An option for combat?

[Quartz]

What if multiple attacks depended on feats, not BAB? We're half-way there with the TWF and shield feats anyway.

This is the kernal of an idea which I think needs some work.

First, we have to go back to the concept of the hit being a 'telling blow.' It doesn't matter which one of your weapon with which you try to hit, you only get one chance per round. Add in a TWF feat and you now attack twice (at -2), once each with each held weapon. Want another attack? Take the Iterative Attack feat and get one more attack from one hand at a cumulative -5 (so a character with TWF and 2x IA could attack at -2/-2/-7/-7 or -2/-2/-7/-12). The Shield Bash feats fold in similarly. You even get iterative shield bashes which makes sword-and-board a viable choice again.

You'd need to balance this by giving extra feats.

If you wanted to be nasty, you could say that a prerequisite for IA was Weapon Focus.

What do you guys think?

 

[Ilium]

I think it sounds exactly like what we've heard so far about 4th edition.

It's certainly viable, but means that warrior-types who don't invest in the new feats will be putting out significantly less damage on their full attacks. Do you want to throw them a bone, or just make them take the feats? If the latter, and you give extra feat slots, I think just about everyone will take them and you'll be right back where you started.

 

[Asurya]

quote Quartz: -2/-2/-7/-7 or -2/-2/-7/-12
who would EVER choose the 2nd routine?

SW Saga has this system (more or less), form what I heard, it works fine (although it's not really increasing penalty like 3.5 BAB but more a flat penalty to all your hits, like Manyshot feat)
and they give more feat too (along with talents).

 

[Quartz]

quote Quartz: -2/-2/-7/-7 or -2/-2/-7/-12
who would EVER choose the 2nd routine?

I know it wasn't really a question, but someone with a particularly effective weapon (e.g. that breaches DR whereas the other doesn't) in that hand is the obvious one that comes to mind.