Karmic strike

[Half-orc Bard]

I don't really get this feat. Is it that when you get attacked by an attack of opportunity you attack them back or what

[Starbuck_II]

I don't really get this feat. Is it that when you get attacked by an attack of opportunity you attack them back or what
Let's read it together:
Turn to page 102 complete warrior, you take a -4 penalty on your turn to your AC, but you can make attack of opportunities every time they make successful hits on you.

So, no, the reverse your thought. So you need Combat Reflexes and good Dex to make good useage of the feat.

Example:
BOB gets attacked by an orc.
But BOB had feat active (lowering his AC by 4), and has 15 DEX.
So Orc has 6 bab and a speed weapon. Each time hit by orc, he can make an AoO on orc (up to 3 times, once +2 from Dex).

Orc hits him three times rolling low on damage, so BOB gets to attack back each time hit. BOB kills orc though took some minor wounds from using the feat.

[Hiro Protagonest]

But the person you use it on has to be the one that you targeted for your dodge feat.

[Keld Denar]

It also only works vs your Dodge target, IIRC. And it only works if your opponent successfully hits you. If you avoid the attack, such as with AC or a miss chance, you do not gain the attack. Also, you can't make AoOs if your foe is outside of your reach.

[Mordokai]

Wouldn't that make Robilar's Gambit strictly better?

[Garagos]

I prefer Robilar's Gambit from PHB2. Works pretty similar, you announce that you activate Robilar's Gambit, enemy gets +4 to hit and +4 to damage, but whether they hit your or not you get to attack back until you're out of AoOs. Great for characters with a high AC or someone that doesn't care about being damaged, ie. Frenzied Berserker.

[Firechanter]

Typically, Retaliatory builds take both. However, if you want to take only one, then yes, I think the Gambit is preferable. Also because it doesn't have a feat tax.

[Starbuck_II]

It also only works vs your Dodge target, IIRC. And it only works if your opponent successfully hits you. If you avoid the attack, such as with AC or a miss chance, you do not gain the attack. Also, you can't make AoOs if your foe is outside of your reach.

No, dodge feat while a requirement has nothing to do with Karmic Strike. Any opponent that hits you (within reach) is requirement.

[Telasi]

It works against any enemy who successfully attacks you. The advantage Karmic Strike has is that it interrupts, allowing preemptive sunders/disarms/trips/attacks, which may debilitate the enemy and prevent the blow from landing. In addition, it's a source of out of turn attacks, which improves your damage output.

[Dusk Eclipse]

It works against any enemy who successfully attacks you. The advantage Karmic Strike has is that it interrupts, allowing preemptive sunders/disarms/trips/attacks, which may debilitate the enemy and prevent the blow from landing. In addition, it's a source of out of turn attacks, which improves your damage output.

No you got them mixed up; Karmic Strike triggers on a successful attack; Robilar's Gambit triggers on the attempt.

[Telasi]

No you got them mixed up; Karmic Strike triggers on a successful attack; Robilar's Gambit triggers on the attempt.

No. No I didn't. Karmic Strike (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-1708-karmic-strike.html) (CW, p. 102) only triggers if they hit, but it doesn't have the exception to the normal AoO rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/attacksOfOpportunity.htm#makinganAttackofOpportuni ty) Robilar's Gambit (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-2465-robilar-s-gambit.html) (PHB II, p. 82) does. AoOs interrupt the triggering action, therefore Karmic Strike interrupts any attack that would trigger it.

Edit: Heck, re-reading the Robilar's text supports this point; see the Normal section.

[Person_Man]

To optimize Karmic Strike you generally want to play a masochist build or a battlefield controller.

A masochist dumps their AC, and wants to be hit so that he can trigger retributive damage, plus 2, 3, or 4 AoO in exchange for each attack they take (from Karmic Strike, Robilar's Gambit, and/or Double Hit from the Miniature's Handbook. They also want high DR, vampiric/triggered Healing, and renewable temporary hit points (and very high hit points in general). The King of Smack is the most famous example, but the Incarnate, Totemist, and Crusader are also quite good at it.

A battlefield controller usually usually includes Karmic Strike or (if their BAB is high enough) Rob's Gambit as a secondary defensive measure to stop full attacks made against them in melee. A good example is a Knight who uses Test of Mettle to force enemies to attack him, and takes Karmic Strike plus Knockback, a Daze effect, or (if you're slumming it), Disarm or Sunder. Enemy hits you, you smack the enemy in a way that they can't attack you again for the rest of the round.

[Keld Denar]

The advantage KS has over RG is that KS comes online MUCH earlier. RG has a BAB req of +12, which means that a straight full BAB class can't take it until level 12. If you lose even one BAB, you have to wait until 15. Karmic Strike is available from level 1 and on for a 1st level human Fighter.