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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 6925563" data-attributes="member: 58197">Let's assume a 6th-level greatsword fighter, with Strength 18, who is trying to decide between +2 Strength or Great Weapon Mastery.In terms of damage output, here is what picking GWM instead of +2 Strength gets you, based on your opponent's AC and the buffs you have going. Note that I am only considering the impact of the -5/+10 option. In fact, GWM is better than this, because you also get a bonus attack when you drop a foe.[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500"][TR][TD]Enemy AC[/TD][TD]No buffs[/TD][TD]Advantage[/TD][TD]Bless[/TD][TD]Advantage + bless[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 10[/TD][TD]+14% dmg[/TD][TD]+45% dmg[/TD][TD]+35% dmg[/TD][TD]+56% dmg[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 11[/TD][TD]+11%[/TD][TD]+40%[/TD][TD]+27%[/TD][TD]+52%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 12[/TD][TD]+8%[/TD][TD]+35%[/TD][TD]+20%[/TD][TD]+47%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 13[/TD][TD]+5%[/TD][TD]+29%[/TD][TD]+14%[/TD][TD]+42%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 14[/TD][TD]+0%[/TD][TD]+23%[/TD][TD]+10%[/TD][TD]+37%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 15[/TD][TD]-4%[/TD][TD]+17%[/TD][TD]+6%[/TD][TD]+32%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 16[/TD][TD]-9%[/TD][TD]+10%[/TD][TD]+3%[/TD][TD]+26%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 17[/TD][TD]-14%[/TD][TD]+2%[/TD][TD]-2%[/TD][TD]+20%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 18[/TD][TD]-15%[/TD][TD]-8%[/TD][TD]-7%[/TD][TD]+13%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 19[/TD][TD]-16%[/TD][TD]-13%[/TD][TD]-12%[/TD][TD]+5%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 20[/TD][TD]-17%[/TD][TD]-14%[/TD][TD]-15%[/TD][TD]-3%[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]As you can see, the feat by itself is fairly well balanced. You gain on the low ACs but lose out on the high ACs*. However, layering on buffs shifts the balance toward GWM.Now assume a 6th-level longbow archer, with Dex 18, deciding between +2 Dex or Sharpshooter (no Crossbow Expert shenanigans). This one is a whole other ballgame:[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500"][TR][TD]Enemy AC[/TD][TD]No buffs[/TD][TD]Advantage[/TD][TD]Bless[/TD][TD]Advantage + bless[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 10[/TD][TD]+52% dmg[/TD][TD]+79% dmg[/TD][TD]+77% dmg[/TD][TD]+88% dmg[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 11[/TD][TD]+42%[/TD][TD]+74%[/TD][TD]+67%[/TD][TD]+85%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 12[/TD][TD]+32%[/TD][TD]+68%[/TD][TD]+57%[/TD][TD]+81%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 13[/TD][TD]+29%[/TD][TD]+62%[/TD][TD]+47%[/TD][TD]+76%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 14[/TD][TD]+25%[/TD][TD]+56%[/TD][TD]+39%[/TD][TD]+71%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 15[/TD][TD]+21%[/TD][TD]+50%[/TD][TD]+33%[/TD][TD]+65%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 16[/TD][TD]+16%[/TD][TD]+43%[/TD][TD]+27%[/TD][TD]+59%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 17[/TD][TD]+11%[/TD][TD]+35%[/TD][TD]+23%[/TD][TD]+53%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 18[/TD][TD]+5%[/TD][TD]+27%[/TD][TD]+19%[/TD][TD]+46%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 19[/TD][TD]-3%[/TD][TD]+17%[/TD][TD]+14%[/TD][TD]+39%[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]AC 20[/TD][TD]-11%[/TD][TD]+6%[/TD][TD]+8%[/TD][TD]+31%[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]Why the difference? Two reasons. First, the Archery fighting style effectively reduces the enemy's AC by two, and low ACs favor GWM/SS. Second, the archer's base damage per hit is 8.5 instead of 12.333, which means that the +10 from Sharpshooter is proportionally much bigger. Even without buffs, Sharpshooter is almost always superior**. With buffs, it becomes absurd.So: GWM is at the top end of the feat power scale, and an optimized party can take significant advantage. Sharpshooter is just broken. I suggest reducing Sharpshooter to -5/+6, which puts it on par with GWM at -5/+10.[SIZE=-2]*I do account for the fact that you can choose not to use the -5/+10 option. You still come out behind, however, since you've got Str 18 and your alternate-universe self has Str 20.**Though the archer has more of a tradeoff: Increasing Dex will grant +1 AC as well as +1 to hit/damage. However, +1 AC for a ranged combatant is pretty small. Maybe -5/+7 instead of -5/+6.[/SIZE]</blockquote>

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