Melee Weapon Mastery stacking with other feats

[hong]

It doesn't seem that it would work with a Halbred.

Why on earth wouldn't it work with a halberd [sic]?

 

[VonRichthofen]

Because unless a feat says you can stack its effects, you can't.

Thus, it won't work with the morningstar either.

 

[hong]

Now I'm confused. MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE HERE

 

[Legildur]

Well, I think the feat can be applied twice to a halberd, but that only one of the effects (piercing or slashing) is in effect at any one time. For example, a Ftr with Weapon Focus/Specialisation (halberd) and Melee Weapon Mastery (piercing/slashing) would have an improvement to attack bonus of +3 (+1 wpn focus +2 MWM) and damage +4 (+2 WS +2 MWM) regardless of which aspect (piercing or slashing) of the weapon was used. But it would not be atk +5 and damage +6.

I'm not so sure that the morning star is the same situation as both damage types are applied simultaneously. While I concur with VonRichtofen that a feat doesn't stack with itself unless specifically mentioned, is it stacking with itself in the case of a morning star? MWM is applied to two different weapons types that affect simultaneously - it's not the same as taking the feat twice for the same weapon type.

 

[VonRichthofen]

It's basically the same thing as with Skewer Foe/Pulverize Foe/Flay Foe.

Applying the logics of "different feats", you could make a bite-centered build with a +7/+8 to hit/damage that does +3d6 extra damage with every hit/round after the first. Sounds scary, will cost eight feats.

I agree that the wording is not 100% clear on this (maybe the DMG II designers didn't take into consideration the PHB - it happens ) and that one could indeed put up the question.

Yet the "no stacking unless otherwise noted" to me seems to hold true even if you have two or three different "subtypes" of the feat.

RAW aside, do you think it was intented to stack? I don't believe it.

 

[TheEvil]

Actually, the Sage did address this issue with a "No"
As much difference as that seems to make to anybody...

 

[frankthedm]

Actually, the Sage did address this issue with a "No"
As much difference as that seems to make to anybody...

I'd love a link.

On the subject of the better than the 12th level greater weapon specialization > Melee Weapon Mastery / Ranged Weapon Mastery

In the Feat listing, it says this.

Melee Weapon Mastery http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=4

Prereq.: Proficiency with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Weapon Specialization with selected weapon, base attack bonus +8

Benefit: Gain Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization benefits with multiple weapons.

The actual text is however...Choose a weapon for which you have Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization. When wielding any weapon that does the same type of damage (slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning), you gain a +2 bonus on attacks and damage.

Because when rules contradict, the actual text gets used as a default, the wotc emplyees have to say the version that adds an untyped +2/+2 to all weapons of a damage type is currently the correct version. Don't cry when it gets erattaed though.

The feat list version is balanced for an 8th level Feat.

The text version I suspect had a wording that allowed the character to gain his Focus, greater focus and specialization bonuses with other weapons. But during the phase of the book that text gets cleaned up, too much text got clipped, leaving us with the overpowered text version. The text version is balanced at about 14-16th level.

 

[Quartz]

Given how badly fighters can get nerfed at higher levels, and given that hits in d20 are abstracted to 'telling blows', I'd suggest letting it stack, but I'd further suggest that the real benefit of taking this feat a second time is as a bridge feat for other weapons. Note too that it affects a whole class of weapons, for which you gain a double-strength Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialisation.

 

[Corsair]

The text version I suspect had a wording that allowed the character to gain his Focus, greater focus and specialization bonuses with other weapons. But during the phase of the book that text gets cleaned up, too much text got clipped, leaving us with the overpowered text version. The text version is balanced at about 14-16th level.

If it were changed to work that way, then you would suddenly have a feat that no one takes any more. The poor fighter needs all the help he can get.

 

[frankthedm]

If it were changed to work that way, then you would suddenly have a feat that no one takes any more. The poor fighter needs all the help he can get.

How does help the pure fighter more than it helps the fighter 4 /Barbarian +4?

If the fighter "Needs it" it should be a fighter only feat.