Uncanny Blow (CW) and Power Attack?

[Legildur]

The Uncanny Blow (Ex) Exotic Weapon Stunt allows an Exotic Weapon Master (p31 of Complete Warrior) to add 2x Str bonus to damage when wielding a one-handed exotic melee weapon in 2 hands.

I'm good with that part. But the ability description goes on to say that "If he has the Power Attack feat, he treats the weapon as two-handed for purposes of determining his bonus on damage rolls."

The Power Attack feat already allows for the wielder to gain the 2:1 damage bonus when wielding a one-handed weapon in two hands.

Does that mean that Uncanny Blow grants the 2:1 damage bonus when wielding the exotic weapon in one-hand only?

 

[hong]

If I hadn't banned the exotic weapon master, that's how I would read it, yes.

 

[Thanee]

I'd rather guess, that they thought it was not normally the case...

Bye
Thanee

 

[Legildur]

<sniffle, wipes eyes> You guys are so good to me to answer so swiftly.

And Thanee, while part of me suspects that your speculation is a possibility, I like Hong's answer as it relies only on RAW ;-)

PS And good to see someone beat Hypersmurf to the punch (or should that be 'to the uncanny blow'?)

 

[Thanee]

Of course.

But if you play purely by the RAW, the game is impossible to play, as most states and actions are not defined properly.


As a related question... what would happen, if an ogre picked up a human's greatsword and wielded it in one hand (with appropriate penalties to attack)? 2:1 ratio from Power Attack?

Bye
Thanee

P.S. havn't got CW around where I am... do you think the part about Power Attack is a completely seperate benefit, or is it more like used in conjunction with the previous? Because then it might only apply, when the weapon is wielded in two hands, as the first part specifies.

(And while I am here, editing, Shin posts the exact same suspicion... )

 

[Shin Okada]

I think 2:1 power attack bonus is gained only when an Exotic Weapon master is using one-handed exotic weapon in two hands. The second sentence of the descriptive text only says "the weapon". If "the weapon" is not the one-handed exotic weapon which is used in two hands, the meaning of this noun become completely vague. You may even argue that the increased power attack bonus can be applied to any weapon.

I think that sentence is not a clear one and maybe an unnecessary one. But I think the most reasonable description is that this entire trick is for one-handed exotic weapons which are wield two-handed.

 

[Shin Okada]

As a related question... what would happen, if an ogre picked up a human's greatsword and wielded it in one hand (with appropriate penalties to attack)? 2:1 ratio from Power Attack?

Bye
Thanee

A medium greatsword is a one-handed weapon for a large creature (and also of inappropriate size, thus -2 to attack rolls). So the ogre is using a one-handed weapon in two-hand. He still gets +2 damage per penalty. If the same ogre is using a human-sized longsword, now the sword is a light weapon for the ogre. Thus, even if he is wielding it in two-hands, he gets only +1 damage per penalty.

 

[Thanee]

The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all.

Ah, right... too bad.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Legildur]

Shin/Thanee. The description of the ability reads to me that it applies to 'the (one-handed exotic melee) weapon' referenced in the previous paragraph. However, it makes no mention of 'wielded in this way' or similar. And the Power Attack feat explicitly already allowed this 2:1 bonus for one-handed weapons to be wielded in 2 hands. So, without any explanation from the authors, I believe that it means the same bonus applies when wielding 'the weapon' in one hand.

 

[Hypersmurf]

PS And good to see someone beat Hypersmurf to the punch (or should that be 'to the uncanny blow'?)

Hey, it was 1am here when you asked the question!

I read it as "The feat gives 2x damage when wielding the weapon in two hands" - that is, no benefit at all

I figure, like Thanee, that whoever wrote it forgot that 2x PA applies to a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands already.

-Hyp.