Unbalanced striker extra damage?

[Mistwell]

The feats that increase sneak attack and hunter's quarry damage to d8's make me shake a fist at the designers (very few things in 4e get that reaction from me). By 4th level every rogue and ranger has the appropriate feat. So how is this any different than the 3.x Precise Shot that every archer has to have?

What I would have liked, would be to see these feats work once per encounter as minor actions that last till the end of your next turn, or work as a daily stance power. Perhaps then, they wouldn't be such auto-feats.

Of course, as things are, I don't see any reason why not to create a feat that increases Curse damage to d8's, eventhough Warlocks have a few more ways to do auto damage, compared to Rangers and Rogues.

I think a lot of Rangers will not be picking up the feat by 4th level. It's a net improvement of +1 damage on average for them. Same as weapon focus, except weapon focus functions 100% of the time and the Ranger feat only functions if your target is already chosen using a minor action, and was the closet foe at the time.

 

[Mengu]

I think a lot of Rangers will not be picking up the feat by 4th level. It's a net improvement of +1 damage on average for them. Same as weapon focus, except weapon focus functions 100% of the time and the Ranger feat only functions if your target is already chosen using a minor action, and was the closet foe at the time.

Ok, maybe 6th or 8th for TW Ranger since they have a few extra feat offerings. But for an Archery Ranger, there really isn't a whole lot else that adds to them playing their striker role. You get Weapon Focus, Elven Precission or Action Surge, and you bump your HQ to d8.