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<blockquote data-quote="3d6" data-source="post: 2859393" data-attributes="member: 12715"><p>I don't think that question can be answered. It is not a good idea to use the word "normal" in rules text. What does "normal" mean in that context? The damage your unarmed strike deals most of the time? The damage your unarmed strike would deal if you hit them with it right now? The damage your unarmed strike deals without magical effects? 1d3 points of non-lethal damage? Who knows?</p><p></p><p>It would be better to phrase it like this--You can make a ranged attack against a single opponent within 30 feet as a standard action. If you hit, you deal damage as though you had hit your opponent with an unarmed strike.</p><p></p><p>In that case, yes, you would add Power Attack bonus damage.</p><p></p><p>Going back to the grappling Power Attack issue, I think an argument could be made that the Power Attack penalty applies to grapple checks.</p><p></p><p>We know from the grapple rules that "a grapple check is like a melee attack roll" and you have an "attack bonus" on your grapple check. Also, we're supposed to use the special size modifier "in place of the normal size modifier you use when making an attack roll".</p><p></p><p>We also know that Power Attack applies a penalty to "melee attack rolls" and we know from the PH glossary that a melee attack roll is "an attack roll during melee combat". Finally, we know from the attacking in to melee rules that "two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other".</p><p></p><p>So, you make an "attack roll" in a grapple, and you are "engaged in melee" and are thus making a "melee attack roll" when you make a grapple check. Power Attack applies its penalty to "melee attack rolls", and therefore applies its penalty to grapple checks.</p><p></p><p>Not exactly the most solid rules argument around, but hardly as flimsy as some that are bandied about on these boards.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="3d6, post: 2859393, member: 12715"] I don't think that question can be answered. It is not a good idea to use the word "normal" in rules text. What does "normal" mean in that context? The damage your unarmed strike deals most of the time? The damage your unarmed strike would deal if you hit them with it right now? The damage your unarmed strike deals without magical effects? 1d3 points of non-lethal damage? Who knows? It would be better to phrase it like this--You can make a ranged attack against a single opponent within 30 feet as a standard action. If you hit, you deal damage as though you had hit your opponent with an unarmed strike. In that case, yes, you would add Power Attack bonus damage. Going back to the grappling Power Attack issue, I think an argument could be made that the Power Attack penalty applies to grapple checks. We know from the grapple rules that "a grapple check is like a melee attack roll" and you have an "attack bonus" on your grapple check. Also, we're supposed to use the special size modifier "in place of the normal size modifier you use when making an attack roll". We also know that Power Attack applies a penalty to "melee attack rolls" and we know from the PH glossary that a melee attack roll is "an attack roll during melee combat". Finally, we know from the attacking in to melee rules that "two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other". So, you make an "attack roll" in a grapple, and you are "engaged in melee" and are thus making a "melee attack roll" when you make a grapple check. Power Attack applies its penalty to "melee attack rolls", and therefore applies its penalty to grapple checks. Not exactly the most solid rules argument around, but hardly as flimsy as some that are bandied about on these boards. [/QUOTE]
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