Power Attack can be really useful. But what if you want to do some extra damage without taking the full penalty? Maybe -3 is just too much and you would prefer taking just -1.
Here's a quick tweak to Power Attack that can give you more choice over how much accuracy you lose and how much damage you get out of it.
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 penalty, from -1 up to -5, on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a bonus equal to double the penalty on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increase 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 1.5 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus damage is halved (-50%) if you are making an attack roll with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon.
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.
Thoughts (especially on the clarity of the language)?
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I don't really see how this creates simpler math.
From what I know, the change from 3.5 (which is a lot like your version) to the PF version was intended to simplify Power Attack. Back then people used to try to figure out the ideal penalty based on the AC of their enemy. Some people even had slide rulers or tables to determine how much PA to use.
PF PA is simpler; you use it or you don't. You don't have to think about how much to use it.
Oh wow, I hadn't even looked at the 3.5 version. I can see why Paizo did what it did.
Hmm. Gonna have to go back to the drawing board on this one.
Power Attack can be really useful. But what if you want to do some extra damage without taking the full penalty? Maybe -3 is just too much and you would prefer taking just -1.
Here's a quick tweak to Power Attack that can give you more choice over how much accuracy you lose and how much damage you get out of it.
Thoughts (especially on the clarity of the language)?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 penalty, from -1 up to -5, on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a bonus equal to double the penalty on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increase 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 1.5 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus damage is halved (-50%) if you are making an attack roll with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon.
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.
Right now per the official rules you take the penalty to attack and multiply by 1, 2, or 3. How is that difficult?
Even if someone keeps forgetting their currently penalty they can write it down or have the entire full attack written down with power attack added in.
Once I get to the parts of the game where the casters will be giving me multiple buffs which is harder to track than power attack I just have some of the math preconfigured. I just ask the caster which buffs he has applied to the party.
Hey, second grade level stuff is hard for some people. If people screw up plural non-possessive nouns by throwing an apostrophe before the s all the bloody time, why is it hard to believe power-attack's level of math can be screwed up? They're the same level of basic. [/snark]
Hey, second grade level stuff is hard for some people. If people screw up plural non-possessive nouns by throwing an apostrophe before the s all the bloody time, why is it hard to believe power-attack's level of math can be screwed up? They're the same level of basic. [/snark]
I wasn't making fun of him. I was asking so I could provide a solution.
If I misread your post then nevermind.
Really wishing now I had called this thread "A Power Attack with more control/choice". Math isn't really the issue in this, I suppose.
@Athel: another thing to consider. In your version, you're also allowed to take a greater penalty even at level 1, for more damage. While in the RAW version, you don't get that until at least level 4.
This was the main thing I was trying to do with this tweak. Maybe you've got a really confident player who wants to talk a larger penalty, or maybe one who wants to play it safe. I don't know.
(Is there some way to close threads? I'd really enjoy concluding this embarrassing business.)
Really wishing now I had called this thread "A Power Attack with more control/choice". Math isn't really the issue in this, I suppose.
@Athel: another thing to consider. In your version, you're also allowed to take a greater penalty even at level 1, for more damage. While in the RAW version, you don't get that until at least level 4.This was the main thing I was trying to do with this tweak. Maybe you've got a really confident player who wants to talk a larger penalty, or maybe one who wants to play it safe. I don't know.
(Is there some way to close threads? I'd really enjoy concluding this embarrassing business.)
Yeah the title is misleading, but to answer your question the penalty should go up to -6 instead of -5 because at a BAB of 20 the penalty would be a -6.
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Why can't Power Attack just combine both the 3.5 and PRPG versions? Something like "Take a penalty to your melee attack up to your Base Attack Bonus, add twice that amount to melee damage (thrice that amount if you're using a two-handed weapon)"?
Besides "Because it'll make iterative attacks a nightmare, Snorb."
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I think having "unlimited" PA might tip the balance a great deal in favor of builds that use many natural attacks instead of iterative attacks. For example, suppose you have a good to-hit and two claws and a bite attack; uncapped PA would profit you a lot more than it would profit someone using a 2H sword or sword and board with iterative attacks.
I think multiple natural attack builds are already quite strong, I don't think they need that buff.
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The PF version is actually a lot more friendly to 1H weapon users, but sacrifices a bit of damage for 2H weapon users attacking things with low ACs at high level.
I remember in 3.5 a level 12 barbarian easily getting 50+ damage per swing with a +1 weapon and not much else against things with low ACs in 3.5 because he could basically say "I'm power attacking for 12" and get 24 damage out of just power attack.