Help me fix power attack in my lower-AC campaign

[Bladesong]

There was one other method I remember someone using, and I think they stole the idea from NeverWinter Nights. The amount you could reduce by/add to damage was set to 5, and it was even -5 to attack at first level.

 

[Destil]

Just limit it to 5 points to mimic expertise, instead of your max BAB.

 

[Drowbane]

Just limit it to 5 points to mimic expertise, instead of your max BAB.

Perhaps with a second feat that allows you to use more than 5pts of BA (like Superior Combat Expertise... or whatever its called now-a-days)

 

[Emirikol]

If you're going to lower AC, will you also be lowering attack bonus boosters?
For example, Strength-boosting items. A +4 belt grants +2 to attack and +3 to damage, or +0 to attack and +7 damage (with Power Attack and a two-handed weapon).
-- N

I had to look this up, as that stuff never appears in my games, but I would say probably not. Power Attack only applies to BAB, not to stat-boosting items or to strength bonus I think right?

I'm looking to nerf half of the power attack feat (which is the massive doubling of damage with two-handed weapons), becasue of a lower-AC type of campaign that we tend to play.

Our next campaign is heading from teh desert to the northlands and will run from levels 1-12. I'm going to continue a lower magic item and lower level spellcaster theme and most of the opponents are typically humans with ONE monster per game night (typically

One of my beefs with power attack is that it's essentially two or three feats in one. (base exchange in low AC encoutners is balanced, but no level max; doubles bonuses to already powerful two-handed weapons pushes it over).

jh

 

[Nifft]

Yes, true. My analysis assumed you had enough BAB to trade in every point of extra attack bonus. Clearly, at level 1 you wouldn't be able to "trade in" the +2 attack bonus for charging.

I'm assuming that you're talking about high enough level where you could trade in a lot of BAB. In regular D&D, you need these attack bonuses to hit the higher ACs. In your game, they can be traded in because the ACs are lower. So, eliminate them -- they're not necessary, and they are the true source of your problem, right? Makes more sense now?

Cheers, -- N

 

[Emirikol]

Yes, true. My analysis assumed you had enough BAB to trade in every point of extra attack bonus. Clearly, at level 1 you wouldn't be able to "trade in" the +2 attack bonus for charging.

I'm assuming that you're talking about high enough level where you could trade in a lot of BAB. In regular D&D, you need these attack bonuses to hit the higher ACs. In your game, they can be traded in because the ACs are lower. So, eliminate them -- they're not necessary, and they are the true source of your problem, right? Makes more sense now?

Cheers, -- N

Yes, thanks for the analysis.

Jay

 

[Paraxis]

A friend of mine uses a rule in his campaign that I dislike but might be your cup of tea. Power Attack just makes the Strength Bonus you get when wielding weapons one step higher. So off hand weapons do full Str bonus, one-handed 1.5 Str bonus, and two-handed 2 times Str bonus. No penalty to attack or anything just a permanent increase in the way that character uses strength and weapons. I think it is unbalanced in high magic games (normal d20). The cap idea of -5 points is a good one, so is the idea that two-handed only gets +3 damage per -2 to hit (keeps it line with the str bonus being 1.5).

You might also using fighting defensively with NPC's against him, or ones with combat expertise.