+11 Damage At 20th Level-One Attack

[Sravoff]

I've noticed that at first level, a fighter may:
A) Inflict a full attack on an enemy, attacking once or;
B) Inflict a standard action to attack, and attack once

At first I thought of limiting 1st level character to only full attacks. You must have atleast two attacks in order to take a standard action to attack. This however severly limits options for characters. Not only will a sorcerer have to be 10th level before s/he can move and attack, but a fighter must be sixth. I didn't like it.

So what about giving a bonus if you just made one attack? I thought about it and cam up with this. Whenever a character makes a full attack, s/he has two choices. Either make a full attack as normal as the rules currently are, or make a single attack with a bonus to damage. I caem up with this 'equation' for the damage bonus. 2+3(# of Attacks lost) So a character that has two attacks, gains a +5 bonus on damage. Three attacks get +8, four attacks get +11

I wanted the damage to be enough at first level to be worthwhile, but not over powering. I also wanted the damage to scale enough that it would be worth using at later levels. I think that +11 is somewhere around the right place. Your average 20th level fighter has 114 HP + Con. Or some where near there.

Thoughts/Suggestions/Comments?

-Srtavoff

 

[wolfpunk]

Uhmm, maybe I don't understand, but a 20th level fighter has four attacks, the most attacks they can surrender and still make a full attack action is three attacks, so that max damage bonus from declaring a full attack action to make a single attack is 8 I believe, not 11.

 

[Land Outcast]

Two weapon fighting 20th level hasted individual:
1 attack at (2+9(regular attacks)+12(off hand)+3(haste)= +26)

Yes, fair. I'd allow it.

Rapid shot at level 6:
1 attack at +8 damage and -2 to hit

Rapid shot at level 1:
1 attack at +5 damage and -2 to hit

Two-weapon fighting (and Improved TWF) at level 6:
1 attack at +11 damage.

Two-weapon fighting at level 1:
1 attack at +5 damage.

fair trade for a full-round action I think.

 

[Sravoff]

Uhmm, maybe I don't understand, but a 20th level fighter has four attacks, the most attacks they can surrender and still make a full attack action is three attacks, so that max damage bonus from declaring a full attack action to make a single attack is 8 I believe, not 11.

Ah, sorry, its two plus three times the number of attacks dropped. 2+3+3+3=11

Thanks for the number crunching Land Outcast!

-Sravoff

 

[wolfpunk]

Ok, let me pose a question, why would giving up attacks from your off hand give you a bonus to your primary hand? What if you are using a warhammer in your primary hand and a dagger in your off hand, certainly your skill with a dagger doesn't aid your warhammer use.

Perhaps two weapon fighting gives you two attacks, one for each hand and you gain a bonus equal to the number of attacks surrendered by each hand individually.

 

[Land Outcast]

Thanks for the number crunching Land Outcast!

My pleasure

Now, I didn't post the combination made to abuse to the maximum this rule:
Level 1, Rapid Shot, Two Weapon Fighting, Daggers:
1 attack at +8 damage and -2 to hit

Ok, let me pose a question, why would giving up attacks from your off hand give you a bonus to your primary hand? What if you are using a warhammer in your primary hand and a dagger in your off hand, certainly your skill with a dagger doesn't aid your warhammer use.

Perhaps two weapon fighting gives you two attacks, one for each hand and you gain a bonus equal to the number of attacks surrendered by each hand individually.

Excelent point, but, what if I distract my enemy with the dagger so that he can defend less effectively against the warhammer?
Also, how does your ability to hit thrice with one hand improve your capacity to hit once harder with that same hand? maybe you're quick and that's it...
But I can see your point for a balance reason, +5 damage at level 1 is some important hurting.

 

[Sravoff]

Simple, one attack with two weapons. You attack simultaniously (sp?) with both weapons.

As for the reasoning behind it, better placed blows, more precision. So perhaps this rule should only work against creatures with discernable anatomies. Much like a rogues sneak attack. With this added bit, fortification has the same chance for negating this extra damage as it does for critical hits.

I realize that a dagger giving the same bonus to damage as a warhammer is rather silly. But it makes gameplay smoother and quicker if those bits are just glossed over and forgotten about. Your free to ungloss them if you want, but it should work fine and balanced without that bit.