Elemental Strike- Feats for elementally inclined fighters

[Dragon Child]

Elemental Strike
Prequisites: Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: Choose one of the elements (fire, cold, acid, or electricity). When making a full attack option, you may choose to forgo all illiterative attacks, and have your attack deal elemental damage of the element selected equal to your base attack bonus.This damage stacks with any other elemental damage you may deal, such as that from a flaming sword. This extra elemental damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time, you must select a new element. The effects do not stack.


Improved Elemental Strike
Prequisites: Base Attack Bonus +11, Elemental Strike
Benefit: When making an Elemental Strike, the elemental damage you deal is equal to twice your base attack bonus.


Greater Elemental Strike
Prequisites: Base Attack Bonus +16, Elemental Strike, Improved Elemental Strike
Benefit: When making an Elemental Strike, you deal 1d4 points of elemental damage for each point of base attack bonus you have.



I'm a bit worried that Elemental Strike may be a bit weak, and Greater Elemental Strike a bit strong. I feel that Improved Elemental Strike is spot-on, though. Comments appreciated.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

I like the idea over all. They are a little too powerful for me and not my playing style, but it also take emphesis off of magic items, which is nice.

Being a sticklery for consistency, even for D&D, I would require some spellcasting ability first, even latent Psionics or a Monk's Ki Strike. While 3E is magic laden, it dosn't seem right to have Joe Fighter just whip fire out of thin air. Maybe linking it with a Barbarian's Rage, especially with fire or ice. Drow and poison also come to mind. I would certainly make the choice of elements permanent on selecting the Feat.

As far as power, thats a personal preference. One thing I would point out is that you could potentially roll less damage with Greater than the gauranteed 2x BAB that Improved gives you. Not likely, but it will happen occasionally, and making it a minimum of 2x or the dice roll makes the roll kind of pointless.

While elemental damage is fairly easy to ward against, you loose attacks, and you have to take three Feats to get there, there is some potential for uber damage. It also puts you in leauge with you average spell caster. A Wizard's 20D6 (granted it's AoE), vs your Fighter at 20D4 +weapon, Str, magic bonuses, ect, and it will be pretty close. Add that the Fighter could do it all day, with no save or SR for the opponent, and it's a little up there.


Making the progression Flaming, Flaming Burst, Maximized Flaming Burst, would be toned down, and something closer to most Feats.

"Burning" HPs to do extra damage is a common mechanic, as well. Say that you could burn HPs equal to your BAB, and get x1, x2, and x3 in elemental damage, respectivly. You could even extend this to other damage type, such as a Paladin doing Holy damage, or a Balor doing Unholy damage. This would give your player's the same potential damage as your Feats, while slightly toning down Greater Strike,as you wanted. It will also put it at a cost, and insure that it's not a no brainer to use all the time. I certainly wouldn't worry about any of them being under powered.

 

[Dragon Child]

Being a sticklery for consistency, even for D&D, I would require some spellcasting ability first, even latent Psionics or a Monk's Ki Strike.

Hmm... for a normal game, that would probally be OK. But I do want to add a bit of magical (even if its not powerful, or actual spells) spice to my fighters, so I'll have to respectfully disagree here.

While elemental damage is fairly easy to ward against, you loose attacks, and you have to take three Feats to get there, there is some potential for uber damage.

Yes, but you have to make full-round attacks, in melee, every single turn. And what wizard, at that level, is going to be casting 20d6 spells? They'll be casting Meteor Swarms ( 84 damage adverage), or massive save or dies.

Making the progression Flaming, Flaming Burst, Maximized Flaming Burst, would be toned down, and something closer to most Feats.

A friend had actually suggested this to me after I had posted them. The problem is, my original idea did not call for them to be on 24/7... I wanted them something you used SOMETIMES, with one big attack.

"Burning" HPs to do extra damage is a common mechanic, as well. Say that you could burn HPs equal to your BAB, and get x1, x2, and x3 in elemental damage, respectivly

Eh... that seems to make it too weak. I'll think about it, though.


Thanks for your suggesstions.