"Base Attack Bonus (BAB): Each creature has a base attack bonus and it represents its skill in combat. As a character gains levels or Hit Dice, his base attack bonus improves. When a creature’s base attack bonus reaches +6, +11, or +16, he receives an additional attack in combat when he takes a full-attack action (which is one type of full-round action—see Chapter 8)." CRB pg. 11
In short, at those BAB thresholds, a character using manufactured weapons or unarmed strikes recieves bonus attacks (with a cumulative -5 penalty).
Ahhhh yes, that makes sense. Bonus on Extra attacks. used in combination with great cleave should allow for many extra extra attacks and lots of dead bodies.
As the rule quote states, you only get these bonus attacks (which are called "iterative attacks") when you take a full-attack action. Cleave/Great Cleave say "As a standard action", and since a full-attakc action uses up the sole standard action you have in a round (plus your move action that round), and you can't do both in one round.
I would very much advise you to read the "actions in combat" section in the CRB (starting at pg. 181, if you don't have a CRB handy, you can read them here). Note that the standard action called "attack" is not any kind of attack made as a standard action, but it's a distinct standard action. When you use (Great) Cleave, you're using a different standard action. Some feats, most notably Vital Strike, specifically ask for "the attack action", and thus can't be used when taking any other kind of action - you couldn't combine Vital Strike with (Great) Cleave, nor with the full-attack action you use to make those bonus attacks.
|
So when any ability, whether it's from a class feature or feat, states a specific action, using that ability is the entire action and *usually* cannot be used as part of the same action of something else.
For example, Cleave is a standard action, and Vital Strike is an attack action. Both are their own separate actions, just like how casting scorching ray is taking an action to cast a spell, not make an attack action, even through you're still making an attack roll (thus why you can't Vital Strike a scorching ray).
Power Attack, on the flipside, specifically can be used with any melee non-touch attack roll, regardless if the attack is from a spell (such as Rock Whip) or a physical weapon or some other source. In other words, Power Attack can be tacked on to another action.
When making a full-attack action (a type of action that takes both your standard and move action) you can attack as many times as you can based on your BAB, and that's where the +6/+1 thing comes in. a 5th level fighter (with no other bonus attacks from haste or two-weapon fighting, or something similar) gets one attack per round on a full-attack action with their one attack at 5 BAB. A 6th level fighter however would get two attacks, but only in a full-round attack. The first attack is at +6 and the second is at +1 (plus other modifiers like weapon enchantment and Str/Dex)
Full-attack actions usually means you cannot move outside of a 5ft step, though there are ways both move and full-attack (Including but not limited to the universal monster ability 'Pounce') or moving as a swift action (such as through using Dimensional Dervish feat)
To reiterate, cleave allows an extra attack but only on an adjacent target to the first target, and getting both attacks is part of the standard action used to cleave. It cannot be used as part of a full-attack action (though you can use a full-attack action to accomplish the same thing, if you have at least two attacks)
Vital Strike is specifically using the Attack action, which counts as a standard action, therefore also cannot be used as part of a full-attack action.
Argh, I wrote a post, but apparently didn't send it.
Vital Strike is an attack action.
You got it correct later on, but for clarity, I want to correct this: Vital Strike uses the attack action. It's a specific standard action.
Hmmm ok, so then it would be better to use great cleave opposed to the bonus attack as there is no penalty and a hit allows for another attack
On the other hand, the iterative attack doesn't require any feats, can target the same enemy, and you still get the second attack when you've missed the initial attack. Cleave is fairly nice at early levels, but become as rather niche ability pretty soon. Great Cleave is highly conditional, because all enemies have to be adjacent to one another, and in your reach - that happens very rarely, even when using a reach weapon.
Around 7th level, most groups have access to some sort of Haste (Haste from an arcane or psychic caster, Blessing of Fervor fromm a divine caster, Arcane bloodline's 8th level ability, or when in doubt, Boots of Speed). At that point, if you don't have to move, a full attack is almost always better than Great Cleave.
If I may make some recommendations: You don't really need many feats to be good at offense. Indeed, having a well rounded character without glaring weaknesses is way more important. The only offensive feat that I suggest is Power Attack (presuming you're using a normal strength based Bloodrager with a two-handed weapon) - the damage boost is pretty big, and you probably don't need anything else to be competetive. There are other feats that improve your martial prowess, e.g. Weapon Focus or Arcane Strike, but those shouldn't be a priority.
For that, I highly recommend Raging Vitality, because if you drop below 0 HP when bloodraging, your rage immediately ends, and you lose the bonus HP from the con bosst rage provided. That is can pretty easily kill your character. Raging Vitality allows you to ceep the con bonus so that you can be healed. It also grants an additional +2 con, which is nice.
Improving saves, especially your will save, is also a smart choice. Iron Will sounds boring, but failed will saves are nasty.
If you'd like, I can give you other tips as well, if you can provide some information:
- Have you already build the character? if yes, what does it look like now?
- What material (i.e. which books) are you allowed to use?
- What method of ability score generation are you using?
- Any houserules?
|
|
The only thing I disagree with Derklord about not making Arcane Strike a priority is that, while the damage from that feat alone isn't anything to write home about, being able to use Riving Strike for your ally spellcasters is great. Throw on cornugon smash with a cruel weapon too for extra penalties to their saves to boot.