Power Attack?

[Extra Anchovies]

If I have BAB of +8, am I required to take the -3 penalty from Power Attack if I wish to use it that round, or can I instead only take -1 and get only +2 to damage?

Also, has anyone from Paizo ever explained why they nerfed Power Attack so much?

[gartius]

you do not get the choice of which. in the example you gave you would only get to choose to get the -3 for +9 damage with a Two handed weapon.

On the note of nerfage, it was onyy really if you can dump your whole BAB into it, since the exchange is more efficient, you get more damage out of each point of attack bonus lost, at the cost of optimizability, as you cannot use it to translate enormous to-hits(like monsters tend to have) into enormous damage. It winds up being more newbie friendly. So really only uberchargers complain to a high level.

Compare:
3.5:
2H = Ratio 1 atk : 2 dmg
1H = Ratio 1 atk : 1 dmg
light = Ratio 1 atk : 0 dmg
Max damage/penalty: BAB x2/-20
BAB 20 = 40 damage

PF:
2H = Ratio 1 atk: 3 dmg
1H = Ratio 1 atk: 2 dmg
light= Ratio 1 atk: 1 dmg
Max damage/penalty = (1+(BAB/4)) x 3 = 3+(3/4)BAB damage/-6
BAB 20 = 18

Yes there are more ways in 3.5 to make these numbers biggern shock trooper, leap attack, etc, but as base 1 feat 1 resource generally the pathfinder comes out on top.