Are Minotaurs underpowered, or is high-level combat broken?

[Jack99]

The errata changes keyword inheritance so using the damage switching power of a Frost weapon should apply the Cold keyword to the attack.

That being said, I think it's unbalancing for it to work like that.

Also, I'm not entirely sure that the vulnerability from Lasting Frost applies to the initial attack.

Shadow Riposte isn't weapon dependent, so I don't see why it gets the Cold vulnerability added. If you don't add magic weapon bonuses, then other magical weapon properties probably don't apply either.

I didn't add the vulnerability on the initial attack. See the quote below. As for the Shadow Riposte, it was a RAI ruling. None in the group thought it should work without the weapon. So, since our DM ruled it worked off the weapon, cold vulnerability would apply. However, I must admit that I think it is quite overpowered. Am going to run it as is for one more session, then I might tell my DM to nerf me.

It shouldn't - I believe people attempting to use that interpretation try to argue that you resolve attacks like:
1. Make attack roll. If it hits, target is now vulnerable.
2. Apply damage.

Just for clarity, I don't see that Jack did that, though. Tortuous Strike would deal 2d8 + Dex + Str + Enh + WF + 3d8 + Str, so his number looks accurate without the vulnerability included in the later damage.

Frost weapons change all damage your weapon deals into cold, so as long as you make the argument that the Shadow Assassin Riposte uses your weapon to deal its Dex damage, it would be cold and gain the vulnerability. The ability is silent on whether it does. It does work even if you have no weapon. Technically, it works even if you're unconscious...

Yeah, the unconscious situation is funny, and why we decided it had to key of weapon or hands. Else it would have to be some sort of supernatural aura, and we didn't quite buy that interpretation.

 

[Starfox]

I think the reason its not a Weapon power is that then you'd get to apply weapon enhancement bonus to it. For me, WAI is that it uses a weapon.

The problem is not really the power, but the benefit from the cold-improving feats. When they release the arcana book, maybe the other types of damage will get benefits along similar lines. I'd love for my Thundering warhammer to actually matter.

Then again, play balance might call for a nerf to the cold-boosting feats used with weapons. This is also likely to happen when the arcana book comes out.