Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 1708217" data-attributes="member: 3146">As others have pointed out, situations will often dictate different &quot;optimums&quot; than damage per round. However, in the case of optimum power attack calculation, I suspect that approximate accuracy is good enough and that a formula that can be easily calculated in one's head is preferable to a formula that is exactly accurate and takes everything into account.While one might well be able to come up with a matrix that calculated the optimum power attack for a sixth level fighter with a +1 greatsword, a 16 strength, and weapon specialization standing next to three 23 hit point ogres and which accounted for whether the fighter had cleave and/or great cleave to produce the optimum power attack to drop the highest number of ogres/round, I doubt that it would be something most people could calculate in their head in the amount of time available between ascertaining the relevant tactical situation (which often changes during the round and probably isn't clear until shortly before your initiative) and being told, &quot;Regdar, it's your turn, what will you do?&quot;Absent a variety of charts (an aquaintance of mine has custom power attack charts for his character in all his various buffed, raging, and unbuffed states) which would allow a quick visual search to take the place of complex calculations, I think an extremely simple formula with only one or two operations is needed.For instance,P = (A - T - D + 21)/2can be simplified to:P = (C-T)/2where C is your attack constant (average attack bonus+21-damage--this should be precalculated)At that point, it's usable by normal people in the time frame allowed by a normal combat.And, for reference, how would the effect of a wounding weapon usually calculate into this? Obviously, knowing the target's HD is often going to be out of the question so how might one approximate its effect?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Elder-Basilisk, post: 1708217, member: 3146"] As others have pointed out, situations will often dictate different "optimums" than damage per round. However, in the case of optimum power attack calculation, I suspect that approximate accuracy is good enough and that a formula that can be easily calculated in one's head is preferable to a formula that is exactly accurate and takes everything into account. While one might well be able to come up with a matrix that calculated the optimum power attack for a sixth level fighter with a +1 greatsword, a 16 strength, and weapon specialization standing next to three 23 hit point ogres and which accounted for whether the fighter had cleave and/or great cleave to produce the optimum power attack to drop the highest number of ogres/round, I doubt that it would be something most people could calculate in their head in the amount of time available between ascertaining the relevant tactical situation (which often changes during the round and probably isn't clear until shortly before your initiative) and being told, "Regdar, it's your turn, what will you do?" Absent a variety of charts (an aquaintance of mine has custom power attack charts for his character in all his various buffed, raging, and unbuffed states) which would allow a quick visual search to take the place of complex calculations, I think an extremely simple formula with only one or two operations is needed. For instance, P = (A - T - D + 21)/2 can be simplified to: P = (C-T)/2 where C is your attack constant (average attack bonus+21-damage--this should be precalculated) At that point, it's usable by normal people in the time frame allowed by a normal combat. And, for reference, how would the effect of a wounding weapon usually calculate into this? Obviously, knowing the target's HD is often going to be out of the question so how might one approximate its effect? [/QUOTE]

Verification