Power Attack and Combat Expertise

[Hypersmurf]

That's an interesting piece you quoted there Thanee. I just read it and it looks to me like you could Power Attack for 5 (say), make a melee attack or two, and then, if you had sufficent attacks left, you could make a ranged attack (probably with a thrown weapon), at no attack penalty from Power Attack (as the penalty only applies to melee attacks).

Absolutely. Of course, your ranged attacks gain no bonus to damage either...

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Sure, if that were possible. (You'd lose the attack penalty and the damage bonus.) I don't think it is, though -- IIRC throwing your melee weapon is always a standard action and can't be done at the end of an iterative full attack. You can't whack, whack and then throw all in one turn.

Throwing a melee weapon that has no range increment listed on the table is always a standard action (or a full round action, if it's a two-handed weapon).

If you're using a spear, dagger, trident, etc, though, throwing it is just a ranged attack, and can be performed as part of a full attack action. Someone with a spear and a BAB of +11 can stab, stab, throw in a full attack just fine.

-Hyp.

 

[Legildur]

Sure, if that were possible. (You'd lose the attack penalty and the damage bonus.) I don't think it is, though -- IIRC throwing your melee weapon is always a standard action and can't be done at the end of an iterative full attack. You can't whack, whack and then throw all in one turn.

Say we have a human Ftr11 with BAB +11/+6/+1 and Str/Dex 10 wielding a trident (for example) with no directly relevant feats.

Theoretically could attack twice as melee weapon (+11/+6) for 1d8 damage and throw (range increment of 10ft) with the last iterative attack (+1) for 1d8 damage.

Now with Power Attack for 5 points, you could attack twice as melee weapon (+6/+1) for 1d8+5 damage and throw (range increment of 10ft) with the last iterative attack (+1) for 1d8 damage.

There are numerous melee weapons in the PHB that can be thrown (dagger, club, shortspear, spear, throwing axe, light hammer, trident, and sai).

And this doesn't look at the scenario of a character with the Quickdraw feat drawing a range specific weapon (such as a bow).

<edit: I see Hype was typing while I was and said something similar>

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Though not what you're looking for, there is a high-level feat that gives you more flexibility with your power attacks: If you use power attack and miss, but would have hit without it, you score a hit (but without power attack bonus damage, of course). It's from Rokugan d20 and a Lion Technique. I think it's Akodo's Technique, or Akodo's Final Lesson or something like that.

 

[SorvahrSpahr]

cool, if you're weilding a one handed sword, with two hands you duplicate the bonus right? like, you take 5 from ba and ad +10?

 

[Ranger REG]

cool, if you're weilding a one handed sword, with two hands you duplicate the bonus right? like, you take 5 from ba and ad +10?

Yup, you double the bonus tradeoff if you're using a two-handed weapon, or using a one-handed weapon with two hands, or using a double weapon as a two-handed weapon (i.e., attacking only one end of a double weapon).

 

[SorvahrSpahr]

that sounds good. I guess I'll have to start planning my power attacks more carefully