What's Really Wrong with Melee Weapon Mastery

[Legildur]

The way the feat is written it does not stack with Weapon Specialization and Weapon Focus.

Are you sure about that? I think nearly everyone here agrees that it does stack. What is really in question is whether it was intended to or should do.

The full decription of the feat indicates that it would stack. The abbreviated entry in the table tells a different story. Text takes priority over the table (according to WotC).

 

[dagger]

The way the feat is written it does not stack with Weapon Specialization and Weapon Focus. If you allow the bonuses to stack then it is too good.

They stack. Text over table. Also the FAQ clarifies further, if you care about the FAQ.

 

[Obergnom]

If you allow the bonuses to stack then it is too good.

Actually, it is not at all. It is an upper level feat, and alltough the "lategame" phb feats do not become better, all of the ones in PHB2 do. I think there is a simple reason for that. It allows the high level fighter to buy high level powers. Not just more low level ones.

 

[jontherev]

With regards to your 2nd point, just because it's a better (or, to be more precise, more powerful) feat than most (possibly all) other feats when it becomes available, it does not mean it's broken. Inexperienced players are "punished" (if you really want to call it that) by having 40 or 50 feats (or more) to read through and choose only 1. I hardly think this one feat is to blame for an inexperienced player not choosing this feat over something else. God forbid someone actually choose a feat based on a character and not just by how powerful it is. Fighters get enough feats as it is, and if an inexperienced player is not helped by other players, then he can always retrain using the rules in the PHB2 and change his feat choice when the light bulb comes on upstairs and he realizes that he shouldn't have chosen Toughness as his 9th level feat. Has anyone really noticed in-game that this feat is a problem? I haven't. I'm DMing now, having played a dwarven fighter from 1st to 24th level with this feat, and I intend to allow it in my game. YMMV.

 

[brehobit]

The only real problem with it is that non-fighter classes can get it (looks at warblade and pious templar). Both by level 9. Neither of those classes need a boost.

Mark

 

[Angerland]

The only real problem with it is that non-fighter classes can get it (looks at warblade and pious templar). Both by level 9. Neither of those classes need a boost.

Mark

True, but at least in the case of a Warblade, this feat is the least of your problems as far as powerful.

 

[Drowbane]

The only real problem with it is that non-fighter classes can get it (looks at warblade and pious templar). Both by level 9. Neither of those classes need a boost.

Mark

warblades have better things to use thier feats for than a mere +3 / +4....

 

[jasin]

Melee Weapon Masters does what the Table Text says. It gives you your specialisation bonus to all weapons of a damage type.

FWIW, that's what Mike Mearls says it was intended to do.

 

[IanB]

FWIW, that's what Mike Mearls says it was intended to do.

Yeah, that was the original intent of the feat; at some point in the editing process it was changed to what you see now. I think it is a pretty simple fix to just go with the table text, myself.

 

[Legildur]

FWIW, that's what Mike Mearls says it was intended to do.

Have you got a link to a quote for that?