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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Plane Sailing" data-source="post: 1003943" data-attributes="member: 114">I've seen Andy Collins use this reasoning, and I have to say that I consider it misleading at best. Percentage increases make it sound bigger, but in real terms it is adding exactly the same amount of damage whether it is used on a dagger or a greatsword - and it is real terms that the creature you are fighting is bothered by.It sounds like a justification, but it isn't really - it doesn't help the dagger wielder to kill the creature faster than the greatsword wielder because he is getting a "bigger percentage" increase in his weapon damage! In fact because of the bigger damage die the greatsword wielder is still doing better than the dagger wielder at every point in the PA scale.This means that your second less obvious corollary is actually wrong. It isn't more useful for low strength characters using light weapons. High Str characters have a greater "disposable" addition to their BAB than low Str characters - the 18 Str fighter could put 3 into PA and still be getting the same overall bonus as the 13 Str fighter to hit... Using PA he can always choose to use more (within the BAB/level limits, of course)In the example you gave, the halfling is making two attacks at -2 (when he gets a full attack, which isn't all the time), and PA for -3. He gets +1 from STR So he is making two attacks at -4, for 1d4+4 damage each. (ave 13) instead of 2x1d4+1 (ave 7)The Orc is uses PA for 9 (base 3PA, then reducing his Str bonus from +5 to +1, then adds in an extra 2pts to equal the TWF penalty, and otherwise the same amount as the halfling),  - so the half-orc is making one attack at -4 and is doing 2d6+14 (ave21) damage instead of 2d6+5 (ave 12).edit: I forgot the half-orcs 1.5str bonus, so even in 3e rules he was doing 2d6+7 normally (ave14) and 2d6+16 with that equivalent attack chance PA (ave 23). Also the halfling doesn't get full Str on his offhand attack, so his damage is 2d4+7 and 2d4+1 with and without the equivalent PA respectively. For the sake of simplicity I'm not comparing the percentage effect of not reducing chance to hit on the base damage, but even so I think the results are clear.So which would you rather be attacked by?I would say that the power attack is far and away a better choice in absolute terms for the half-orc.The silly thing is, that TWF is still stupidly brilliant for rogues - and in 3.5e a 20th level rogue with TWF, ITWF, GTWF can be getting 6 attacks *each* at +10d6 if he flanks someone subject to critical hits. In the face of that, why do they worry about Power Attack and light weapons?I've got nothing against you personally Christian, but I've seen this percentage maths trotted out before and it just doesn't work out the way some people seem to think it does.Cheers</blockquote>

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