Concentrating on an opponent?

[Terraism]

I'm working out a new ability that ought to be the rough power equivalent of a feat, so I thought "well, I'll do it up as a feat, and see how that works." Thoughts? Too strong, too weak?


Focused Combatant [General]
You've learned to focus on one opponent at a time, though you leave yourself wide open to everything else.
Prerequisites: Concentration 5+ ranks
Benefit: You may designate a single foe, against whom you gain a +2 insight bonus to attacks and AC. You gain a -1 AC penalty against all other enemies, and may not make attacks of opportunity against opponents other than your designated target.


I think it'd certainly be useful for duelists and the like, but in your average game, I don't expect it'll be strongly overpowered, by any means. (Especially with the Concentration requirement - most people who'd likely be interested in the feat don't make a habit of putting points into the skill.)

 

[Terraism]

Four days - three since it's slipped off the first page. Anyone have any comments? At all? Does this neat lack of anything mean "sure, it's balanced," or "oh, gods, make it go away!"? Anything?

 

[DanMcS]

This is similar to a combat option I saw, "turning your back" or something like that, basically if you were flanked you could focus on one of the two opponents and ignore the other. You aren't flanked by the one you focus on, and you lose your dex bonus versus the flanker you ignore (he also gets the +2 to-hit, still). So if you're flanked by a rogue and his buddy, focus on the rogue so he can't sneak-attack you, and take the hit from his buddy since it probably won't be as bad as the rogue's targeted 5d6 fireball-per-strike.

Yours seems odd as a feat. This should be the version everyone can do, like everyone can charge (power attack) or fight defensively (combat expertise).

For a feat, it could work like dodge, and the opponent you are focusing on you get a +2 to-hit, in return for not threatening any opponent or square but that opponent.

 

[BSF]

Interesting concept. On the conceptual level, and for RP, I think I like it. Taking a -1 penalty to AC to gain a +2 to attacks and AC against your target opponent seems like it *might* be a tad unbalanced.

As an alternative that will go way in the other direction, and probably elict harsh feedback )), I would say you lose all dex bonuses against other opponents.

This allows the cinematic feel of somebody getting a nice cheap shot in during a duel. It also makes the feat into a nightmare for somebody with a fear of sneak attacks. But, perhaps more importantly, it does give another idea to bounce ideas and feedback off of. Would losing dex bonuses, with all that implies, be too harsh?

As an aside, I would probably classify the AC bonus as a dodge bonus so it is clear that it stacks. Maybe make the attack bonus an insight bonus?