Decisive Strike - What ya think?

[Al]

Again, I think it's a bit powerful.

Now, if taken on its own, it is (at 'worst') as powerful as Improved Critical (for those weapons with x2 crit multipliers), as 18-20/x3 is the same as 15-20/x2 in terms of damage. However, the problem is that BOTH can be taken.

The question, therefore, must be thus: do you feel that the Improved Improved Critical feat is balanced (if one such feat existed). If so, then this is fine. Otherwise, this is overpowered.

 

[milo]

I got these feats from www.rpgcosmos.com

Weapon Mastery
Summary: You are more skilled with the use of the weapon you are specialised in.

Flavor: Choose one type of weapon. The character is especially good at attacking with this weapon.

Prerequisites: Weapon Specialisation, 9th level Fighter.

Benefit: The character adds +2 to his Base Attack Bonus with the weapon the character has mastered. If the weapon is a ranged weapon, the target must be within 30 feet.

Weapon Mastery (High)

Summary: You have trained in your weapon for many years,
becoming incredibly masterful with it.

Flavor: The character is so well trained with his mastered weapon, that he may make incredible feats of weaponsmanship.

Prerequisites: Weapon Mastery, Improved Critical, 13th level Fighter.

Benefit: The weapons damage die is increased by one, example: A Longsword does d8 damage normally, attaining this feat as a Longsword master would increase the damage die to d10. Furthermore this along with the BAB bonus from Weapon Mastery, and the damage bonus from Weapon Specialisation are no longer inhibited by a 30 ft range on ranged weapons.

Weapon Mastery (Grand)
Summary: After many years of training, the epitome of weapon mastery has been attained.

Flavor: The character has trained for so many years in the chosen weapon that they have reached the epitome of skill in it.

Prerequisites: Weapon Mastery (High), 17th level Fighter.

Benefit: The character' weapons critical damage modifier increase by x1, example: A longsword has a critical threat range of 19-20 with a damage multiplier of x2, after attaining this feat as a longsword high master, the weapon would have a x3 multiplier. Furthermore the weapons critical threat range is doubled, using the above example the range would increase to 17-20.

You can get more overpowered feats like these at www.rpgcosmos.com

 

[GralTok]

damn ... with these 3 feat ...

a critical with my scythe could look like:

10d6 + 60 + other on a 15-20 (keen, improved critical...)

well .. move out of my way

 

[Valicor]

Again, I think it's a bit powerful.

Now, if taken on its own, it is (at 'worst') as powerful as Improved Critical (for those weapons with x2 crit multipliers), as 18-20/x3 is the same as 15-20/x2 in terms of damage. However, the problem is that BOTH can be taken.

The question, therefore, must be thus: do you feel that the Improved Improved Critical feat is balanced (if one such feat existed). If so, then this is fine. Otherwise, this is overpowered.

Why exactly does there have to be an improved imrpoved critical feat?

The orginal intention of this feat was to give people better damage with a critical. If theres no problem with increasing the range, there should be no problem with increasing the damage.

The requirments mean that the MINIMUM level you can take this is at 12th, correct me if I am wrong but aren't 12th level characters supposed to be strong. If someone decides to focus so much on one weapon they, restrict themselves in many ways. Again I say a fair trade off. Agree/Disagree?

Yes some weapons would be able to get a 12-20/x3 and others would be able to get a 18-20/x5. But think about it, improved critical is like the best you can becoeme with a weapon after specialization and weapon focus. So at 8th level out of your 20 levels you have become a master of that style. Would you realistically say you couldn't push the skill in your weapon beyond that point?

 

[Dispater]

Not overpowered at all. Why do so many think that any feat increasing the damage you deal with a weapon is overpowered? Fighters (espescially) at high levels are supposed to be NASTY in combat. If they can't have feats that allow them that, what are their worth compared to other power-scaling classes like wizards?

