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Please Rate Death Blow

Please rate the Usefullness/Must have of Death Blow

  • 1. No one should take this feat

    Votes: 5 7.9%
  • 2. Highly advisable to NOT take this feat

    Votes: 11 17.5%
  • 3. Underpowered or can't make use of it

    Votes: 8 12.7%
  • 4. Below average

    Votes: 17 27.0%
  • 5. Middle of the road feat

    Votes: 15 23.8%
  • 6. Above average

    Votes: 5 7.9%
  • 7. High powered or can use it often

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 8. Very useful feat

    Votes: 2 3.2%
  • 9. Highly advisable to take the feat

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 10. Everyone should take this feat

    Votes: 0 0.0%

AGGEMAM said:
It is a fighter bonus feat according to the SnF errata.

My bad I looked at the first page of the erratta and saw that it started with p.13 so I didn't look anyt further to see that they had changes to p. 5 before the changes listed for p.13.

*:> Scott
 

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Madfox,

The points you raise you make me think that CDG could be a very valuable feat as part of a planned team tactic: Cleric casts Hold Person/Monster; delayed Fighter with Mobility rushes in and delivers the Power Attack Death Blow.

At low levels, combats drag out because everyone misses a lot. Plus those Hold Person spells use a valuable 2nd level slot so you need to make the most of it. You need to act quickly because the spell does not last long.

At medium or higher levels, that Grunt you Held is going to be backed up by a spellcaster who can Remove Paralysis or Dispel Magic. Delay half a round and you lose your opportunity for the easy kill.

I haven't had much experience with choosing feats as part of a team plan. We usually pick based on individual character concept. A pair of us are trying out Blind Fight; I think we can cause some real havoc together.
 


Ridley's Cohort said:
The points you raise you make me think that CDG could be a very valuable feat as part of a planned team tactic: Cleric casts Hold Person/Monster; delayed Fighter with Mobility rushes in and delivers the Power Attack Death Blow.

Actually, it would be much more devasting if that person was an improved invisible rogue. (Remember, sneak attack damage counts with the CDG).
 

AGGEMAM said:

Actually, it would be much more devasting if that person was an improved invisible rogue. (Remember, sneak attack damage counts with the CDG).

An improved invisibility rogue is already so effective that augmenting with Death Blow seems a little pointless IMO. The rogue already can hit the Held victim multiple sneak attacks. Or wait to hammer the Cleric who attempts to cast Remove Paralysis.

Besides, at the power level where you regularly have an improved invisible rogue in the party, you are likely to have someone(s) who is Hasted during the fight, so CDG becomes a bit less valuable.
 

It seems like it would be most useful combined with Cleave (or Great Cleave) and a teammate with hold or similar.

Opponent held. Move in, CdG. The opponent is dropped, so you Cleave on...in effect losing *no* time to get rid of the paralysed opponent.
 

Except that you don't get bonus attacks off of CDG attempts - as they aren't "attacks" in the strictest sense of the word.

As certain individuals who liked to shoot down certain other argumentnts on this board so elegantly pointed out; CDG is a "miscellaneous full round action" - turned into a partial action by the feat... and it is NOT therefore an "attack" action.

If that WERE the case:

Combat Reflexes + Expert Tactician + Death Blow + paralytic poison + Asn Prc ... (easily done in a rogue/fighter combo)

If that guy hits you and you fail the poison fort save, then you almost certainly won't be making the second fortitude save that he gets the moment you become paralyzed... all those extra sneak attack dice...

Don't even THINK about this IMC - as I will NOT allow stuff from SaF. I have something similar to death blow anyway...
 

Magus_Jerel said:
Except that you don't get bonus attacks off of CDG attempts - as they aren't "attacks" in the strictest sense of the word.

Sure it is. It deals damage doesn't it.

As certain individuals who liked to shoot down certain other argumentnts on this board so elegantly pointed out; CDG is a "miscellaneous full round action" - turned into a partial action by the feat... and it is NOT therefore an "attack" action.

Sure it is 'an attack action', it is not however 'the attack action', that is a major differerence.

Combat Reflexes + Expert Tactician + Death Blow + paralytic poison + Asn Prc ... (easily done in a rogue/fighter combo)

Off course, you should add Improved Initiative to that, as it is the prereq for Death Blow, I'm sure you knew, but forgot (or left it out).

Don't even THINK about this IMC - as I will NOT allow stuff from SaF. I have something similar to death blow anyway...

Personally I have just nixed all magic items from the splatbooks except for those directly representing a spell in those book, eg. scroll, potion, or wands.
 

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