Improved Precise Shot feat and Favored Enemies

[Kai Lord]

Seems like for all intents and purposes Improved Precise Shot should completely eliminate the 30' range maximum for Favored Enemy bonuses, Sneak Attacks, and Weapon Specialization.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Why's that?

From what we know (imperfect info) it only allows the negation of cover and concealment short of total, nothing else.

 

[Kai Lord]

Weapon Specialization: "If the weapon is a ranged weapon, the damage bonus only applies if the target is within 30 feet, because only at that range can the fighter strike precisely enough to hit more effectively."

For Favored Enemies and Sneak Attacks, the text states "the ranger/rogue cannot strike with deadly accuracy" beyond 30 feet.

Improved Precise Shot allows the attacker to strike with pinpoint accuracy (no penalty whatsoever) any part of an enemy's body that is not covered. I'd say that's "striking precisely enough to hit more effectively" and thus, bonuses for "precision based damage" should apply at any range covered by the feat, which consequently, doesn't have a range maximum.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I think you're reading too much into it; if the feat is intended to allow those precision-based type of damage to apply beyond 30' I'd think it would specifically say so. But since we don't have the full text, who knows?

If it's ambiguous, though, I can't imagine allowing it -- off the top of my head that seems way too beneficial; IPS is already pushing the bounds of balance IMO.

 

[jasamcarl]

Weapon Specialization: "If the weapon is a ranged weapon, the damage bonus only applies if the target is within 30 feet, because only at that range can the fighter strike precisely enough to hit more effectively."

For Favored Enemies and Sneak Attacks, the text states "the ranger/rogue cannot strike with deadly accuracy" beyond 30 feet.

Improved Precise Shot allows the attacker to strike with pinpoint accuracy (no penalty whatsoever) any part of an enemy's body that is not covered. I'd say that's "striking precisely enough to hit more effectively" and thus, bonuses for "precision based damage" should apply at any range covered by the feat, which consequently, doesn't have a range maximum.

You are making the mistake of confusing the flavor of the feat with the mechanics. Cover has a very limited mechanical definition that has nothing to do with distance.

 

[Kai Lord]

I'm not confusing anything. If an opponent was totally covered except for the part of his body that a Ranger would strike for extra damage within 30 feet, the character with Improved Precise Shot would strike that part, every time, with a successful attack. Therefore I think a Fighter, Ranger, or Rogue should gain the damage bonus they would normally get for striking a vulnerable area.

 

[shilsen]

Therefore I think a Fighter, Ranger, or Rogue should gain the damage bonus they would normally get for striking a vulnerable area.

But as far as the rules are concerned, they won't. Correct?

 

[jasamcarl]

I'm not confusing anything. If an opponent was totally covered except for the part of his body that a Ranger would strike for extra damage within 30 feet, the character with Improved Precise Shot would strike that part, every time, with a successful attack. Therefore I think a Fighter, Ranger, or Rogue should gain the damage bonus they would normally get for striking a vulnerable area.

What you think they should, and what the rules say you can are two different things. You are reading rules from flavor text that simply aren't there.

 

[Kai Lord]

What you think they should, and what the rules say you can are two different things.

I didn't ask if they were the same.

You are reading rules from flavor text that simply aren't there.

If the mechanic of one rule destroys the flavor behind the mechanic of another, then the second mechanic must fall as well. No different than playing in a campaign where a deity is destroyed. The rules don't literally say that the fallen deity's clerics lose their spells but common sense man, common sense.

 

[Henry]

I have a feeling the interpretation will be a little sharper once it's in the book, and even sharper once the SRD is released, removing all the flavor text. Unless there's something we don't know here, I sincerely doubt that the "30 foot rule" will be contradicted by Improved Precise Shot.