The Mauler Dedication feat isn't as great as many, but as well as many of the casters (True Strike w/ Improved Knockdown...) a Champion with Steed Ally might want the crit effect (which only Blade Ally gives), a Precision Ranger might want some of the multiple-target attacks available later (or just Improved Knockdown which is solid), or a Fighter might just want the crit effect earlier (because knocking enemies Prone when you've got AoOs might be worth it 3 levels sooner since there's Retraining in this game.)
Even a Ruffian Rogue might combo a d12 weapon into their arsenal for when their enemy's immune to precision damage.
A Mauler is a combat style Dedication. Some classes already have that style built in it's not as valuable to them, much like barely any martials get anything out of a Fighter MCD (yet took it anyway). I'm glad such archetypes exist to unlock the combat styles. Nobody want to take Improved Knockdown at 20th via MCD!
ETA: Nefreet, what the heck are you doing up so early??
A High Strength Bastard Sword Wizard can definitely make use of it. No-one is doubting that, but for there to be no benefit other than dead level feat taxing Improved Knockdown for none Fighter Martials is rather ridiculous.what kind of character is expected to make use of this?Probably a class that doesn't normally have those proficiencies, like a high Strength Wizard wanting to wield a Bastard Sword.
Why is it ridiculous?
Is Adopted Ancestry ridiculous?And I know some Fighter builds that might want the MCD if only to expand their breadth of weapons at their top proficiency (and it gives early crit specialization), plus it has feats available nowhere else.
(Nefreet, take care, buddy.)
Fighters can make use of Mauler dedication to get Master/Legendary proficiency with a lot more weapons than the single weapon group that they normally get.
Also, Investigators can make use of the Mauler dedication pretty well. Their Devise a Stratagem action encourages them to only make one attack per turn, so why not make it a Power Attack?
All martials get some benefit from the initial feat, even Fighters.
All martials have abilities that could be equated with "mauling" if in-game they wanted to be known as a "Mauler" even if mechanically they don't have the Dedication.
Not seeing those as a problem, much less ridiculous.
I do see there's a benefit disparity, much like with many of the Dedications if they align with something your class already grants you. Mauler isn't unique in that. PF2 has many great options for getting from subpar to par to make your PC able to function. It has only incremental benefits for increasing beyond that, otherwise "must-haves" start cropping up. Mauler grants incremental benefits to those already great at two-handed weapons because if the feat did otherwise, it'd skew the game's balance.
Again, that's normal among combat style Dedications, and IMO represents wise game design.
*shrug*
Their Devise a Stratagem action encourages them to only make one attack per turn, so why not make it a Power Attack?Because Devise a Stratagem only works with basic Strikes. It doesn't apply to power attack, which is an activity with a Strike subordinate action
I don't think that's true.
Use Devise a Strategem.Make Power Attack against same target.
Since Power Attack has a Strike subordinate action in it, you must use your roll because that would be the next Strike.
I don't see "only basic Strikes" nor "only the Strike action" in the description. So it's any Strike later in the round AFAICT.
Separately I'll add that two-handed weapons don't sync with the Int swap, but maybe it's a dumb Investigator. (Clouseau?) Or a Fighter w/ 14 Int taking it as an MCD.
I agree PF2 avoids combining feats, also that an activity is not the same as its subordinate actions. So with Attack of Opportunity, it gives you a Strike, but only a Strike, not simply any activity that has a Strike.
That'd be similar to the Haste example you gave, where one can't take a Strike action and try to do an "activity that includes Strike".
You're just getting a Strike.
Except I don't see Devise a Strategem as being tied or limited to the Strike basic action, rather to any (next) Strike (this round vs. same target). One doesn't even need to Strike at all that round if one so chooses, that's how separate they are. The potential Strike adjusted by Devise a Stratagem is in no way part of Devise a Stratagem. So in that way I don't see this as combining two activities either.
If the ability said Strike action or basic Strike, I'd agree with you. But if the ability were to be open to any next Strike, it'd kind of have to be phrased just the way it is.
Castilliano is right. Subordinate action clause means that you can't, for instance, use Quickened to make a Power Attack, because it's not a strike in and of itself.
But it still contains a strike, so things that modify strikes modify power attack.
If Devise gave you a Strike, or specified that you need to take the Strike action, then that rule would prevent it from working with power attack.
Separately I'll add that two-handed weapons don't sync with the Int swap, but maybe it's a dumb Investigator. (Clouseau?) Or a Fighter w/ 14 Int taking it as an MCD.
They do if they have the finesse quality, like the elven curved blade or the spiked chain.