Stacking shaking condition + riving strike + Cruel enhancement

[Necro_y2k]

Hi,

if i have weapon of awe spell on me:

WEAPON OF AWE
School transmutation; Level cleric 2, inquisitor 2, paladin 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range touch
Target weapon touched
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless, object); Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object)
You transform a single weapon into an awe-inspiring instrument. The weapon gains a +2 sacred bonus on damage rolls, and if the weapon scores a critical hit, the target of that critical hit becomes shaken for 1 round with no saving throw. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. A ranged weapon affected by this spell applies these effects to its ammunition.

and i have this feat:

Riving Strike (Combat)
Prerequisite(s) : Arcane Strike , ability to cast arcane spells.
Benefit : If you have a weapon that is augmented by your Arcane Strike feat, when you damage a creature with an attack made with that weapon, that creature takes a –2 penalty on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities . This effect lasts for 1 round.

and my weapon this enhancement:
Cruel (+1)When the wielder strikes a creature that is frightened , shaken , or panicked with a cruel weapon, that creature becomes sickened for 1 round. When the wielder uses the weapon to knock unconscious or kill a creature, he gains 5 temporary hit points that last for 10 minutes. Cruel

Case: I score a critical hit using riving strike:

1. the -2 penalty on saving throws from shaken condition stacks with the riving strike's penalty? so it's a -4 on saving throws?
2. If i have a cruel enhancement on my weapon i can set sickened condition in the same sucessfull hit when i set the shaken condition?
3. shaken condition penalties stacks with sickened penalties? so it's could be a -6 on saving throws? (-2 shaken -2 sickened -2 from riving strike).

Thankyou

[Avianfoo]

This is a bit situational since you have to land that crit to get the shaken effect going (which only lasts for 1 round) and then hit again with the cruel weapon to get the sickened effect going (also only for 1 round).

Rivening strike always works provided you have spent your swift action to active arcane strike but it is only against spells and spell-like abilities.

So total tally:
-6 against spells and spell-like abilities
-4 otherwise

In one round if you have more than one attack and the first one is a crit.

So that is a big if.

[Blackwaltzomega]

You're probably better off going for Cornugan Smash than Weapon of Awe here. You're going to be Power Attacking anyway most likely, and that gives you a free demoralize attempt at level 7.

Best usage of this combo is a bloodrager, who gets Arcane Strike permanently active with Blooded Arcane Strike so it costs no action to Riving Strike someone, and with Cornugan Smash you can then free-action demoralize them.

Then, if you also have the Hurtful feat from the monster codex, instead of spending your swift action to activate Arcane Strike you can instead spend it in response to Cornugan Smash's free-action demoralize to make an attack with your cruel weapon. All three debuffs are now in place, and your enemy's taking a tasty -6 penalty to their saves and a -4 penalty to most other things. It is a bit feat-heavy though, and it only works on Bloodragers. The Cornugan Smash+Hurtful combo with a Cruel weapon is legit on pretty much any martial character, though.

[Necro_y2k]

good advices, but I can't use Cornugan Smash, i have a dex based build so i can´t power attack (low str).

I think that my idea is not that situational:
i have a dervish dancer 7 + unarmed fighter 1,
I almost always hit, i always use arcane strike.
attack bonuses: +19/+14
and i am always hasted so 3 attacks at +20/+15/+20 (plus flanking and another situational bonuses)
and range crit 15-20.
critical hit probability 25%.

this could happen a lot: i always would be helping the spellcasters with -2, -4 or -6 penalty to saving throws depending on luck plus a lot of damage.

[Avianfoo]

30% is the crit threat probability. Crit hit probability is much less depending on your targets AC (e.g. If you hit on a natural roll of 11, it drops to 15%). Still rather good.

But the original question was: do they stack? The answer is yes. And your casters will love you.

Just watch out for mindless immune-to-sickness critters.

[Necro_y2k]

Thank you Avianfoo and Blackwaltzomega. :D

[Cao Phen]

If you are able to get Cornugan Smash, it can be really helpful with the Hurtful feat.

Hit with Power Attack, Free Action to Intimidate. If opponent is Intimidated, Swift Action to make an Extra Attack.