Quick question on a five foot step

[Infiniti2000]

It can be quite powerful when facing a lot of enemies spaced closely together. But like Greater Cleave, it's not very useful when you face enemies that are not spaced closely together. So like many tactical feats, it really depends on your group's style of play how often it can be used.

I had a bad guy who was Gargantuan, wielded a gargantuan great sword, had 20ft reach, +35 in Tumble, WWA and a whole slew of other feats. 1st round, he moved in over and atop the party (100ft movement) without provoking any AoO's, and took one attack. The party members tried to start 5ft-stepping away, but they weren't fast enough to avoid WWA's each round, reliably hitting every member of the party. I use the counter-tumble houserule and a couple party members tried to tumble away. No can do. Long story -- it ended with 2/6 PC's dead (+ a planar ally trumpet archon and lesser planar ally dead). The bad guy was also killed. Those who know me know what bad guy I'm talking about.

 

[irdeggman]

Okay, I agree, "each person" would give a pie to each person, not a slice.

Hmmm... I am still not sure whether conceptually this is intended to allow a 5' step or not. It does seem to really be extending your reach if can do so, but normally you can only attack (with a melee weapon) only those within your reach and you can take a 5' step between attacks in a full attack action.

Yes and then do you get to make an attack against everyone you can reach where you are starting and then take a 5 ft step and attack everyone you can now reach?

The latter seems ot make it broke, IMO.

Without counting the 5 ft step a character could get 8 attacks (one for each threatened square - assuming no reach involved an no one above or below).

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yes and then do you get to make an attack against everyone you can reach where you are starting and then take a 5 ft step and attack everyone you can now reach?

Yes - but only once for each target.

And, if you can hit 8 people, then barring any deaths, you probably can't take a 5' step.

EDIT:

Seriously - how often has anyone here seen any character get more than 3 or 4 hits out of WWA?

That's like saying that Fireball is broken because it's possible to come across a horde of tiny creatures (4 per 5' square) could be packed in perfect fireball formation, letting you do 1,600d6 worth of damage.

 

[atom crash]

Seriously - how often has anyone here seen any character get more than 3 or 4 hits out of WWA?

I've never seen it used at all. But in most battles I've witnessed, it would be good for an average of 2 hits per round, maybe 3.

On the same token, I've only seen one time a character could have actually benefitted from Great Cleave.

If you build a character concept around WWA and your DM keeps throwing you armies of bad guys that surround you, you may be the luckiest guy alive.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Seriously - how often has anyone here seen any character get more than 3 or 4 hits out of WWA?

Once. See my story above.