Arterial Strike

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Coredump

Explorer

• Mar 11, 2004

• #1

Arterial Strike allows a rogue-type to hit with one less D6 on a SA to give a bleeding wound. (So at 5th level, either do 3d6 or 2d6 and a bleeding wound) The wound causes one point of damage per round, until Healing takes place. (basically)

Two questions:

If I hit this round, does the one point happen this round also, or not until next round?

Does anyone really find this useful? The only way it seems useful is if the bad guy is going to live for at least 4-5 rounds of combat. That just doesn't seem to happen very often.

The only scenario I have thought of is getting initiative against a lot of mid level (comparatively) bad guys. Throwing 3-5 daggers/shuriken, one each at bad guys. That way they bleed to death while you attack others. But still doesn't seem all that useful.

 

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evilbob

Adventurer

• Mar 11, 2004

• #2

Weapons of Wounding do 1 point of Con damage on the strike and no other effects (DMG: 226). That could be much more useful, even over a short period of time.

Otherwise, the way I've always seen it is that the first "wounding" damage happens immediately. You gave up 1d6 for it, and that would happen immediately, right?

And the most useful property of bleeding wounds that I've seen is that someone reduced to -1 HP after 5 or 6 hits is going to bleed to death in 1 or 2 rounds - not much time for enemies to help them get back up.

 

Last edited: Mar 11, 2004

JiffyPopTart

Bree-Yark

• Mar 12, 2004

• #3

1. It makes it much harder for the bad-guy to run away and fight another day.

2. (house rule) It makes it a lot easier to track the bad guy as he is trying to run away to fight another day.

I absolutely HATE it when bad guys run away with no chance of pursuit, knowing they are going to come back and stick it to me again later.

DS

 

jgsugden

Legend

• Mar 12, 2004

• #4

In a straight up fight, the bad guy has to live an extra 3 or 4 turns for it to be cost effective. There are other uses.

Try combining it with a paralysis poison. The two combined can make a very effective single attack that results in death. I watched a rogue use archery, arterial strike and poison to level an entire 'party' of NPCs in three rounds.

Also, try using it on a foe and then fleeing, especially a dumb foe that is unable to use the heal skill on itself.

 

Sejs

First Post

• Mar 12, 2004

• #5

Personally, as a DM, I love Blackguard badguys with Arterial Strike and Expertise.

Slice people up enough so that they're bleeding out several hp each round, then expertise your AC up and watch 'em drain.

Hamstring is fun too - then they can't even really run away.

 

Darklone

Registered User

• Mar 12, 2004

• #6

Yupp. TWF Blackguard, several bleeding attacks, then enjoy your improved TWD plus full expertise... (and get good saves).

Sadly it's so easy for players to get a cure.

 

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Rashak Mani

First Post

• Mar 12, 2004

• #7

With a well coordinated group I feel Hamstring is more useful... but my DMs have a tendency to put 1 Big Enemy. Big enemies care little about losing -1 or -2 hps per round. Half move on the contrary can be nasty: No Escape.

Naturally a well coordinated group after the rogue hamstrings the bad guy... falls back and starts peppering him with arrows and spells and constantly back away to keep the distance !

Anyone feel Hamstring isn't better than Arterial ?

 

jgsugden

Legend

• Mar 12, 2004

• #8

Rashak Mani said:

Anyone feel Hamstring isn't better than Arterial ?

Click to expand...

One thing to note on arterial strike: It (usually) requires an action to fix. This could be a healing check or a curing spell, but someone must give up an action to stop it. Actions are the true strategic currency of D&D. Anything that forces an enemy to do something instead of work against you is an extra round of free attacks for you against it.

This is not really relevant if you expect the foe to die in a round or two due to melee damage, but if you take efforts to set up encounters so that foes are unable to heal themself or decide that they must take efforts to heal themself of the bleeding wounds, the feat becomes far more useful. In toehr words, this is an offensive feat that works well with defensive tactics.

 

C

Coredump

Explorer

• Mar 12, 2004

• #9

Lets say a character has 3 bleeding wounds. (from 3 SA hits)

Does one Cure spell stop all three?

How about one Heal check?


Personally I think yes, and don't know.

 

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kwiqsilver

First Post

• Mar 12, 2004

• #10

Coredump said:

Lets say a character has 3 bleeding wounds. (from 3 SA hits)

Does one Cure spell stop all three?

How about one Heal check?


Personally I think yes, and don't know.

Click to expand...

I would say yes and yes, since it doesn't specify otherwise.

Arterial Strike is really useful against monsters that can't use Heal or Cure spells.
If you're a rogue, you sneak up, use AS, sneak away, come back and start again. After a few times, your opponent is bleeding 10hp or more per round, and your exposure to enemy attacks is minimal.