"All Power Attack, All the Time?"

[Incenjucar]

I think the last poster was just kiddin', frisbeet.

Kinda like "Rocket riding, don't knock it till you've tried it!".

 

[frisbeet]

Yes. I just get so emotional sometimes.

 

[pogre]

Since I believe the phrase, "All Power Attack, All The Time" is my own (see Heroes of High Favor: Half-Orcs) I feel qualified to opine.

Yet so many other people here already "get it" there's not much left to say.

Wulf

I always thought this was a Lasater concept?

Anyway, our favorite Chicagoan is making a guest appearance with this exact Half-Orc Barbarian concept.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I had a paladin/singh rager in a previous game. As the dice luck had it, I'd always miss if I power attacked different than +4. If it was +3, I'd miss, if it was +5, I'd miss.
I took the hint and just kept PAing at +4.

For my other guy, a 3e PW/PWM who spends most of the day in Firbolg form, I'm not worried about missing. I've got a +1(+3 with Metaphysical weapon) keen maiming sword. With improved crit, I get a decent number of crits. With my strength, and PA, there's little that resists. I usually PA so my attacks even out at +20/+15/+10, but have always PA'd away the +2 for charge too.
I'm sure it's not optimum, since the strength bonus is high enough that an extra hit would probably do more damage than the PA on earlier attacks, but it's His Style.

For my new Eberron shifter barb-ranger, I should have PA, but didn't have enough feats. With AP, it'd probably be a good idea.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I always thought this was a Lasater concept?

Oh, the inspiration is indubitably his.

 

[Drake Dragonslayer]

It is fun to see the bad guys go down in one.

I played a halfling Barbarian/Wizard with a heavy pick and lots of self buffs.

Needless to say, I rolled a crit, and with true strike, I confirmed it. All the stuff I had made me do 55 damage.

Now, if I hadn't been PA maxxed I'd have done about 49. Not enough to warrant a massive damage save.

*sigh*

Halflings with 5 levels of wizard (in a level 6 game) are NOT supposed to provoke a massive damage save in melee.

PS. It's fun.

 

[MacMathan]

Just an off-hand question for the optimizers out there: What do you set your PA at during the first rounds of combat when you have no idea what AC you are facing?

Thanks,

 

[rkanodia]

At the risk of getting this thread moved to House Rules, does anyone have an alternate Power Attack mechanic, hopefully removing the calculator part of it, that they'd care to share? I love to 'go all out' (both as a player and as DM), and sometimes I love to 'conserve my strength'; I just prefer to make that decision based on gut feeling and situational observance as opposed to a spreadsheet. I'm considering something like +1d6 damage at the cost of 2 points of damage to the user (whether the attack succeeds or not), with no penalty to the attack roll, or perhaps a damage bonus usable X times per day. If someone already has tested a similar mechanic, I'd love to hear about it!

 

[pogre]

Oh, the inspiration is indubitably his.

Well, he was fairly ineffective until the end tonight. He took out the prime villain, a Succubus with one shot. She had convinced the party she was a benevolent priestess - the Crippler was not buying it, but left her alone for the sake of group unity. When the other shoe fell the Crippler had the answer - a big nasty power attack that was not even a crit! The party had to split up to search her

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

The party had to split up to search her

Awesome! You have a way with words.

Ahh, I love The Crippler.