I'm making a druid that uses the Eagle Domain and I noticed something unexpected about the Hawkeye ability
Hawkeye (Su): As a swift action, you may add a bonus equal to half your druid level (minimum +1) on one ranged attack or on one Perception check. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
At first, I thought this was the kind of ability that lasts for one round, but abilities like that always say so, as far as I know. So, can you pre-emptively use this ability before combat and then get the benefit on the next ranged attack you make?
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It also occurs to me that the text could be interpreted to mean that you can make a ranged attack or a perception check as a swift action, but that seems rather strong for a domain power, so I doubt that was the intention.
It seems like there is no duration. Actually it doesn’t even say it has to be your Next attack so presumably you could activate it at the start of the day and then chose when to use the bonus on a case by case basis as the day goes by.
I think you have to activate the ability when attempting the attack/check. Like the Surprise Accuracy, if you will.
It also occurs to me that the text could be interpreted to mean that you can make a ranged attack or a perception check as a swift action
No, that's not what it says. As a swift action you add a bonus. If the ability would have you make an attack as part of it, it would (have to) say so. Like by containing the word "make".
Surprise Accuracy works that way because it says, "This power is used as a swift action before the roll to hit is made. " Hawkeye doesn't have text like that. And Surprise Accuracy is from an older source than Hawkeye, so if its mechanics were the inspiration, I'd think that kind of text would be added again. It's also a bit awkward, since it can also be used for perception checks which often happen off your turn.
It's not like there's a rule that says it has to use the word "make" for you to get an extra attack. But I generally think that the ability can't be meant to give you a bonus attack as a swift. That's just too strong for a domain power. So, use whatever excuse suits your fancy for that. Personally, I'd go more with how the ability mentions the bonus first and then the attack. If it were granting an attack, the writer shouldn't want to bury the lead like that.
I'm just not sure about the intention of the timing. There's nothing in the text to keep it from being an all day till used buff. And that isn't past the power level that we've seen from domain type abilities, though almost all such abilities are set to within a duration of one round.
Hawkeye doesn't have text like that.
And it doesn't have text that say you can apply it at a later time. And it doesn't have any text saying it has a duration, and no information what the duration could be.
Your interpretation requires that the writer omitted text describing on how/when you can spend it, omitted text saying that you can hold on to the 'charges', made it a swift action even though it will virtually always be used outside of combat, and either forgot to prevent 'charges' carrying over between days, or produced something that can be vastly overpowered*, and has a mechanic that Pathfinder doesn't do.
My interpretation means all that's missing is the text "before the roll is made".
Occam's razor.
*) With no duration, and the uses checked at activation not at spending, you could pre-buff - if you have a year of downtime, your character now has over a thousand 'charges' of it aviable. There are some abilities that can be used during downtime, but nothing that lets you hoard up like this.
And Surprise Accuracy is from an older source than Hawkeye, so if its mechanics were the inspiration, I'd think that kind of text would be added again.
I didn't say Surprise Accuracy was the inspiration, I just think they're intended to work the same because Surprise Accuracy has the same action type and the same "bonus on one attack roll" language.
It's not like there's a rule that says it has to use the word "make" for you to get an extra attack.
No, but the rules of the English language say that describing actions requires using verbs. The only verb in the relevant sentence is "add", and the connected subject is "a bonus equal to half your druid level".
I hadn’t considered “storing” more than one, but I guess there really isn’t extra text to prevent that. That’s pretty problematic. Basically, the ability is “broken” and it’s up to the GM to decide how to fix it, since FAQ won’t be answered any longer. Personally, I’m going to assume the ability was meant to last for one round like the majority of such domain powers and that text just got lost.
The only text I found with similar writing was from the monkey domain from the same source.
Monkey Athletics (Su): As a free action, you may add a competence bonus equal to half your druid level (minimum of +1) on one Acrobatics, Climb, Disable Device, or Sleight of Hand check. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
There is no duration because it only affects a one ranged attack or one perception roll. Nothing in the description of the power says it can be use latter. Since it is a swift action it can only be used on your turn when you perform the action. Since there is a limit on the number of times per day you can use it you cannot save the bonus for latter. If it worked that way you would be able to get more uses by performing the swift action the previous day. Obviously you are not supposed to have an unlimited number of uses and any sane GM will quickly veto that.
With a ranged attack it is pretty obvious when you can use it. Any time you are making a ranged attack and have a swift action available.
The tricky part is how it applies to perception rolls. Most perception rolls are reactive and do not actually take any time and often occur when it is not your turn. Since it is not a free or immediate action you cannot use it on those unless it is your turn, so that pretty much limits it to when you are taking a move action to search for something.
Monkey Athletics is different because it is a free action. That makes the activating of that ability part of performing the action you are getting a bonus on.