The situation also becomes complicated if you are fighting multiple creatures instead of just one. Then of course there are AOOs.
|
|
It is before any attack roll, even if it isn't your first attack roll, but it's effects last until the end of your turn.
This is how all my groups have run it, and how every PFS Judge I have played with runs it.
The "always using Power Attack unless I say so otherwise" is also something I hear quite often. It is a simplifier of combat.
Then, BBT, why doesn't it say "before ANY attack roll" ? I think there's room for both interpretations.
I've never seen anyone who's using power attack NOT use it for the entire turn's worth of attacks, so it's never really come up at any table I've been at.
I've used it on an AOO before, and it's a pretty important distinction for when you use it for a swashbuckler.
You get attacked and make an opposing attack roll to parry (power attack not used this turn).
You then make a riposte which is another attack roll - turn on power attack now.
Essentially you wouldn't take an attack penalty on the parry but would on the riposte.
Wouldn't that phrasing have different interpretations as well?Then, BBT, why doesn't it say "before ANY attack roll" ? I think there's room for both interpretations.
Indeed, it would have pretty much the same different interpretations as the current text. ("Same different"? Heh.)
I think the sentence "You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll..." Has an implied [on your turn] at the end. Which gives the sentence a more clear meaning. In that it is understood that you must choose to use it or not before your FIRST attack in a turn.
The implied text only makes it clearer to you because it supports how you think it should work rather than how it actually works. It actually doesn't need anything added to make it clearer because it works just fine as is.
PA is a switch, you can't switch it on after you've rolled the dice to attack, and once on it locks on until the start of your next turn. Other than those limitations it can be switched on at any time you are entitled to make an attack.
|
|
Then, BBT, why doesn't it say "before ANY attack roll" ? I think there's room for both interpretations.
I've never seen anyone who's using power attack NOT use it for the entire turn's worth of attacks, so it's never really come up at any table I've been at.
Equally, why doesn't it say, "Before your first attack in a round."
Combat Expertise:
You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or a full-attack action with a melee weapon.
Power Attack:
You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn.
You haven't thought through the numbers.
If the 1st hit hits on a 15, you don't use power attack, but subsequent attacks need a 20 to hit anyway so you kick power attack in on because only a 20 hits anyway andthis way if you get lucky you do more damage, potentially a lot more damage if you conform the crit. :-)
If I am in a situation where I can only hit on a 20 on iterative attack (meaning I need at least a 15 on my first attack) I should likely be running away instead of hoping that my 5% chance to hit the creature will take it down. Better to run and live and kill it another day, than to die because I'm stubborn.
If I am in a situation where I can only hit on a 20 on iterative attack (meaning I need at least a 15 on my first attack) I should likely be running away instead of hoping that my 5% chance to hit the creature will take it down. Better to run and live and kill it another day, than to die because I'm stubborn.You haven't thought through the numbers.
If the 1st hit hits on a 15, you don't use power attack, but subsequent attacks need a 20 to hit anyway so you kick power attack in on because only a 20 hits anyway andthis way if you get lucky you do more damage, potentially a lot more damage if you conform the crit. :-)
What if you are a higher level fighter that needs a 10 to hit on a first attack, 15 on the second, and 20 on the third? First two attacks have a reasonable chance to hit, and you might as well power attack on the third. You aren't really moving anywhere by that point.