Sundering? Underrated?

[Methos]

I was just curious about sundering and the Improved Sunder feat. Does anyone else think this combat technique and the possiblity of taking the Improved Sunder feat is underrated? I tend to think that it is. It seems that in my own experience, it is a combat option that is rarely used by most PC's and NPC's alike.

Does anyone use the technique of sundering an opponent's weapon regularly?

Any other comments?

 

[Crothian]

Well, most creatures people fight seem to not use weapons. That limits the usefulness of the ability. However, in city based campaigns I've run, Sunder is a great ability and one to be feared.

 

[Carpe DM]

Heh. Plus, Power Attack + Improved Sunder paves the way to Combat Brute, which makes me happy, happy, happy.

 

[kenobi65]

As Crothian points out, against natural weaponry, it's a waste, but if you're facing lots of humanoid types with weapons, it can be really annoying.

One of the players in the game I DM has a sunder-specialist fighter, with a greatsword. About the only thing that can stand up to him is a higher magical + than his sword currently has (at the moment, it's a +2). I've taken to giving the NPCs extra weapons, just so they can keep fighting after he sunders their first weapons.

Fortunately, the party has convinced the fighter (with his 8 Intelligence) not to sunder really nice-looking weapons, since he's destroyed more than a bit of the party's treasure...

 

[diaglo]

yeah, without using a few points in power attack it is not very effective either

most hardness for weapons is too high to cause them to be damaged.


against a hydra though.. it is the only way to go for a fighter type

 

[kenobi65]

I should also point out the "sauce for the goose" argument...if a PC starts using this a lot, a savvy DM will start doing the same.

I recently played in a Living Greyhawk module in which the party had to deal with an animated statue, with an adamantine greataxe. By the end of the combat, every single melee weapon that the party owned had been sundered.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Can you imagine the wizard, seeing the enemy spellcaster pulling out a magical staff, casting scorching ray on the staff to keep the wizard from using it?

That's why it doesn't see much use. Players look at it and see, mainly, a feat designed to destroy their own treasure. They would often rather face possible death than lose potential treasure. Besides, most of my NPCs have a backup weapon anyway, though usually only a short sword.

EDIT:
If you arn't a fighter, I suggest picking up a reach weapon instead of putting a feat in Improved Sunder. No attack of opportunity anyway, just 5' steps . You lose the +4 bonus, but you can instead get something that is more universally useful.

 

[Henry]

That's why it doesn't see much use. Players look at it and see, mainly, a feat designed to destroy their own treasure. They would often rather face possible death than lose potential treasure.

I've actually had a player who threatened that anyone using sunder on the opponents would be attacked - by HIS character.

 

[CatharticMoment]

If the NPC has a really nice looking weapon then just sunder his armour

And if it's available adamantium does a pretty neat job of getting through any hardness problems, and makes sunder very tricky to defend against.

Correction: According to the phb, "You can't sunder armor worn by another character". However you can still sunder their shield.

 

[Vlos]

Originally Posted by ThirdWizard
That's why it doesn't see much use. Players look at it and see, mainly, a feat designed to destroy their own treasure. They would often rather face possible death than lose potential treasure.

I have to agree that is one of the reasons I have never taken a character thaat uses it. Especially in my current campaign where good items are limited.