Does Power attack's damage bonus apply to the Trample [Ex] ability?

Does Power attack's damage bonus apply to the Trample [Ex] ability?


frankthedm

First Post
It seems like it is not outside the realm of possibility. But trample is damn nasty already. dropping ones' BAB into the damage seems almost no brainer if it works.

[sblock=Trample]
As a full-round action, a creature with this special attack can move up to twice its speed and literally run over any opponents at least one size category smaller than itself. The creature merely has to move over the opponents in its path; any creature whose space is completely covered by the trampling creature’s space is subject to the trample attack. If a target’s space is larger than 5 feet, it is only considered trampled if the trampling creature moves over all the squares it occupies. If the trampling creature moves over only some of a target’s space, the target can make an attack of opportunity against the trampling creature at a -4 penalty. A trampling creature that accidentally ends its movement in an illegal space returns to the last legal position it occupied, or the closest legal position, if there’s a legal position that’s closer.

A trample attack deals bludgeoning damage (the creature’s slam damage + 1½ times its Str modifier). The creature’s descriptive text gives the exact amount.

Trampled opponents can attempt attacks of opportunity, but these take a -4 penalty. If they do not make attacks of opportunity, trampled opponents can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage.

The save DC against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + ½ creature’s HD + creature’s Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature. [/sblock]Treant... Special Attacks:... trample 2d6+13
Trample (Ex): Reflex DC 33 half. The save DC is Strength-based.
[sblock=Power Attack] [General]
Prerequisite;Str 13.

Benefit: On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.

Special: If you attack with a two-handed weapon, or with a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands, instead add twice the number subtracted from your attack rolls. You can’t add the bonus from Power Attack to the damage dealt with a light weapon (except with unarmed strikes or natural weapon attacks), even though the penalty on attack rolls still applies. (Normally, you treat a double weapon as a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. If you choose to use a double weapon like a two-handed weapon, attacking with only one end of it in a round, you treat it as a two-handed weapon.)

A fighter may select Power Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.[/sblock]
 

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Patryn of Elvenshae said:
Trample does not involve a melee damage roll, therefore Power Attack does not provide any bonuses.
Thats my gut reaction, though...

A trample attack deals bludgeoning damage (the creature’s slam damage + 1½ times its Str modifier). The creature’s descriptive text gives the exact amount.
 


while trample could be a type of attack, does it have an attack roll? If not, then i don't think power attack works. I always assumed it was automatic.

trample
As a full-round action, a creature with this special attack can move up to twice its speed and literally run over any opponents at least one size category smaller than itself. The creature merely has to move over the opponents in its path; any creature whose space is completely covered by the trampling creature’s space is subject to the trample attack. If a target’s space is larger than 5 feet, it is only considered trampled if the trampling creature moves over all the squares it occupies. If the trampling creature moves over only some of a target’s space, the target can make an attack of opportunity against the trampling creature at a -4 penalty. A trampling creature that accidentally ends its movement in an illegal space returns to the last legal position it occupied, or the closest legal position, if there’s a legal position that’s closer.

A trample attack deals bludgeoning damage (the creature’s slam damage + 1½ times its Str modifier). The creature’s descriptive text gives the exact amount.

Trampled opponents can attempt attacks of opportunity, but these take a -4 penalty. If they do not make attacks of opportunity, trampled opponents can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage.

The save DC against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + ½ creature’s HD + creature’s Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.

power attack

On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.

Kind of selective, but trample does not mention an attack role and sems more like an line effect with movement.
 


I agree with Patryn. It is not a melee damage roll any bonuses or penalties to damage rolls do not apply.

I think it is pretty clear that "slam damage" means the damage dice for the creature's slam attack, not the dice plus any damage bonuses. If "slam damage" meant the entire damage for the slam attack, then shouldn't the damage for a treant be 2d6+9+1.5*Str = 2d6+22?
 

frankthedm said:
Thats my gut reaction, though...

Heh - forgot to vote! :D

SRD said:
(the creature’s slam damage + 1½ times its Str modifier)

That just shows you how to calculate the amount of damage it does. Similarly, using the "Damage your opponent" option in a grapple is not a melee damage roll, even though it does damage based on your unarmed strike damage.*

Usually, a creature's slam damage is already expressed in terms of XdY + Str; does, then, a trample attack actually do XdY + 2.5*Str in these cases?

* - Note, a lot of people disagree with this, but we can leave that for a different thread, right? :D
 

Moon-Lancer said:
while trample could be a type of attack, does it have an attack roll? If not, then i don't think power attack works. I always assumed it was automatic.
You don't need an attack roll to PA. You do however need a melee damage roll.

I agree with Patryn.


glass.
 


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