Is power critical worth a feat?

[Particle_Man]

From masters of the wild, this feat lets you make one hit into an automatic threat. But you have to declare this before you make your attack roll (so if you miss, or hit with what would have been a threat anyhow, the use of the feat is lost) and you can only do it once/day.

I was wondering whether people thought this is worth spending a feat on.

 

[Apok]

It's good for those situations when you absotively, posilutely have to get off that critical hit or the entire party is going to be transmogrified into a series of grease spots on the dungeon floor.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

The only fighters I've played who were in a position to take this were designed for big crit ranges, so in those case, no.

I think it would be useful for only certain types of fighters - specifically Great Axe/Crit on a 20 only kinds of fighters. To get the most use out of it, you'd have to really pick and choose where and when to use it. In a case like that, though, it could be devastating. Get yourself a Truestrike item, and go to town.

 

[Vaxalon]

The feat is extremely good for people wielding weapons with x4 crits, such as scythes.

 

[Yeoman]

It's also really good for a mounted smite/charge attack. Load up the bonuses and let fly.

 

[Crothian]

A feat that's only usible once a day is not a feat I think is worth taking.

 

[Seule]

Power Critical is a strange feat. Basically, it changes your crit range to 2-20, but only for one attack. This means that it is far more powerful for attacks with a big crit multiplier than for attacks with a big crit range.
The only character I've seen take it so far is the 1/2 Orc Paladin with the Greataxe, who uses it in concert with Bless Weapon (no need to confirm), Power Attack (+3 damage per -1/hit is nice) and Smite Evil. She can, at 21st level, reliably pull off something like 6d8+2d6+150 damage with a very good chance to hit. Sure, it's only once a day, but with damage like that, it's great against boss monsters.
I'd also consider taking it for mounted characters (x5 or x6 damage on a critical), or anyone who can pull off very high damage attacks a limited number of times a day, like Clerics with the Destruction or Strength domain.
Basically, I've disallowed it in my game, as I find it too good for certain types of characters, and useless for others.

--Seule

 

[MadScientist]

For the right kind of character this feat is very worth taking. Combine a high crit mulitplier weapon with alot of power attack and you can end an encounter against a tough apponent very quickly!

Just imagine a potion of true strike, power attack, a scythe and a 5th level 1/2 Orc Barbarian. You could easily dish out 60 pts of damage in a single attack (up that to 80pts in 3.5).... an attack that is virtualy assured to succeed. Used at the right time a combo like this could devestating to BBEG. Honestly how often do you fight a BBEG twice in the same day?

 

[Yeoman]

For the right kind of character this feat is very worth taking. Combine a high crit mulitplier weapon with alot of power attack and you can end an encounter against a tough apponent very quickly!

Just imagine a potion of true strike, power attack, a scythe and a 5th level 1/2 Orc Barbarian. You could easily dish out 60 pts of damage in a single attack (up that to 80pts in 3.5).... an attack that is virtualy assured to succeed. Used at the right time a combo like this could devestating to BBEG. Honestly how often do you fight a BBEG twice in the same day?

Dont' forget it's steep bab requirement, and it's prerequisite of improved critical.

 

[Number47]

I don't like the concept of a feat that is usable only once/day. It just doesn't seem to fit the concept of feats being (usually) some kind of training. Once/day is better suited for racial or class abilities.