Power Attack for Ranged Weapons

[irdeggman]

What the heck does "balance on a different level" mean anyway?

When a setting - such as the one Storyteller01 had described makes substantial changes to core mechanics a careful eye must be applied to ensure that the overall "balance" is maintained.

Every type of character is supposed to have a role in a game and be able to contribute equally, albeit not at the same time. Some characters are supposed to be good at interactions (e.g., bards) and if the game has no interactions then that character's value has been reduced. Some characters are supposed to be good at melee combat - and if there is no melee (only ranged) combat then their value has been reduced. Some characters are supposed to be good at ranged combat and if there no raned (only melee) combat then their value has been reduced. And so on . . .

That is is what "balance" is all about. Maintaining a viable role in a game.

The balance on a different level is refering to overall game setting balance and not balnce for a specific feat.

If a game has predominately dungeon crawls and little to no outdoor adventuring it greatly favors melee combatants. If on the other hand it is predominantly outdoors and little dungeon crawls it tends to favor ranged combatants an lessens the value of melee ones.

If you had created the ranged power attack feats as a means to rebalance a game that was limiting to ranged combatants that is a different issue then trying to insert a generic feat that will increase the power of ranged combatants. But attempting to put a setting/game back into "balance" is not a core rules question, it is very much a house-rules one since it involves adjusting some sort of house-ruled setting in the first place.

 

[hong]

Make that yet another occurance of insulting a poster.

It's not my fault if you can't handle being called on your content-free posts.

 

[hong]

When a setting - such as the one Storyteller01 had described makes substantial changes to core mechanics a careful eye must be applied to ensure that the overall "balance" is maintained.

Tell me again why anyone except Storyteller01 should care about the substantial changes they've made to their own game.

Every type of character is supposed to have a role in a game and be able to contribute equally, albeit not at the same time. Some characters are supposed to be good at interactions (e.g., bards) and if the game has no interactions then that character's value has been reduced. Some characters are supposed to be good at melee combat - and if there is no melee (only ranged) combat then their value has been reduced. Some characters are supposed to be good at ranged combat and if there no raned (only melee) combat then their value has been reduced. And so on . . .

Very good. Now tell me again exactly how reducing the prevalence of the machine-gun archer schtick impacts on anyone else in the game. Except, maybe, machine-gun archers.

That is is what "balance" is all about. Maintaining a viable role in a game.

Tell me again how a ranged power attack feat reduces the ability of anyone to have a viable role in the game.

The balance on a different level is refering to overall game setting balance and not balnce for a specific feat.

Tell me again how overall game setting balance is impacted by having someone NOT take the tired and old machine-gun archer schtick.

If a game has predominately dungeon crawls and little to no outdoor adventuring it greatly favors melee combatants. If on the other hand it is predominantly outdoors and little dungeon crawls it tends to favor ranged combatants an lessens the value of melee ones.

Tell me again how having two archer schticks, neither of which is significantly more powerful than the other, instead of just the one archer schtick is supposed to lessen the value of melee combatants.

If you had created the ranged power attack feats as a means to rebalance a game that was limiting to ranged combatants that is a different issue then trying to insert a generic feat that will increase the power of ranged combatants.

Tell me again how a ranged power attack feat increases the power of ranged combatants, WITH SPECIFIC REGARD to the limitations placed on it as noted earlier in this thread.

But attempting to put a setting/game back into "balance" is not a core rules question, it is very much a house-rules one since it involves adjusting some sort of house-ruled setting in the first place.

Your point being...?

 

[hong]

The balance on a different level is refering to overall game setting balance and not balnce for a specific feat.

In your haste to post, it appears to have slipped your notice that this thread is in fact about that specific feat, as opposed to nebulous notions about "game setting balance". Try again.

 

[XO]

A Slight Tangent...

That's just way too powerful for a ranged attack. You'll find that your combats are over before they began. In the hands of orcs and other classed enemies, you'll find that the PC's wizard is dead within moments.

Any PC wizard in the wilderness and walking deserves to die, unless winds dictate otherwise.

What is it with DMs nowadays? How can the rest of the setting exist in a vacuum waiting for PCs to jump on the scene and make it right?

Not that many orcs can be classed, or the world comes to an end. (you can play Midnight)

Orcs are not typically snipers. If orc intelligence evolves, they'll go towards "dirty" (as in "not melee", or not "My foe's skull crushed beneath my falchion" magic.)

In between concealment, cover, having to remain in place for long, being spotted, and generally preferring to crush / slash / dismember foes, how do we accept these orcs to even exist?

Of course, if we design outdoor "meant to be random but really aimed at slaying PCs" encounters, or if we start having one creature live out its entire life for the sole purpose of one day slaying "such and such", so of these foes might make sense...

 

[Rel]

The next person to lob any insults (and I'm in the mood to define that term broadly) at a fellow poster in this thread gets a three day ban.

 

[irdeggman]

Tell me again why anyone except Storyteller01 should care about the substantial changes they've made to their own game.

That was supposed to be an example used to explain what "balance on a different level" was referring to.

But it seems I failed to communicate that well.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

The next person to lob any insults (and I'm in the mood to define that term broadly) at a fellow poster in this thread gets a three day ban.

I'm trying to play nicely Rel. I just didn't think a feat that is basically a ranged version of power attack would be that controversial. Obviously I was wrong!

Olaf the Stout

 

[BlueBlackRed]

If you're the DM Olaf, you can pretty much do whatever you feel is right.

If you think it's good as is, go with it.
I disagree, but I'm just one voice among many.

Put the same question to your players, their opinion is probably worth more than ours.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

If you're the DM Olaf, you can pretty much do whatever you feel is right.

If you think it's good as is, go with it.
I disagree, but I'm just one voice among many.

Put the same question to your players, their opinion is probably worth more than ours.

Don't worry BlueBlackRed, I will. I like to use EN World as a sounding board as much as anything else before I put anything to my gaming group. Often other people have been through the same things or similar before and can let me know if there are any kinks that need to be ironed out. Often they are things that don't really apply to my game but it is nice to know all the same.

I certainly don't base my game decisions entirely on what people have written on a messageboard. I will ask my players though.

My personal opinion after reading all these posts is that it won't be too unbalacing to introduce it into the game. Of course, like anything that I add to my game beyond the core, it is on probation to begin with. If it upsets game balance too much and someone with this feat starts dominating every single combat, no matter what the circumstance, then I'll get rid of it.

Olaf the Stout