Bloodstorm Made Awesome

[comrade raoul]

Unless I'm massively underestimating the value of the free shift, Bloodstorm seems awfully weaksauce for a 25th-level daily--I'd probably even rather have the 5th-level Two-Wolf Pounce, to say nothing of most of the 15th- or 19th-level dailies. Here's a revised version that I think is more interesting, but, as is standard for such things, potentially too good. The basic idea is that you can keep using the power--basically becoming a whirling engine of destruction--at an increasing cost to your defenses (and you don't do half damage on misses). Thoughts?

Bloodstorm -- Ranger Attack 25
Daily * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action -- Melee or Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons or a ranged weapon.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee; main weapon and off-hand weapon) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged), two attacks.
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 2[W] + Dexterity modifier (ranged) per attack.
Effect: After making these attacks, you can shift a number of squares equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Sustain Standard: Repeat the power, against the same or a different target. When you sustain the power, you take a -1 penalty to your AC and Reflex defense until the end of your next turn. This penalty increases by 1 each time you sustain the power.

 

[Revinor]

For archers, defense penalty might be negligible. This means that for THE BOSS fight, you give them infinite Twin Strike with stat bonus. On the other hand, at this level, Twin Strike is 2[W] x2 already, so we are talking about 2xDex damage difference per round.

I would rather leave it as it is in original and just make it 3[W]+stat per attack if you really feel it is underpowered (leaving the half damage and shift in).

 

[comrade raoul]

The goal is also to make it cool and different than the other dailies, and do something kind of interesting that other powers don't do.

Remember, too, that this is a 25th-level power: compare it, for example, to the high-level stances rangers have, and note that Bloodstorm, in addition to the AC penalty, requires constant sustaining. If you somehow lose your standard action, or don't have opponents in range, you're out of luck.

Archers need defense, too. Especially at epic levels, opponents are often mobile and/or have ranged attacks. They can become really compelling targets.