Removing 3.X Iterative Attacks (Suggestions)

[Merlin's Shadow]

Wulf Ratbane had some thoughts on iterative attacks in this thread.

 

[Runestar]

I used tome of battle. Adding +100 damage to an attack is much faster than rolling for 5+ attacks. Just stay away from the few multi-hitting maneuvers such as time stands still or avalanche of blades if they are not your cup of tea.

PHB2 has variants for monks and fighters which allow them to make fewer attacks, but each is more damaging.

Barbs can go the leap attack+shock trooper route, but many DMs may have issue with them being able to 1-shot anything he throws at the party.

Not sure how to revise rangers though. Multi-hitting full-attacks seem almost ingrained in their design.

 

[Bladesong]

We just dropped the extra attacks and increased the damage dealt. So the "formula" if you will using a fighter as an example was:
1st level: 1[W] + Strength modifier + magic, feats, etc.
6th level: 2[W] + Strength modifier + magic, feats, etc.
11th level: 3[W] + Strength modifier + magic, feats, etc.
16th level: 4[W] + Strength modifier + magic, feats, etc.
For crits we just added an extra 1[W] and maxed out the damage.
So a 6th level fighter with an 18 STR using a +2 flaming short sword would deal 2[d6] + 4 + 2 + d6(fire). If he crit it would be the maximum of 2[d6] + 1[d6] + 4 + 2 + d6(fire) which would inflict 30 points of damage (6 of it fire). High crit weapons would add an additional 1[W] if it were a x3 and 2[W] if it were a x4.
We handled two weapon fighing by making the off-hand weapon deal only 1[W] + magic/feats/etc. only...no STR modifier and the damage does not increase without the improved feat which just adds another 1[W] (so the max they do with an off-hand weapon is 2[W]). Some feats, etc. need to be adjusted as you go, but we just modified on the fly if necessary.
We are in our second campaign of using this method and really have not encountered any problems. Of course my group doesn't try to "break, bend or mutilate" the rules to try to become a "god" either.
Combat is definitely smoother...in fact we are currently using set damage rather than rolling dice and things are even faster than before. In other words a short sword deals 4 points of damage normally and 6 on a crit.

 

[Hawken]

I like a lot about your idea, Bladesong. I think I may give it a try in one of my own games!

The only thing I'd suggest is to leave damage at 1dx for a standard attack, and don't give the extra damage die unless they are making a full attack.

Are you doing anything different with extra damage die like from Sneak Attack?

You only mentioned Improved TWF. Do you do anything with Greater or Perfect TWF? Or do you only go as high as Improved?

 

[possum]

2: There would be feats to allow an extra attack, and fighter types would be able to take the feat an extra time for a total of 3 attacks. Not sure if I would penalize BaB on the extra attacks, but am thinking no, just for speed of play. Other feats, like Two Weapon Fighting, or class abilities like Flurry of Blows, would work as normal, including penalties to the extra attacks.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Particularly interested in your experiences with removing iterative attacks and how you compensated the classes, if at all!

This seems to be the best bet. Star Wars Saga Edition runs like this and I've had no problems with it at all.

 

[Bladesong]

The only thing I'd suggest is to leave damage at 1dx for a standard attack, and don't give the extra damage die unless they are making a full attack.

Are you doing anything different with extra damage die like from Sneak Attack?

You only mentioned Improved TWF. Do you do anything with Greater or Perfect TWF? Or do you only go as high as Improved?

The method I detailed would only be used as a full attack; charges, standard attacks and AOO are always 1[W] unless a crit is involved and you do max and + 1[W] as already stated.

Sneak attack damage is mostly the same but we max it on a crit. We have not encountered a situation yet that has made us want to change it.

I do not have the details in front of me but I believe GTWF lets you add your STR modifier (or DEX if you had the feet that let you use DEX in place of STR) and PTWF added another 1[W] (these are both for the off-hand of course).