PHB2: Melee Weapon Mastery - am I missing something?

Nifft said:
If this really is your feat (verbatim), then you should note that the bonus seems to apply to missile weapons as well. MWM (piercing) looks pretty good ... ;)

Cheers, -- N

So if I take Melee Weapon Mastery (Slashing) and Ranged Weapon Mastery (Slashing) I get +4/+4 with daggers?
 

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SadisticFishing said:
So if I take Melee Weapon Mastery (Slashing) and Ranged Weapon Mastery (Slashing) I get +4/+4 with daggers?
Er... are you in dagger's game? My comment was on his variant feat, pointing out that he needs to qualify the type of attack & damage roll.

-- N

PS: But for the regular feats, you should take MWM(Piercing) and MWM(Bludgeoning), and use a morningstar.
 

Nifft said:
Er... are you in dagger's game? My comment was on his variant feat, pointing out that he needs to qualify the type of attack & damage roll.

-- N

PS: But for the regular feats, you should take MWM(Piercing) and MWM(Bludgeoning), and use a morningstar.

Oooooh I didn't read the whole post, sorry =\ thought you were quoting the actual feat. Then again, that's against the rules, so I should have seen it coming.

Yeah, the morningstar thing I've heard before, but I'm not sure how good it is :P
 

RangerWickett said:
Actually, I'm fairly certain most people -- WotC included -- accept that the core weapon focus/spec feats are too weak. This feat is balanced for its level; it's the earlier feats that were unbalanced (i.e., useless).

So yes, you're a fighter 4/ranger 5 with weapon spec (scimitar), you take this feat, and now you get +3 attack, +4 damage with scimitars, or +2/+2 with any other slashing melee weapon. It's really a fair feat, given that fighters are typically under-dealing damage.

QFT

GWF/GWS are under powered. The 3rd feat in the Chain should have been something like Melee Weapon Mastery to begin with.

Back in late 2e;
1 proficiency points in weapon: 1st+, anybody, proficiency in weapon.
2 prof points in weapon: 1st +, fighter only*, Weapon Spec (+1/+2)
3 prof points in weapon: lvl 5+, fighter only, Weapon Mastery (+3/+3)
4 prof points in weapon: lvl 8+, fighter only, Weapon High Mastery (improved crit range of chosen weapon, or crit multiplier... kinda foggy here)
5 prof points in weapon: lvl 13+, fighter only, Weapon Grand Mastery (+1 attack per round with chosen weapon, next higher die type with chosen weapon)

* By the time Mastery+ came out, any fighter-type could take Weapon Spec (Rangers, Paladins, etc).

And even the original UA had "double weapon specialization" for +2 / +4 for 3 prof points (which is what GWF/GWS tried to mimic).

GWF/GWS should have been a single feat that gave +2 to hit +1 dmg (+3/+3). IMO :p
 
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Depending on my mood as a DM I sometimes change the Focus, Specialization, Improved Crit and other similar feats to apply to a broader group of weapons. I don't like limiting someone to only a longsword. Instead of focus: longsword, I allow Focus: Swords. Apply it Greatswords, Longswords, Bastard Swords, scimitars, and so on. I do the same for hammers, axes, bows, and so on. It allows fighters to be more broad ranged and doesn't limit them to the same weapon throughout an entire campaign. I like a little bit of variety. Sometimes they can do sword and board, switch over to two handed then go over to two-weapon. They still need to take other feats to be effective in all other areas, but it is more fun for them.
 

anyone have the Masters Set rules or Rules Encyolpedia weapon mastery rules handy for comparison?
weapon mastery combined hit and damage bonuses with disarm/sunder/expertise like abilities - bonuses and cool combat maeuvers. The most fun a fighter could have until 3.0.
 

For those questioning the bonus: it is unnamed. It stacks with everything.


For those who believe this feat is actually just the "right" amount of boost, and WF/WS/GWF/GWS are just underpowered: I have to say I disagree. Weapon Focus - a mere +1 to your attack - is a very plain, very uninspiring feat, it's true - and it may seem dinky next to some of the fluff that's been thrown out in recent supplements. But the truth is, +1 to your attack is HUGE. It really, really is HUGE. That's +1 to every attack you ever make, ever. That's +1 to disarms, sunders, full attacks, single attacks, cleaves, critical confirmations... Sure, +1 doesn't seem like much, but over the course of an encounter, or a level, or a campaign: THAT ADDS UP. And for a two-handed fighter with PA, that +1 to attack can also be a +2 to damage. +2 to damage on every hit, every cleave, doubled for every crit... Believe me, the numbers add up and they add up quickly. Weapon Focus is a no-brainer feat because it really is that good: +1 to every attack you ever make REALLY IS powerful. If you don't believe it, look to every other D&D mechanic: +1 to saves, +1 to AC, +1 to weapon attack/damage... All of these things are big because that's the point of D&D: a higher number is better. Even a higher number that's only higher by one is still higher, and it will always be better. This is why bless is such a great level 1 cleric spell and why bards are actually useful. +1 is GREAT! :)

Constrast that with +2 to attack, +2 to damage. That's rediculous. That's also a +6 to damage for a two-handed PAer, which is even MORE outrageous. The benefit of having +2 to EVERY attack and +2 to EVERY damage over the course of a long campaign is amazing. Clearly, this is broken; clearly, this is much too powerful.


That's why I say "get it while you can" because if anyone at WotC cared about quality it'd be out in a heartbeat.

Edit: The MWM(bludgeoning) + MWM(piercing) + morningstar tactic is PRICELESS! What a wonderful abuse of a broken rule! :)
 

that last bit doesn't work. Even tho it's an unamed bonus, it doesn't stack if it comes from the same source (the MWM feat).

No, you don't get +4 to hit and +4 damage with a morning star if you have both MWM(Bludgeoning) and MWM (Piercing).
 


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