Samurai Critical and Enlarge Person on Animal Companion

[Keedo]

In my game, the samurai PC critical is currently doing a max 45 dmg at lvl 3. This seems way too high for a lvl 3 as even my bosses do not have that much health and would essentially 1 shot the finale of the campaign.

He has 18 str. Uses a Naginata (1d8 x4crit) has the Killer Trait (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateCampaign/characterBackground/tr aits.html) and is using power attack with a two-handed weapon.

What would be the math calculation for this? Is 44 damage on a max crit accurate?

[Kolyarut]

Actually, 45 damage as a max sounds quite low under these circumstances.

A standard hit using Power Attack with your stipulations would result in 1d8+9 damage (+4 STR x1.5 for two-handed = +6, also +3 for two-handed Power Attack).

So a x4 critical would result in 4d8+36, and if you rolled all 8s the total would be 68 damage.

[Khudzlin]

Let's see.

18 STR 2-handed gives you +6.
Power Attack 2-handed at level 3 gives you +3.
So the regular damage is 1d8+9.
Multiplying this by 4 gives you 4d8+36.
Now Killer gives you an extra +4 on top of that, for a total of 4d8+40.

The minimum damage is indeed 44 on a crit (the maximum is 72), before making the weapon magical (which would add at least +4 on a crit). Bear in mind that to get that, the player needs to roll a natural 20 (possibly a 19 with Improved Critical); with any other result, he gets 1d8+9, so 9-17.

[Kolyarut]

Right, I forgot the Killer trait :P

so yeah 72 damage not 68.

[Keedo]

According to the power attack rules, he only gets a +2 damage until his base attack bonus reaches 4. It is currently only a 3

[Curghann]

Keedo wrote:

According to the power attack rules, he only gets a +2 damage until his base attack bonus reaches 4. It is currently only a 3

Where are you getting that from?

Paizo.com wrote:

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.

I dont see anything saying you dont get the +50% for 2-handing before +4 BAB.

[Claxon]

Yes, critical hits are scary. Yes the can end combat in a single go, even against bosses.

In Hell's Vengeance campaign I killed the boss of book 3 in a single attack sequence (admittedly I was super buffed by the party) by rolling two critical hits on my attack sequence.

It also didn't help that an allied spellcaster had cast dispel magic to get rid of the boss' stoneskin which would have soaked most of my damage. Add in having, haste, rage (spell), bull strength, and probably some other buffs on me meant that my two critical hits just wiped him out.

[Java Man]

Power attack increases by 50% with a two handed weapon.

[Keedo]

Now I am finding a bit of difficulty trying to add this calculation into Roll 20, but thats a whole separate issue

[Hendelbolaf]

Am I missing something? The tittle of the thread also mentions Enlarge Person on an animal companion and I see no mention of that or what that issue might be...

[Keedo]

Ah I had that question answered as I posted it. I removed the question, but forgot to remove it from the title.