 

[Jai Kel]

The "Hida Defender" prestige class from Oriental Adventures also has a very similar class ability called "critical focus". This is gained at the first level of the class, and is gained with the following prereqs:

race: human (crab)
alignment: nonevil
base attack:+5
feats: armor proficiency (heavy), power attack, weapon focus (battleaxe, warhammer, or greatclub)

So, a fighter can gain this at BAB +5 with 2 feats. The limits are that it is only for specific clan, and can only be applied to one of three weapons. Both of which are largely role-play elements.

How does this compare with what you've proposed?

 

[Valicor]

The "Hida Defender" prestige class from Oriental Adventures also has a very similar class ability called "critical focus". This is gained at the first level of the class, and is gained with the following prereqs:

race: human (crab)
alignment: nonevil
base attack:+5
feats: armor proficiency (heavy), power attack, weapon focus (battleaxe, warhammer, or greatclub)

So, a fighter can gain this at BAB +5 with 2 feats. The limits are that it is only for specific clan, and can only be applied to one of three weapons. Both of which are largely role-play elements.

How does this compare with what you've proposed?

Well, sicne you are limited in your weapon selection I, think its safe to say the low base attack bonus is a close trade off.

You have to keep in mind, part of the reason the requirments for this feat, we have proposed is so high is because you can selcect any weapon you choose.

To the people who think this feat is to powerful I make afew suggestions;

1. Raise the base attack bonus to +15. (keep in mind most playes won't even want to take it then, because the wait is far to long for a minor bonus.

2. You could limit it to hard hitting weapons only. example large weapons or weapons with only a 20 critical range. (If I were to take this route though I would reduce the requirment to +10)

 

[Anabstercorian]

Actually, offhand, it seems that the critical should be doubled. It works out the same, on average, as Improved Critical. Of course, the sheer pants-crapping power of a Scythe with Improved Critical and Decisive Strike would be damn near unholy. Still, that IS what fighters do.

 

[Al]

Why exactly does there have to be an improved imrpoved critical feat?

The orginal intention of this feat was to give people better damage with a critical. If theres no problem with increasing the range, there should be no problem with increasing the damage.

The requirments mean that the MINIMUM level you can take this is at 12th, correct me if I am wrong but aren't 12th level characters supposed to be strong. If someone decides to focus so much on one weapon they, restrict themselves in many ways. Again I say a fair trade off. Agree/Disagree?

Yes some weapons would be able to get a 12-20/x3 and others would be able to get a 18-20/x5. But think about it, improved critical is like the best you can becoeme with a weapon after specialization and weapon focus. So at 8th level out of your 20 levels you have become a master of that style. Would you realistically say you couldn't push the skill in your weapon beyond that point?

I think you misunderstand me.

What I meant when I said that this was tantamount to the 'Improved Improved Critical' feat, I mean that statistically (in terms of damage dealt) they were the same.

Consider a 19-20/x2 weapon. With Improved Critical, the threat range extends to 17-20/x2; with Decisive Strike it expands to 19-20/x3. In terms of average damage capacity, they are equal.

What I found unbalancing was the way that they stacked to produce monster criticals. Consider the 'worst-case scenario', the keen falchion wielding Weapon Master with Improved Critical. His threat range is already 10-20/x2 (I kid ye not). With the application of this feat, this suddenly becomes 10-20/x3, which, assuming he hits on 11s (average), increases the amount of raw damage he can deal by at least one-third (he fails to confirm threats half the time, so the net increase in one-third rather than one-half). Compare this with so-called Weapon Specialisation, and it is patently obvious that the meagre +2 damage cannot compare- indeed, only if he is dishing out an average of six damage or less is Weapon Specialisation a viable alternative- and how many 12th level fighter do you know with Str less than 14 and no magical items?

Overall, therefore, because this takes a totally different mechanism (crit multiplier rather than threat range), because its damage capabilities blast the likes of Weapon Specialisation out of the water, and because it is fully stackable with any form of threat range extension, I deem it overpowered.

 

[Valicor]

I think you misunderstand me.

I did mis read your post slightly, that is one of the reasons I gave afew altenrate versions ubove for DMs who think it is to strong.