Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dremmen" data-source="post: 3326842" data-attributes="member: 30977">Well, here you say that "a high level character shouldn't be threatened by a low level one with a knife", followed by " a knife is serious business". Both statements I agree with and support in my previous argument that skill with a weapon should translate into more damage. So the low level bad guy should not be a challenge for a high level PC, while a knife in the hands of someone experience becomes deadly even to high level PCs.Call them what you might, a character with 68 hp never has to worry about being held up by a brigand with a loaded crossbow. He can confidently step up and snatch it away secure in the knowledge that it is impossible that he might receive any serious injury. It is this impossibility that troubles me. I like my heroes to still be human, and it is in their lack of god-like invincibility that their deeds are heroic. It isn't so much about what a high level character DOES or DOESN'T let himself do, it is what players do with their characters when they have enough hp to be cocky and reckless. They don't have to dance about avoiding anything, because they are safe and secure in their hp blanket.And here I just plain disagree. I don't think that a 10th level rogue should have to take a bunch of feats to be lethal with a dagger. Just the fact that he is 10th level should be merit enough to be dangerous with a dagger. I have never known a rogue to take Power Attack, although I am certain there are some out there. You also add Sneak Attack damage when the example purposefully made Sneak Attack not an option. A skilled rogue doesn't make vicious thrusts into the throat - he should be able to make two or three well placed cuts that aim vitals AS HE FIGHTS (read: not sneak attack) because he's been there and knows where to cut. Slash the wrist, under the arm, behind the knee, etc - not dealing 1d4 each time like some tavern keeper NPC. So comes in the system where a high bonus to hit (skilled) translates into added damage proportional to how well the blow landed.Regardless, the thing is that I still believe skill, pure out skill should count more. Knowing where to hit, familiarity with a weapon, knowing how to twist a blade, etc, these are things that should be inherent to characters that have spent months and years of game time adventuring. I'd like to think that a 1st level fighter with average stats, and an 8th level fighter with average stats, neither with feats that increase damage, would not both have the same damage potential just because they both didn't take Power Attack. Think Lan from the Wheel of Time - its not wild Power Attacks that kill his opponents, or with Drizzt - it is skill that lets them kill opponents quicker than someone using the same weapon - if both score a hit, one's hit has more impact. The seasoned fighter knows where to hit you to make it hurt - that cannot be explained away by power attack which has the clear intent of swinging with all your strength at the cost of accuracy.</blockquote>

Verification