Alright folks, let's look at the bane of two weapon fighting builds (not DR this time), that offhand damage.
The key line of these are as follows
From PA & PS: This bonus to damage is halved (-50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon
From Double Slice: Add your Strength bonus to damage rolls made with your off-hand weapon.
Now as we know, RAW it works as it says it does. However, my complaint and contention is that since double slice gives you full Strength to your damage for offhand attacks, your power attack damage should also be increased to match that multiplier, both for the sake of consistency, and so TWF builds don't get shafted. To me, it looks to be an egregious oversight.
The way it is currently, double slice is a bit of a trap feat, and if you're a fighter, you just take weapon specialization. From a brief look at numbers, double slice is equally as good (before EDV calculations) as than weapon spec once you have Str mod of 7, as then double slice ups your offhand damage from Str from +3 to +7
So for the GM's out there, do you allow double slice to bump up the power attack/piranha strike damage as well? I usually do, as it makes calculations easier and I'm arguably too giving.
Thanks for reading folks
Double Slice doesn't increase your PA damage?
Never had any doubts that it didn't until now, and it actually doesn't say that it does.
Huh.
You could certainly make a feat that has sliced as a pre requisite that does this.
Could we call it "Slice of Life"? Badumm tssh
Looks like it doesn't. I'd still have it increase power attack bonus damage as the game and FAQ have gone to some lengths to ensure that power attack bonus damage and Strength multiplier remain consistent with each other, and breaking it for this one instance seems unwieldy.
Power Attack and Strength sadly don't always scale together, looking at you Two Handed Fighter, but some homebrew feats or archetypes should work.
i never really thought about it, i always felt like they each do separate things that stack. double slice allows you to add your str mod on off hand instead of 1/2 str. piranha adds 2more(depending on level)/2 when using off hand weapons and power attack ads +2 dmg too. so it seems to me that your damage would be 2(PA)+STR+(PS dmg/2) with either hand.
unless im misinterpreting something
It's specifically mentioned in each feat that power attack and piranha strike can't be used together.
The issue I brought up is if you take double slice, your offhand damage looks like this: weapon damage+1x Str+0.5x PowAtt+other damage
Power Attack and Strength sadly don't always scale together, looking at you Two Handed Fighter, but some homebrew feats or archetypes should work.
Fair enough. That involves going to double Strength, though, which is outside the purview of Power Attack, so it's only a lesser sin. : D
If you were level 12 had 8 Str or Dex Modifier:
TWF w/ PS
Mainhand: 1d8 + 8Dex + 8PS = 1d6+16
Offhand: 1d8 + 4Dex + 4PS = 1d6+8
So, 2d8+24 dmg
TWF w/ PS & DS:
Mainhand: 1d8 + 8Dex + 8PS = 1d6+16
Offhand: 1d8 + 8Dex + 4PS = 1d6+12
So, 2d8+28 dmg
Two-hand
2d6 + 8Str + 4Str (2h bonus) + 8PA + 4PA (2h bonus) = 2d6+24
So, 2d6+24 dmg
This kinda makes sense to me that Double Slice *should* increase offhand PS damage because if you hit with the 2h weapon, you automatically gain the bonus damage without having to roll for an off-hand hit. Whereas, if you miss with your off-hand in TWF, you lose all that damage. Additionally, you take a -4 or a -2(with light) to hit while TWF. I think it ends up being not very balanced that Double Slice does not increase the damage from Power Attack on the off-hand swing. It's basically only 4 static damage by itself (at this level anyway), and does not scale appropriately with similar damage boosting feats, like PA or PS. Furthermore, as TWF, you're all but forced to get Weapon Finesse as a feat tax. /shrug