Duskblade Handbook, Arcane Strike -- not right?

[Starbuck_II]

No, if but arcane strike was a free action to use, there is nothing stopping you from activating it as many times as you want in that round, and sacrificing a spell slot each time.

I think the most sane interpretation would be to keep it a free action, but the to-hit/damage bonus would not stack. You may still want to use it more than once (maybe you got a very poor roll on damage, like all ones, and are willing to expend another slot for better damage?).

RAW: The damage the hit bonus don't have a type, but the hit bonus has a limitation. So the hit bonus doesn't stack, but damage will.
Hit bonus is limited by Base attack (what they wrote, can't be greater). Damage bonus isn't limited.

CW pg 96.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Do you think it should remain a free action? So, the duskblade could use Arcane Strike on an Attack of Opportunity when it is not their turn?

Typically you cannot use a free action out-of-turn unless it's specifically stated (like speaking). That's what immediate actions are for. Even something simple like drawing a new weapon if you're disarmed out of turn (if you have Quick Draw) isn't normally allowed.

I see no logical reason why Arcane Strike could self-stack, neither by the way it's written nor by common ing sense. And it's fine as a free action, that's how it's written, and most feats like it (Power Attack - trade attack for damage; the Bard feat to spend music uasges for spell slots, etc...) are also free actions.

And if you did let someone nova many spells into a single attack / full round attack, the Duskblade would be one of the most broken recipients of such a poor ruling; they get up to 10 (!!!wtf?!!!!) slots per level per day. But that's a separate gripe I have with them...

 

[pawsplay]

Arcane Strike, IIRC, affects all your attacks for the whole round. So if it doesn't already, it should start with, "Once per round on your turn.."

 

[Erdrick Dragin]

20d4 the max?

Ok, I know, serious Threadomancy here, but I must know why every Duskblade build I see that talks about Arcane Strike stacking says it only goes up to 20d4?

I know +20 bonus is the max thanks to the limit being the BAB, but can't you potentially sacrifice ALL your slots and do uber d4 damage? Sacrifice 4 9th-levels and deal 36d4?

From what I keep reading, the attack bonus won't stack but the damage does. Why does the damage cap with the BAB?

 

[Shin Okada]

By RAW, there is no limit on the number of bonus damage dice piled.

So yes, a sorcerer/wizard-based fighter mage type can burn all of his spell slots to gain hundreds of d4s.


I have house ruled that a character can still use Arcane Strike as a free action but only once per turn. For me, it seems to be a sane limitation.

 

[HoboGod]

Ehhhh, this topic kinda scares me. I don't mind letting a Battle Sorcerer with BAB +4 expend four 1st level spells to gain +1 to hit and +4d4 damage, but to cast a quicken'd true strike and use all her remaining spell slots to deal an unstoppable death blow? GOD NO!

Using Arcane Strike as an unlimited free action is an abuse of the system that would be patched by the introduction of swift actions. There's no shaking that and using Arcane Strike in this manner is undeniably a munchkin tactic. But to twart a munchkin tactic, is it right to gimp a gish?

 

[Dandu]

You wouldn't be crippling the gish if you did.

They'd still be better than, say, monks.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Jus make it a free action usable once/turn, or give the bonuses a type, even a bull made-up one like an "arcane" bonus to attack and damage, so they can't stack.

And nerf the ever loving hell out of the duskblade's obscene 10 spells per day per level cap while you're at it.

 

[Dandu]

Don't particularly see the need for that last fix.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

As it is, a Duskblade can pretty much use Arcane Strike every single round of every single combat after a while?

Also, I just generally hate that they get so many spells per level.