Power Attack Optimization

[frisbeet]

Power Attack Calculator

I've significantly updated the Power Attack Calculator spreadsheet to incorporate many new PHBII and other feats and abilities and allow for Attacks of Opportunity. For those that aren't aware of this free spreadsheet, here's what it can do:

Take everything affecting one's full/standard/charging/+AoO attack against ACs 10-50, +/- DR, and spit out the optimum PA value for said character.

Having tested and tested and tested the sheet I can almost guarantee its veracity.

Here's an example from the WotC Character Optimization Forum.

Caelic's Jack B. Quick

Fighter 20, Str 34
relevant feats explicitly parameterized in spreadsheet:
Power Attack, TWF, iTWF, TW-Rend, Double Hit, &
Weapon Foci o' Longsword & Handaxe

relevant feats implicitly parameterizaed in spreadsheet: AoO set to 2, mimicking Karmic Strike & Robilar's Gambit, and "extra main-hand attack w/AoO" set to 1, mimicking High Sword Low Axe and assuming trip works

relevant inherent ability selected:
Overpowering Attack

Wields Keen +4 flaming shock frost Longsword and Handaxe

Here's the exactly calculated average damage/round, optimum PA value, and optimum average damage/round with this PA against ACs 10-50.

opp AC	no PA	opt PA	opt dam
10	329.8	20	512.2
11	329.8	20	512.2
12	329.8	20	512.2
13	329.8	20	512.2
14	329.8	20	512.2
15	329.8	20	512.2
16	329.8	20	512.2
17	329.8	20	512.2
18	329.8	19	503.1
19	329.8	18	494.0
20	329.8	17	484.9
21	329.8	16	475.7
22	329.8	15	466.6
23	329.8	14	457.5
24	329.8	13	448.4
25	329.8	12	439.3
26	329.8	11	430.1
27	329.8	10	421.0
28	329.8	9	411.9
29	329.8	8	402.8
30	329.8	7	393.7
31	329.8	6	384.5
32	329.8	5	375.4
33	329.8	4	366.3
34	329.8	3	357.2
35	329.8	2	348.1
36	329.8	1	338.9
37	329.8	0	329.8
38	313.4	0	313.4
39	296.9	0	296.9
40	280.3	0	280.3
41	263.5	0	263.5
42	246.6	0	246.6
43	229.6	0	229.6
44	212.4	0	212.4
45	195.0	0	195.0
46	177.4	0	177.4
47	159.7	0	159.7
48	141.8	0	141.8
49	123.8	0	123.8
50	105.7	0	105.7

 

[Marshall]

Drop WF Handaxe for Melee Weapon Mastery(Slashing)

 

[Bad Paper]

I've significantly updated the Power Attack Calculator spreadsheet

Hey, thanks! I use v6 quite a lot and look forward to this one as well.

 

[frisbeet]

Drop WF Handaxe for Melee Weapon Mastery(Slashing)

Perfectly sound suggestion. I'd have to look more closely at Caelic's build to see if it were possible.

Of course my main point isn't to propose a new build but rather advertise a (free) tool to facilitate fighter-type character planning and provide a level by level printout (you'll have to copy and paste into a new sheet to make it look good) for optimum PA values. This way you can ensure maximizing average damage--if you choose to play such a way, of course--,allowing deeper immersion in combat as you guess the opponent's AC and correct for it as each round passes. Much as your character improves his prowess every six seconds against the foe. And it's all so quick: just look at your sheet, and bingo, this round I'll PA for 3, not 5.

 

[ohGr]

Perfectly sound suggestion. I'd have to look more closely at Caelic's build to see if it were possible.

It's not. I haven't looked at the Jack B. Quick thread since it was first posted, but an integral part of the build was using the High Sword Low Axe feat - which requires WF (handaxe) - for lots of tripping goodness. That may have changed in later builds, though.