+1 to hit or +1 damage?

[drothgery]

It really depends on the character. Someone who's averaging more than 15 points or so of damage (the math gets funky on where the break-even point is because of multiple attacks and critical hits) -- or anyone with Power Attack -- should take the +1 to hit. Otherwise, the +1 to damage is probably better.

 

[Snapdragyn]

If you use a light weapon, with Weapon Finesse and a good Dex (so pretty good chance to hit but little damage) go for the damage.

I'm going to have to disagree with this, at least situationally. IME, most finesse 'fighters' (in the non-class sense) are rogues who get most of their damage from sneak attack & have 3/4 BAB. TWF is also fairly common for this type of build (at least if going melee-rogue vs. ranged-rogue). In those cases, I'd definitely prefer the +1 atk, since getting an extra Xd6 sneak attack is going to be at least equal to (& after 3rd rogue level automatically more than) +1 dam (when you get sneak, anyway). Add in the offhand attack (& the penalties for TWF; -2 at best) & the improved chance of getting a hit (&, ideally, sneak damage) far far outweighs some measly +1 dam.

This, of course, brings us back around to what others have said: it's going to depend on your character. If you've got a finesse fighter with no sneak damage & full BAB, then it's much more dependent on the typical AC of mobs you're facing & whether or not you have or plan to take PA.

 

[orsal]

In effect:
X = avg damage of PC
Y = avg hit % of PC

X*(Y+.5)=(X+1)*Y

anybody remember enough algebra to solve for that?

Janx

Well, if you subtract X*Y from that, you get .5X=Y. But that's not right. Why .5? I think you mean 5 there (or .05 if you're thinking decimal instead of percentage).

Note that this gives the exact same answer I gave in my post above: break even if the number of rolls that hit (which you'd multiply by 5% to get Y) is equal to your average damage per hit.

 

[iwatt]

I'm going to have to disagree with this, at least situationally. IME, most finesse 'fighters' (in the non-class sense) are rogues who get most of their damage from sneak attack & have 3/4 BAB.

Actually you're misreading what the quote said:

If you use a light weapon, with Weapon Finesse and a good Dex (so pretty good chance to hit but little damage) go for the damage.

The enphasis is mine. A rflanking rogue with TWF can never be described as having "little damage". The TWF flanking rogue is another example of archetype that benefits quite a bit from the +1 to hit (specially if he sues matching weapons) more than from the +1 to damage.

It's been proven (mathematically) in this and any other number of threads (llok at 3.0 Power atatck is useless therads in the archive if yous till are in doubt) that the +1 to hit is advantageous for those who pack a punch. And TWF flanking rogues are definitely qualifies as packing quite the punch ( in a glass jar).

 

[Plane Sailing]

In general, TH is better. The PHB seems to agree with this, as there is a feat that grants +1 th, while the equivalent fighter feat grants +2 damage.

Despite some other peoples disagreement, this is still a sound issue. The general principle of feat bonuses is that the more often they come into play, the smaller the bonus. Weapon Focus gives +1 to hit on every roll to hit you make with that weapon. Weapon Specialisation only comes into play if you actually hit, which is probably less frequently, so it gets a higher bonus (+2). Stuff like improved initiative only comes up once per combat so it can get a big bonus (+4). They probably considered that combat casting would come up similarly rarely (after all, most of the time the wizard will just take a 5ft step to avoid problems without taking the risk of combat casting).

I'd take the +1 hit.