power attack advice?

[argo]

5) If your highest bonus attack doesn't have enough bonus to hit on a 2, then never power attack.

Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with that. Strongly. I mean, never power attack if you have less than a 95% chance to hit? What a waste of a feat. Anything you can already hit with 95% certanity you can probably kill with your minimum damage anyway.

Personally I like a 40%-60% chance on my primary after taking into account penalties from PA and such. Though in this case you are talking about someone who is also TWF which makes the secondaries more valuable so he may want slightly better odds (like 50%-75%). In any event I still say always power attack for at least one or two points unless you know that you are going to need absouetly everything you got to hit the guy (meaning you have a 10% or 15% chance before adding in penalties).

Power attack is one of your basic feats. It is how full BAB types stay compettitive at higher levels. Use it.

 

[Victim]

Well, the answer depends largely on how many iterative attacks one has. At really high levels, the bonus to damage usually isn't worth the diminished chances with your third and fourth attacks even against terrible ACs. As 2 weapon fighter, this will probably be doubly true, since you'd have more secondary attacks.

On the other hand, with only a single attack, as with a charge or other moving attack, power attack becomes a much better idea. It's better in most cases to power attack then.