Is there a point to the Quick Draw feat?

[Storminator]

Of course, since you surprise the guard, you only get a partial action. If you beat the guard's initiative on the first real round of combat, THEN you can full-sneak attack him.

AR

If it's a mook, often you'll kill him with the partial action sneak attack. Then you don't have to worry about the initiative roll. And that's why quickdraw is so good. If you blow the init roll, the whole operation goes down the tubes. If you kill the guard before it comes up, you're golden.

PS

 

[Frostmarrow]

You attack them with a glaive and when they close in and you can't back up anymore (due to walls and stuff) you whip out something else.

You shoot them with your bow and when they close in on you, you drop the bow and draw something else.

You shift you rapier into you left hand and say "I have a confession to make... I'm not right-handed!"

 

[Voadam]

You get jumped not expecting a fight without a weapon out. Your first round you can quickdraw a weapon and full attack your attacker or draw a weapon and make a single attack.

Same if your primary weapon is disarmed, sundered, or apparently a useless material against your current opponent ("Oh he's actually a werewolf, I'd better draw my silver dagger!")

 

[buzzard]

Quickdraw is good for the ability to use different weapons in the middle of a full attack. For example, you use a heavy flail to do a trip attack. Once the opponent is down, you can quickdraw a different weapon which might be better for that target and wallop them.

I run a tank in LG and I use quickdraw all the time. Heavy armor wearing people are slow enough without sacrificing move actions to draw weapons.

buzzard

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I've made extensive use of Quickdraw myself. My main Living Greyhawk character is a fighter/wizard who uses a variety of weapons. So, especially with a limited number of feats, weapon focus wasn't a particulary good choice for him.

So, if he's fighting a foe at reach, he'll use his reach weapon. If he's fighting a foe close-up, he'll drop the guisarm and quickdraw a different weapon and still make a full attack. At lower levels (before iterative attacks, when shields stacked with the Shield spell, and before his Shield spells lasted 11 minutes), he would often use a move action to ready his shield, quickdraw a weapon, and still attack. Without quickdraw, switching from a two handed weapon to a weapon and shield either takes two rounds (denying two full attacks) or one round of not attacking at all. With quickdraw, you can switch from the two-handed weapon to a weapon and shield and still attack.

Quickdraw is also useful for when he wants wands out or the ability to make full attacks with thrown weapons (not that that's really come up yet).

 

[Ranger REG]

Is there really even a reason to take the Quick Draw feat except to qualify for PrCs? According to the rules as written, if a PC's BAB is +1 or higher drawing is a free action when combined with a move action. Basically that means it is basically still a free action for every 1st level warrior and every other class after that. All I can think of is that first round of combat a Fighter would be able to take a Full Attack action if an enemy were in 5' range since he didn't have to use a Move action. If they aren't within 5' then Quick Draw is pretty useless since the Fighter will lose the Full Attack option and will have to settle for a Standard Attack to have a move action to engage. Seems pretty useless to me which I guess justifies how easy it is to get the feat. Anyone else have a situation where it came in handy where drawing a weapon as part of a move action wouldn't have worked just as well?

If the 1st-level fighter in question prefers a single-weapon fighting style (with or without shield), then it would be moot since he can only make one attack per round due to BAB).

If the same fighter in question prefers a two-weapon fighting style (or multiweapon-fighting style), Quick Draw would allow him to use his full-round action and make those multiple attacks due to multiple weapons.

If the fighter in question gains more attacks due to BAB (advancing 6th level and up), either fighting with single or multiple weapons, Quick Draw would allow him to be quickly armed and make those multiple attacks as a full-round action.

If it's any other class, such as a 1st-level rogue (BAB +0), Quick Draw would be helpful, along with Improved Initiative, to get the jump --from apparently being peacefully unarmed to quickly armed -- on their unsuspecting victim for a Sneak Attack.

 

[CCamfield]

Interesting thread, as I've been debating whether to take Quick Draw or Improved Toughness at 6th level for my ranger.

He fights with greatsword, longbow, and lance (on horseback). Until last session I hadn't realized that if you remain still on your horse you don't take a penalty when firing a comp longbow, so I was dismounting to fire, and when the enemy closed I'd remount and then draw my sword, possibly eating up a whole turn.

Anyhow, since charging on horseback is very effective, but bow is of more use at greater distance, I could see my character routinely quickdrawing weapons twice per combat. Being able to draw and do a full attack would just be icing on the cake.

It's a pity that the feat doesn't seem to apply to sheathing weapons as well.

 

[Pielorinho]

If it's a mook, often you'll kill him with the partial action sneak attack. Then you don't have to worry about the initiative roll. And that's why quickdraw is so good. If you blow the init roll, the whole operation goes down the tubes. If you kill the guard before it comes up, you're golden.
PS

And actually, this was one of the very, very few occasions that the Refocus action in combat was actually useful: if you got the surprise round on someone, you could use your partial action to refocus, practically guaranteeing that you got to go before them in the first full round of combat. I see it's no longer in 3.5, but I'd certainly allow a character to give up their suprise round action in exchange for knowing they'd go first in the full round of combat.

I've personally only ever seen Quickdraw be taken by a dagger-thrower PC, but I imagine it'd be useful in many of the circumstances listed here as well.

Daniel

 

[Vanye]

I've personally only ever seen Quickdraw be taken by a dagger-thrower PC, but I imagine it'd be useful in many of the circumstances listed here as well.

I've got plans for my backup fighter to have it; starts out the attack with an improved trip attempt with his flail-if he has to drop the flail, out comes the longsword to continue...

 

[Felon]

I have a goblin rogue/barbarian whose standard first-round tactic is to move 30 feet towards the enemy, toss a javelin, and then quick draw his glaive. It's been pretty effective.