Careful Attack replacements

[Mengu]

Ok, here are attempts at two replacement powers for Careful Attack:

Well-Aimed Attack - Ranger Attack 1
You take your time to hit the enemy where it leaves him open for your next shot.
At-will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action - Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity + 2 vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] damage, gain +2 power bonus to your next attack roll against the target made before the end of your next turn.
Increase damage to 2[W] at 21st level.​

Dual Lunge - Ranger Attack 1
You thrust forward with both weapons, catching your enemy off guard.
At-will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action - Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons
Target: One creature
Special: You can move 1 square before the attack.
Attack: Strength + 2 vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] damage, gain +2 damage bonus if you moved as part of this attack.
Increase damage to 2[W] at 21st level, gain +4 damage bonus if you moved.
Special:This power may be used as part of a charge, in place of a basic attack. Charge movement is considered part of the attack.​

Well-Aimed Attack should be useful enough without any damage bonus, as it will mainly be used to set yourself up with a bonus for your encounter or daily powers, and when you are getting ready to use an action point.

Dual Lunge gives you a little bit of a conditional damage bonus. It should make a good opening move since it can be used in conjunction with a charge. It also gives a few more options when paired up with a Warlord. I used "move" wording instead of "shift" to help prevent some abuse, and it jives better with the flavor of the attack power.

Rip them apart. Tell me what you see as potentially too powerful in combination with other ranger powers, or as diletante powers. I'm open to suggestions for simplifying the two specials on Dual Lunge as well. If you think the warlord combination makes Dual Lunge too strong, I'd be open to restricting the damage bonus to basic attacks made after a charge.

Edit1: Changed Well-Aimed Attack hit bonus from combat advantage, to +2 bonus to next attack roll.
Edit2: Changed flavor text on Well-Aimed Attack to make more sense with Edit1.
Edit3: Changed Dual Lunge from basic attack to charge attack. Basic attack was going to become too confusing and maybe powerful with opportunity atacks, as it allows movement.

 

[Styracosaurus]

For the first option

.....I think granting Combat Advantage is too much for an At-Will. How about if you just grant a +2 to a single attack roll against that same target that you must use before the end of your next turn. It could be used with a daily for example, during the next round. It is more of a setting up the next hit type of ability. You could let it stack with itself indefinitely as long as it hits (and you only do 1[w]), but it will only ever grant a +2 to attack with a different power.

 

[Mengu]

.....I think granting Combat Advantage is too much for an At-Will.

I think you may be right. I was trying to make it closer to what a Warlord can do with Wolfpack Tactics, giving someone a flank, but it turned out a bit more powerful than that. I can knock it down to what a Cleric can do with Lance of Faith.

 

[brehobit]

Twin strike should take a -2 attack penalty to both attacks and careful strike should give a +4. That is enough to make it a hard call.

If you normally would need a 13 to hit the average damage, twin strike will still deal out more damage on the average, but only just by a bit. And twin strike is quite powerful...

Mark

 

[Terramotus]

Those look nice, but why not change it so that it allows dex mod damage, but only a +1 to hit? Sure, at a certain dex bonus it would begin to overshadow Twin Strike completely, but that already happens with a basic ranged attack as it is.

 

[Mengu]

Twin strike should take a -2 attack penalty to both attacks and careful strike should give a +4. That is enough to make it a hard call.

Not really. They still do the same exact thing, increase expected damage. One or the other is always mathematically better.

Those look nice, but why not change it so that it allows dex mod damage, but only a +1 to hit? Sure, at a certain dex bonus it would begin to overshadow Twin Strike completely, but that already happens with a basic ranged attack as it is.

Actually, Twin Strike is just about always better once you start getting weapon and feat bonuses.

What I was trying to do is create variety. An at-will power needs to do something different (like nimble strike) to be more interesting. Having two options that merely give you different plusses to do damage is not a tactical choice, it's a mathematical choice.

The other realization I came to, is that by design, they made Twin Strike a strong at-will power. They expect this will be the primary way the ranger will be playing his striker role. So instead of competing against it for expected damage, a Careful Attack alternative needs to provide some other kind of tactical option, one that can be combined with other abilities to gain a more unique advantage.

 

[Mengu]

I'm starting to think opportunity attacks make Dual Lunge a bit confusing and more powerful than I intended. Maybe I should drop the basic attack wording, and allow the use of the power only at the tail end of a charge. Thoughts?

 

[Zogmo]

I'm starting to think opportunity attacks make Dual Lunge a bit confusing and more powerful than I intended. Maybe I should drop the basic attack wording, and allow the use of the power only at the tail end of a charge. Thoughts?

I really like what you've done here. I think you're right about dropping the basic attack wording. Good job!