Feat: First Strike

[hong]

Fair enough, but the feat isn't limited to being used against mooks.

So you get an extra _one_ attack against a single tough guy. ONE measly attack is supposed to make a feat too good? Heaven forfend that people should ever take TWF and Greater TWF in your games.

1. Combat Reflexes as a pre-req is not much of a "hurdle" for taking this feat. The feat is still useful by itself, but it's only when the character has Combat Reflexes and a Dex of 12+ that it really shines.

Duh. That's why I made it a prereq; so that the twinkage is up front where everybody can see it, rather than something that pops up weeks later.

Combined with the ability to use the First Strike when flat-footed (because of Combat Reflexes), this is nasty combo. I just don't see many characters taking this feat without Combat Reflexes, even if it wasn't a pre-req.

Exactly. However, precious few people IME ever take Combat Reflexes.

2. Quick Draw as a pre-req is more limiting - though useful in some situations, not many characters take it (IME). But since a 6th-level fighter will have 7 feats (8 if human), burning 3 to gain First Strike isn't much of a sacrifice.

You are clearly not up to speed with the utility of Spring Attack, Iron Will and Power Attack. Further, fighters are not the only ones who fill the melee tank role in D&D.

Given the two points above, how many fighters of 6th-level, with a Dex of 12+, won't take this feat?

Plenty.

If I was running a brick with a low Dex,

Which is a lot of them.

But otherwise, it seems (IMO) a no-brainer.

Perhaps this is because you have not sufficiently engaged your brains. There are plenty of reasons why somebody might not take this feat, even if melee combat is their schtick.

1) They don't have enough feats. This includes barbs, paladins, clerics, and multiclassed combinations thereof.

2) They don't have high enough Dex to make Combat Reflexes worthwhile. If you're in heavy armour, half the benefit of a high Dex is lost due to the max Dex bonus. Getting an extra 1-2 AoOs per round on a bunch of mooks is nothing compared to what you could achieve with Cleave or Great Cleave.

3) They already have a reach weapon, in which case they get the benefit without having to burn more feats.

 

[Nifft]

The attack counts as an attack of opportunity due to movement, so (for example) you cannot make two attacks of opportunity on someone who enters and then leaves a space you threaten. You do not gain this attack if the only movement your target makes is a five-foot-step.

Okay, now consider a Large critter with 10 ft. reach. Normally, this guy gets 1 AoO on you as you charge him. Now, he gets two, because you enter two squares that he threatens on your way to him.

Huge critters would now get 3 AoOs instead of 2.

A Monk with a glaive (or a Thri-kreen with a longspear, or a Drider with a ranseur, etc. would likewise get 2 AoOs on someone charging them.

(Note that this is all only a concern for 3.5e, where you get an AoO for every provoking act.)

Now please mind the language of your acronyms, young man.

-- N

 

[hong]

You only ever get one AoO per target due to movement. PHB 138. While the paragraph there only mentions moving out of threatened squares, the intent is clear.

 

[ruemere]

The feat is interesting and can offer, in case of a powerful or fast fighter, significant advantage in combat. However it is virtually useless for fighters with reach attacks (size Large and over, reach weapons).

Detailed analysis:

FIRST STRIKE [martial arts]

Add to fighter bonus feats list. Neither the prerequisites nor the description suggest that fighters should be unable to learn it through expertise.

Your speed of reaction in combat is exceptional.

No argument here.

Prerequisites: Quick Draw, Combat Reflexes, BAB +6

As someone pointed out, most people with this feat are going to take Combat Reflexes (and Quick Draw) anyway. If you want to limit feat accessibility, you may want to replace Combat Reflexes with Combat Expertise (a feat which also represents superior weapon ability).

Benefit: You can make an attack of opportunity on a target that enters a space you threaten. This attack is resolved after the target enters that space, but before it continues movement or takes other actions. The attack counts as an attack of opportunity due to movement, so (for example) you cannot make two attacks of opportunity on someone who enters and then leaves a space you threaten. You do not gain this attack if the only movement your target makes is a five-foot-step.

No arguments here.

Normal: Attacks of opportunity due to movement can only be made on a target that leaves a space you threaten.

Umm... what about Withdraw action?

Overall, this is a very nice feat.


Regards,
Ruemere

 

[Nifft]

You only ever get one AoO per target due to movement. PHB 138. While the paragraph there only mentions moving out of threatened squares, the intent is clear.

Ah. Well, I've been doing that wrong, so thanks!

In that light, I'm going with BAB +4 as a pre-req.

-- N

 

[Sir Whiskers]

Perhaps this is because you have not sufficiently engaged your brains.

Hong, I don't mind discussing the merits of your idea, but comments like this are becoming far too common on these boards. Disagreement is healthy, not a sign of stupidity.

 

[rrealm]

Umm... what about Withdraw action?

The Withdraw action allows the user to treat the square he or she is currently standing in as if it was NOT threatented by visible opponents.

Unless the character with this feat has a reach weapon, their opponent can escape without provoking. But, unless he or she can outrun the fighter, the fighter will probally just keep charging or (if worried about the AC drop of 2) just keep following you until you deside to attack him back.

 

[Kaleon Moonshae]

I like it. One question, do you intend it to be limited to those with weapons? I love Zatoichi and would say this is exactly in line with the idea in that. If this is the case then I would leave quick draw in it and leave eveyrthing else like it is. However, if you want to allow monks to be able to use ti too, then I would put a choice between quick draw or improved iniative instead of just quick draw. This would make it available to both and open up more options. Anyone familiar with martial arts movies is familiar with this scene, be it with a sword, a bo staff, a kama, nunchaku, or fists.

 

[rrealm]

I think this feat is too good. What warrior or rogue wouldn't take this feat? Regardless of one’s dexterity, who doesn’t want to get to attack first regardless of initiative, regardless of being surprised, or the opponent taking feats (spring attack)?

Even if I had a fighter with a Dex of 8, I’d still take the feats simply for the fact that once you get this feat, you get to always attack first unless the opponent uses a ranged weapon, reach weapon, or area effect spell. Most of D&D combat involves two people standing next to each other and swinging melee weapons to the death.

 

[Kaleon Moonshae]

I think this feat is too good. What warrior or rogue wouldn't take this feat? Regardless of one’s dexterity, who doesn’t want to get to attack first regardless of initiative, regardless of being surprised, or the opponent taking feats (spring attack)?

Even if I had a fighter with a Dex of 8, I’d still take the feats simply for the fact that once you get this feat, you get to always attack first unless the opponent uses a ranged weapon, reach weapon, or area effect spell. Most of D&D combat involves two people standing next to each other and swinging melee weapons to the death.

Yeah, you always get *one* attack first. I have been in very few combats at even mid level that one attack decided it (unless it was a crit with a maul, that was fun). This feat only gives you *one* attack before the other person gets their attack. On top of that, it only works *once* a round if you have a low dex (which are a lot fo fighters if your dm is running straight stat rolling rules). It also costs three feat slots, that's steap. Especially considering if you are not a dex heavy fighter that one of those feats is useless to you and the other one rarely comes up unless you throw daggers. How many times in a single combat are you going to use quick draw? I think it's pretty fair.