Vegence Strike: 5 rounds total, or 5 rounds of benefits for as long

[Zwordsman]

Hiya.

So Vegence strike (see bottom) gives you bonuses as you spend standard actions, with the bonuses reaching max at 5.
So my question is this. Does that mean you have to reset at the 6th round? Or can you continue your standard actions as long as you like, but you only ever get to have 5 rounds total bonuses?

ie.
Round 5= 5 usuable points, round 6 = starting over at 1 usuable point, round 7= 2 usuable points, and so on in a rotation.

or

Round 5= 5 usuable points, round 6= 5 usuable points, round 7=5 usuable points for as long as you like

I ask because this skill is great for taking guys down.. but there is plenty of chances where you wait too long.. this would also be great for covering your allies in a bad situation..
So if it stays at 5 points for aslong as you keep studying.. it would be a lot more useful.

Vengeance Strike (Ex): At 20th level, a vigilante can
spend a standard action to study a target that is unaware
of the vigilante (or does not see him as a threat). He can
continue to spend standard actions in this way, up to a
maximum of 5 standard actions, but all must be spent in
consecutive rounds. After studying a target, the vigilante
can, in the next round, declare that he is making a
vengeance strike against the target. For each round spent
studying the target, the vigilante can grant himself a +4
circumstance bonus on the attack roll, gain +3d6 points
of precision damage, or treat his die roll as if it were 2
higher for the purpose of determining if the attack hit
or if it threatens a critical hit (maximum 20). Each round
of study can be spent in a different way, but each round
of study must be allocated before the attack roll is made.
A vengeance strike must be declared within 1 round of
studying a target and all rounds of study are expended
when the vigilante declares a vengeance strike.

[Thrawn007]

I read "at 20th level" and can't manage to get any farther.

[Trekkie90909]

My take on it:

Rounds 1-5 gain one point/round to a maximum of 5.

Round 6: stay at 5; if you don't use these by the end of your turn they're lost forever.

Round 7+: Cycle.

[M1k31]

Thrawn007 wrote:

I read "at 20th level" and can't manage to get any farther.

words to live by.... I doubt I'll even see an NPC of that level with relevance.

[Trekkie90909]

He's going to be playing a 20th level Warlock. The question is valid. Maybe a dev will weigh in before the lock?

[Johnny_Devo]

As trekkie said.

any number between 1-5 consecutive rounds, you can spend standard actions to study a target.

At any time that is within 1 round of time from when you spent a standard action studying the target, you may decide to perform a vengeance strike.

So, you can do the following.

round 1: study target
round 2: study target, or strike with 1 benefit
round 3: study target, or strike with 2 benefits
round 4: study target, or strike with 3 benefits
round 5: study target, or strike with 4 benefits
round 6: strike with 5 benefits.

If you do not do any of those things, you lose all benefits of studying the target. When you strike a target, all benefits of studying the target are poured into that one attack, and you then lose all benefits of studying the target. You must start studying again in order to gain those benefits. Providing, of course, that you somehow are still not seen as a threat by the target.

[M1k31]

It seems to me the intent was to have it enter a holding pattern rather than restart.... 5 turns of an unaware target seems unlikely to require stopping power... at that point you might as well put them to sleep and the coup de grace.... if you don't just walk on through and ignore them.

[Trekkie90909]

That would be considerably more usable, but does not seem to be what is written.

[Zwordsman]

At least there does not seem to be any restrictions on vengence strike, other than requiring an attack roll.
So one probably could do this rather far away with say an acid arrow (but really at that level, that would be pointless) a bow attack, a sword attack, or I guess one of those nonlethal spells if one wanted to KO someone instead.

Though it would be pretty amusing to use it to super heal yourself with like vampiric touch.

though I honestly have a clue how useful this will be.

[Trekkie90909]

o.O Vampiric Touch with an extra 15d6.

[Zwordsman]

I have no clue if thats good for level 20..
but it is some wonderful healing,if your sneaking in somewhere, and hurt, and find some mook yhou can study for 30seconds.

Or great as an opener for a fight. All that tasty expendible temp HP.

Great openings. but not other times. I'm not sure whene else I would be able to.

[M1k31]

Trekkie90909 wrote:

o.O Vampiric Touch with an extra 15d6.

or just kill a low level character with a flick/tap... I mean at 15d6 without any weapon attack power behind it you are probably 1-shotting anything below level 3...