Retribution Domain and Divine Sacrifice

[PaulKemp]

Imagine a paladin-cleric with the Retribution domain. The granted power of the domain is the following: once per day, after you've been harmed in combat, you can do maximum damage with your next attack with a melee or ranged weapon against the person or creature that harmed you. But I wonder if the power applies only to the weapon's base damage, or also to damage caused by spells that have enhanced the damage of the weapon (e.g. divine sacrifice), or a property of the weapon, such as shock or fire.

Any errata on this? Any thoughts? I'm disinclined to allow the expanded interpretation of the power, but I'm not adamant about it.

 

[the Jester]

I would rule that the base damage only would be affected.

 

[Jdvn1]

Probably only base damage, but is it broken if it's for all dice, including magical properties? I don't think so.

 

[RigaMortus]

I think it would be once you start factoring in things like Sneak Attack.

 

[Jdvn1]

Well, it's only once per day, and you can't do it in the Surprise Round and probably not the first round, unless you roll low on Init. For Rogues with Sneak Attack.

 

[Hypersmurf]

If you wanted precedent or justification for 'only base damage', relate it to criticals.

If you say "It only maximizes damage that would be multiplied on a critical", it's pretty much the same thing as saying "It only maximizes the base damage of the weapon".

-Hyp.

 

[PaulKemp]

Thanks for the feedback, all. Like most of you, I come down on the side of only base weapon damage being maxed, but I wanted other views to ensure I was not being overly harsh on the PC.

Appreciated.

 

[Diirk]

That's probably the most consistant way to play it, however it makes the power pretty useless once you start getting a few cleric levels, compared to things like smite from the destruction domain, and the granted power of the strength domain.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

The Weapon Master PrC has a similar ability which states that only base damage is affected, and that the power cannot be used on a crit. So there is some presedence.