Point Blank Shot: Precision damage?

[Al'Kelhar]

Is the +1 bonus damage granted by the point blank shot feat considered precision damage for the purposes of damage multipliers such as criticals and the manyshot feat? That is, if an arrow from a longbow shot at a target withi 30' by a creaure with the point blank shot feat does 1d8+1 points of damage, does it do 3d8+3 points of damage on a critical, or only 3d8+1? If the creature has point blank shot and many shot, and fires two arrows as an attack action using manyshot, do the resulting two arrows do 2d8+2 points of damage (each does 1d8+1), or 2d8+1 (1d8+1 for the first arrow and 1d8 for the second arrow)? And if the manyshot criticals, do the two arrows do 4d8+4 points of damage (3d8+3 for the first arrow and 1d8+1 for the second arrow), or 4d8+1 (3d8+1 for the first arrow, and 1d8 for the second arrow)?

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Hypersmurf]

It's not really specified what the definition of precision damage is, but it seems to be "Damage limited to within 30'". So yeah, Point Blank Shot is precision damage.

However, there's nothing preventing precision damage being multiplied on a critical; it's 'bonus damage dice' that aren't multiplied. So PBS is multiplied on a critical just fine, since it's a constant bonus, not bonus dice.

Manyshot applies precision damage to only the first arrow, so it would be 2d8+1. On a critical, the first arrow (1d8+1) is multiplied, and the second isn't... so it would be 4d8+3.

-Hyp.

 

[FEADIN]

I think that "precision damage" is about sneak attacks and such things, for PBS it's written "bonus damage" and nothing more.

 

[CronoDekar]

I've always understood "precision damage" to mean "damage which is only done to creatures with vitals" -- such as sneak attack, extra damage from critical hits, and 3.0 ranger favored enemy damage. So I'd say the +1 damage applies to each shot in the Manyshot. As Hypersmurf mentioned, it's only bonus damage dice that isn't multiplied, such as from sneak attack or weapon enhancements like flaming.

So personally I'd rule that it's 4d8+4 (3d8+3 for the crit, and 1d8+1 for the extra arrow). Though it's not really a big deal either way, as long as you're consistent.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I've always understood "precision damage" to mean "damage which is only done to creatures with vitals" -- such as sneak attack, extra damage from critical hits, and 3.0 ranger favored enemy damage.

Well, the only real clues we had were from the 3E Main FAQ.

Sneak Attack, Favoured Enemy damage, and Weapon Specialization were prohibited from applying to extra shuriken... which couldn't benefit from precision damage.

Weapon Specialization could affect creatures immune to crits, which suggests that this isn't what defines precision damage. But all three of those were only effective within 30 feet.

-Hyp.

 

[brehobit]

Similar question. In 3.5 is ranger damage precision damage? I'm sure it was in 3.0 but it looks to have been changed...

 

[Hypersmurf]

Similar question. In 3.5 is ranger damage precision damage? I'm sure it was in 3.0 but it looks to have been changed...

It's not limited to 30 feet, and it affects the crit-immune. It'd be hard to justify calling it precision damage, I think

-Hyp.

 

[TheEvil]

You know, I think I am finally starting to agree that maybe the D&D rules have become a little too complicated...

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Of course, this would all be solved by defining a new bonus type for attack rolls and damage: precision. Thus, sneak attack would be described as something like "an additional 1d6 precision damage", point blank shot could be a +1 precision bonus to attacks and a +1 precision bonus to damage, etc. Plants, oozes, undead, constructs, swarms, creatures with full concealment etc. would be immune to precision damage. Wouldn't be too hard, and would get rid of all the questions.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar