Staggering Strike from CV

[Elephant]

In my game, the party rogue has this feat, and our reading makes it look like the official way to deal with it is to apply full damage, including sneak attack damage to the feat effect - this means that, at the high levels we're at, sneak-attackable foes have to make a DC 40 to 60 Fort save every round.

That is, "Roll a 20 or fail and be staggered."

We tried nerfing it down to half damage last session, but that made it rather too weak. Is there a middle ground? Does this feat need nerfing, or is it supposed to be balanced by normal sneak attack balance?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Could you post the Feat text? Or, at least, the relevant part?

 

[Saeviomagy]

In my game, the party rogue has this feat, and our reading makes it look like the official way to deal with it is to apply full damage, including sneak attack damage to the feat effect - this means that, at the high levels we're at, sneak-attackable foes have to make a DC 40 to 60 Fort save every round.

We tried nerfing it down to half damage last session, but that made it rather too weak. Is there a middle ground? Does this feat need nerfing, or is it supposed to be balanced by normal sneak attack balance?

I'm pretty sure this is the case. Especially at the levels you're talking about, where no serious foe will be sneak-attackable without a lot of effort...

That and the fact that staggered isn't all that big a penalty for a lot of characters - basically you deny fighter types their full attack, and that's about it. Since you could do the same simply by moving...

 

[Saeviomagy]

Could you post the Feat text? Or, at least, the relevant part?

Basically
"when you sneak attack a foe, the foe must make a fort save equal to the damage dealt or become staggered for one round"

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Looks like Saev's got it right, then.

Looking at that, the durations from two different sneak attacks don't stack, so that might clear up a potential problem (if you're stacking them!).

 

[Saeviomagy]

Looks like Saev's got it right, then.

Looking at that, the durations from two different sneak attacks don't stack, so that might clear up a potential problem (if you're stacking them!).

There may be further restrictions on it too - I think you may actually need to give up sneak attack dice to make it work...

 

[Shin Okada]

Cv?

Would someone please tell me what the "CV" is?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Would someone please tell me what the "CV" is?

Complete adVenturer. To distinguish it from CA = Complete Arcane.

I prefer CWar, CDiv, CArc, CAdv myself.

-Hyp.

 

[Shin Okada]

Complete adVenturer. To distinguish it from CA = Complete Arcane.

I prefer CWar, CDiv, CArc, CAdv myself.

-Hyp.

I see. Thanks.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Here's the actual rules text, now that I have CAdv in-hand:

Staggering Strike

Benefit: If you deal damage with a melee attack, you can also deliver a wound that limits your foe's mobility. For 1 round (or until the target is the beneficiary of a DC 15 Heal check or any magical healing that restores at least 1 hit point, whichever comes first), your target is treated as if it were staggered, even if its nonlethal damage doesn't exactly equal its current hit points. A target can resist this effect by making a successful Fortitude save (DC equal to damage dealt). Multiple staggering strikes on the same creature do not stack. This feat has no effect on creatures not subject to sneak attack damage.

Note that the attack does not need to be a sneak attack - merely a melee attack. Sneak attack is a prereq to take the feat, not to use it.

EDIT:

And, for completeness's sake:

Staggered: A character whose nonlethal damage exactly equals his current hit points is staggered. A staggered character may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can she take full-round actions).
A character whose current hit points exceed his nonlethal damage is no longer staggered; a character whose nonlethal damage exceeds his hit points becomes unconscious.