General Questions

[Willtell]

1. I remember when 3e first came out and the wizards boards had threads like: I can't believe they let this unbalanced feat in; a half--orc 20 str 4th lvl fighter could kill 8 orcs each round!!.

Is great cleave ever worth it? - after a year of playing I've never thought it worthwhile because by the time you can take it, the creatures have enough hps to stop you using it.


2. Whirlwind Attack. Why would I want to slowly wound large numbers of creatures - giving them more time to hit me, when I'm better off killing the most dangerous one then kill the others 1 by 1?.


3. Close combat Fighting. By the time you can get it, every creature with improved grab is bigger, stronger and has more attacks than you. It only works once per creature per round.


4. Dual Strike. How did this get in the same book as Expert Tactician?. I get no benefit from this feat unless the other person flanking an enemy has combat reflexes and Dual Strike?.

Knockdown. The sage has spoken! - if you fail to knockdown a foe your foe does not get a chance to trip you (see the http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/news...=article&sid=1618&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0). Only 10pts of damage?.

 

[arwink]

1.
Is great cleave ever worth it? - after a year of playing I've never thought it worthwhile because by the time you can take it, the creatures have enough hps to stop you using it.

IT depends ont the style of game, but yes for my games at least. BBEG tend to come with minions, and it's always handy for the ranking barbarian or fighter to be able to wade his way through the rabble. Damage usually scales with the relative hitpoints of the generic thug, so it adds up.

2. Whirlwind Attack. Why would I want to slowly wound large numbers of creatures - giving them more time to hit me, when I'm better off killing the most dangerous one then kill the others 1 by 1?.

See above.

3. Close combat Fighting. By the time you can get it, every creature with improved grab is bigger, stronger and has more attacks than you. It only works once per creature per round.

Maybe I have a book that is pre some errata I haven't yet noticed, but as far as I can tell it is worth having. Sure, everythings bigger and stronger, but you get to add your damage to the grapple check which - if used with a good weapon - may well keep you out of somethings mouth and gullet. Getting AoO against creatures with improved grab is worth it on its own IMO.

4. Dual Strike. How did this get in the same book as Expert Tactician?. I get no benefit from this feat unless the other person flanking an enemy has combat reflexes and Dual Strike?. [/B]

If you're willing to build characters as a team, why not? I've seen it done before, and it's very effective. Works best if you've got a duelist/swashbuckler type fighter and a rogue working in tandem. Both are light, manuverable, have some form of sneak attack and can make tumble checks to keep flanking.

Knockdown. The sage has spoken! - if you fail to knockdown a foe your foe does not get a chance to trip you (see the http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/news...=article&sid=1618&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0). Only 10pts of damage?.

Haven't yet seen a problem with it. The Dwarven Fighter/Brb in my group has this, and rarely sees it in action. Sure, he inflicts damage often enough, but the trip attacks never seem to work out. It can be tricky to trip people, particularly when compared to the elegant simplicity of beating them to death with a great axe.