A Change to Power Attack

[Harm]

Hmm... assuming you can't PA with a lance, nor get Str, that reduces damage to a more reasonable 3d8+12. Still very good, and still trouble on a critical, but not overpowering.

It doesn't say you MUST use it one-handed, it says you can.

Regardless to make the argument as simple as possible for the peanut gallery:

Fighter gains a level, PA damage increases by 2, BUT, must defeat AC, BUT can get multiple attacks per round, AND can infrequently turn that to 4 damage through criticals BUT must deal damage at melee range.
Wizard gains a level, all spells damage increases by d6/d8/2d6 (fireball, sound lance, disintigrate etc.) BUT, damage can be reduced (not nullified like AC can)

Fighter can take feats that can, in some situations (charge) increase PA damage to 3 AND can take a feat that can make it more likely to hit with PA in some situations (charge) at the expensive of AC.
Wizard can take several feats or use some cheap magic items that can increase spell damage per level to 6/8/12 depending on spell several times per day, effectivly doubling the average damage.

So... 1 level gives fighters +2 damage at a cost to actually do that damage, or +3 in special situations, +4 on rare crits or +6 on rare crits in special situations. In melee range.
And... 1 level of wizards gives d6-2d6 which is usually 6-12, at range, no chance to miss but damage can be reduced. +9-15 damage/level if combining metamagic feats + rods.

It should be blatently obvious to anyone that power attack is not really even keeping up with normal mage damage, let alone mage damage with feats or metamagic rods. A very rare +6/level damage for fighter vs. +9-15/level easily done for wizard.

 

[airwalkrr]

Um... excuse me? How about you get a GM that uses appropriate level NPCs then?

He plays this character in the Living Greyhawk campaign. By definition, the Living Greyhawk campaign is more difficult than typical D&D rules assume. I could explain why, but to put it simply, the encounter levels are regularly 2-3 levels higher than the PCs, far more difficult than the DMG recommends. Because it is Living Greyhawk, he plays with many DMs, so this is not a DM problem. Additionally, adventures for Living Greyhawk are not usually written by each individual DM, so he has no control over them anyway. Even if he did, it is not as if they are pushovers. Play LG a little and you will see.

 

[airwalkrr]

And do you get your Str bonus anyway with a mounted lance?

Why would you not get your Str bonus when wielding a melee weapon???

 

[Quartz]

Because you're using the momentum of the mount rather than your strength - hence the double damage.

 

[airwalkrr]

Because you're using the momentum of the mount rather than your strength - hence the double damage.

Source?

 

[RithTheAwakener]

Power attack is the only way fighters are still relevant in high level (17+) campaigns. As it stood with 3.0 rules, melee classes were favored in the early game and casters were favored in the end game. In those high level campaigns, power attack is the only way for fighters to dish out similar, but not equal to, caster damage, ESPECIALLY in low magic worlds while attempting to overcome damage reduction, power attack is the fighters only chance.

That is all.