Please rate Arterial Strike

[Pooka]

The enemies don´t survive long enough to really suffer from the bleeding and what is 1 point of damage? Ridiculus!


Pooka

 

[Angcuru]

The enemies don´t survive long enough to really suffer from the bleeding and what is 1 point of damage? Ridiculus!

*puts on old wisened chinese guy mask*

A single grain of rice is often all that is needed to tip the scales.

This is really useful in high-stakes combats, such as BBEG fights, and generally any very dangerous fight where you can only get in a hit every now and then, and you have to make each hit count. Also adds a lot of realism. I mean, isn't if awfully lame how even if you take upwards of 100 points of damage and manage to survive, you are perfectly fine and don't bleed at all? Some people would say that excessive bleeding and the like are counted in the damage, but it doesn't seem to make sense. If the BBEG takes a couple sneak attacks, enough to kill him, damage wise, he just drops dead. LAME!. He should become disoriented and stumble around aimlessly for 30 seconds or so, clutching at walls, tables, and other objects for support until he finally collapses in a dead heap. You get something like this with bleeding damage, at least!

What would you rather have:

The BBEG gets stabbed real good and drops dead, no climactic moment, he just dies...now the PCs are free to take his stuff and go to the local tavern to celebrate.

The BBEG gets stabbed real good, and becomes disoriented and stumbles around aimlessly for 30 seconds or so, clutching at walls, tables, and other objects for support until he finally stares into the eyes of the rogue who stabbed him and collapses in a dead heap in front of him.

I'll take the latter, thank you.

 

[Archer]

The theatrics don't have anything to do with the feat.

Wounding is only useful against dumb animals that have no access to healing. The gladiators wounding ability lasts 10 round - the con modifier of the target. This feat should just give the rogue wounding on every sneak attack with a 10 round cap and not substitute for 1d6 sneak attack damage. This would reduce the dumb animal factor and increase the utility against most other opponents.

I rated this feat a 1 because its much more effective just to buy a few arrows of wounding or a dagger of wounding and hit the dumb animal with it. If you can buy the effect of a feat cheaply then its not really a powerful feat. Like many feats, with a slight change arterial strike can turn an interesting theory into an interesting feat.

 

[Hackenslash]

I voted 1...because ?

I do not like feats that give PC's overly powerfull abilites. That is what Prestige classes are for, to give PC's extra abilites at the cost of roleplaying a more structured and specifically talented class. This Feat, due to it's cumulitive effects, is way to powerfull for a feat and takes away having the need for the magical "Wounding" weapon. A Wounding Weapon would be more acceptable as its a magic item and has been enchanted specifically to bleed opponents. This Arterial Strike Feat is way to powerfull to just be a feat, maybe a Prestige ability for an assassin, who gains Cumulitive benefits as he/she rises in levels. Now, I think that would be better, why not add this to the Assassin Prestige Class as a Level Dependent Ability. Sweet

 

[Corwin the Confused]

bump

 

[Nareau]

A possible side-effect: Does this 1-point of bleeding each round force casters to make concentration checks to cast spells (ala continual damage effects)? Not too terribly useful, but it could be in some circumstances.

I could also see nick-and-trap scenarios: Shoot the wizard in the artery, then trap him in an Ottiluke's Resilient Sphere.
Of course, this assumes he hasn't got any healing potions.

Hrm...this feat could also be useful against regenerating creatures (like trolls). They tend to last several rounds (at least, when I've fought them).

Spider

 

[Ferret]

If it can last long enough it is good, but the more times it is used the riskier it gets. After 12 rounds that twelve damage, Not bad. but if it''s healed that 1d6 out the window, which should happen soon.

 

[Archer]

Regenerating and Fast Healing creatures would be unaffected by arterial strike because they heal every round.

The point is that it only last long enough to make worth taking as a feat in a few circumstances. I thought being able to duplicate a 8k magic item made the feat bad. Someone else thought duplicating a wounding weapon made it too good but it doesn't duplicate a wounding weapon, it does -1d6 damage when duplicating a wounding weapon.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The proponents of arrows of wounding might note that the Wounding special ability on shows up on the Melee Weapon Speical Ability table, not the Ranged Weapon Special Ability table.

An arrow can be an improvised melee weapon, so it would be possible to create a +1 arrow of wounding for 8000gp... but not 50 at a time.

-Hyp.