scouts and skirmishing

[irdeggman]

If he was invisible to start and ambushed someone they would not know where it is coming from and would react less well than otherwise, but no skirmish damage unless moving.

He doesn't have to hide. He doesn't have to catch his opponent off balance. His opponent can be fully focused on tracking him in an open field and be aware of where he is with no distractions. All he has to do to get more damage is move and then blast with his eldritch blast from 60 feet away.

I think my description is more accurate.

The scout uses movement to find the best target area on his foe and thus gets in a single "good" shot (melee or ranged doesn't matter). The asumption would be that there is a sweat spot on any target that can be hit to do more damage. So the scout moves (to find the sweat spot) and attacks. The foe reacts, the scout moves to again find the sweat spot (which may have changed but the scout is trained in being able to spot it) and attacks again. Continue.

Hmm the skirmish has a range limit of 30 ft just like a rouge's sneak attack so a 60 ft eldritch blast is just right out of the equation.

 

[Voadam]

A way to describe skirmish damage:

Scout has to move in order to "find" a clear and vital spot.

In fact the description says "The scout must be able to see the target well enough to pick a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot."

This implies that the movement is necesary in order to gain this clear shot (whether in melee or via ranged attack).

"I run directly away then blast him." Still tough to describe how this leads to increased damage. Perhaps not impossible but still tough.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

All he has to do to get more damage is move and then blast with his eldritch blast from 60 feet away.

Just for the record, isn't there a 30' limit on Skirmish damage?

 

[irdeggman]

"I run directly away then blast him." Still tough to describe how this leads to increased damage. Perhaps not impossible but still tough.

Let's see, you can't move more than 30ft and still have to be within 30ft of the target in order to gain a benefit from a ranged attack.

Moving a little farther back in order to get a "better" shot or more accurately a "better angle" at a vital area is really enitirely reasonable. Distance quite often gives a different perspective on things and since the range must remain close in order to get the benefit it makes a lot of sense. This is the same tactic that gives the scout his AC bonus too.

Oh and he can't run (or hustle), since running is a full round action - thus giving up all other actions.

 

[dshai527]

You might think of it as the Scout is matching his movement to the opponent in way that keeps the opponents defense a step behind. Think of the Anime where the ninja runs around or parrallel to his opponent to keep his guard down or reach a certain spot and then rushes in for the hit or throws a weapon or something. The scout uses the battlefield and tactical movement as part of his attack so the foe can't properly defend his vital areas.

 

[Enkhidu]

How do you describe ranged snaek attacks?

 

[irdeggman]

You might think of it as the Scout is matching his movement to the opponent in way that keeps the opponents defense a step behind. Think of the Anime where the ninja runs around or parrallel to his opponent to keep his guard down or reach a certain spot and then rushes in for the hit or throws a weapon or something. The scout uses the battlefield and tactical movement as part of his attack so the foe can't properly defend his vital areas.

That is as a real good description, IMO.

Also applies to the reason the scout gets the AC bonus - he is moving just slightly better than his foe is aiming (whether in melee or ranged).

 

[Sejs]

"He suggested it was because the scout "catches them off guard" when he moves, but an archer being better when he fires on the run just seems too counter to my experiences for it to jibe for me."

To clarify: An archer that is better when he fires on the run - and is within 30' of his target. The scout's already belly-tight with what he's shooting at; gross accuracy isn't much of an issue at ranges that near. Essentially what the scout it doing with Skirmish is leading the target. The scout moves in a direction and the target tracks him and starts to adjust. Somewhere in the middle of that process the scout throws on the brakes, pulls up short, and snaps off a shot from an angle the target's not well defended against. You lure the target into defending against you as if you were standing at 3 o'clock, and then you nail him from 12 noon.

 

[Staffan]

I'll just point out that from a powergaming perspective, you're not gaining much out of using the skirmish/eldritch blast thing. You'd probably do more damage by putting the levels you're using to get skirmish damage into the warlock class instead.

 

[shilsen]

Just for the record, isn't there a 30' limit on Skirmish damage?

Yup. No blasting enemies from 60 ft and getting skirmish damage - or 31 ft either