Reverse Power attack

[TIPOT]

Is there a feat or ability in Dnd 3.5 that allows you to reduce your damage for a bonus on to hit, or AC or anything? I was planning on running a swashbucklerish warblade who relies on insightful strike for damage (so the standard damage doesn't matter much).

[Grod_The_Giant]

Combat Expertise?

[Rakoa]

The feat Combat Expertise requires 13 INT and lets you reduce your attack roll bonus to increase your AC.

[TIPOT]

I'm not looking to decrease my attack roll, I'm seeing if I can trade away damage for something/

[Hal0Badger]

I do not think there is, because increasing attack roll is a lot beneficial then increasing damage or AC, because of secondary effects. An attack roll can deliver a wide range of effects, from negative levels to ability damage. Also, an attack roll can target touch AC as well.

I do understand that is not your intend, however if such feat did exist, certain things would be far broken.

[kardar233]

The Arcane Duelist PrC (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a) can use its Dextrous Attack ability to trade damage for to-hit bonus.

[Pluto!]

You can see from the Arcane Duelist's ability's templating why this ability is so wonky: Damage, unlike attack, is based on a die roll which has uncertain value, combined with a strength score which also has a variable conversion (between .5x and 1.5x Str for a normal 2-armed creature), and on top of that, it's uncertain whether damage will ever have a value on a given attack roll until after it's successful.

That said, AD is the only instance of the ability I can think of.

EDIT: Well, it and the Defending weapon enhancement. Sort of.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The Arcane Duelist PrC (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a) can use its Dextrous Attack ability to trade damage for to-hit bonus.

This is definitely what you're after.


Dexterous Attack (Ex): Because the arcane duelist values successful hits over actual damage dealt, she can subtract damage from her chosen melee weapon's potential damage and add the same amount to her attack bonus. However, the weapon must do a minimum 1 point of damage. For example, the arcane duelist who wields a rapier as her chosen weapon can subtract up to 5 points from the damage, since the rapier has a damage potential of 6 points, and add that to her attack bonus. If she were wielding a +3 rapier, she could subtract up to 8 points from damage, since the weapon has a damage potential of 9 points, and add that to her attack bonus. The arcane duelist declares this power before rolling her attack, and the amount subtracted cannot exceed her base attack bonus.

Do take note that you can combine this with Power Attack and a two-handed weapon for a net gain. For example, at BAB +10 you can take -10 to hit for +20 damage, and -10 damage for +10 to hit, for a net +10 damage. Or -5 to hit for +10 damage, and -10 damage for +10 to hit, for a net +5 to hit.

[Chronos]

That's only because Arcane Duelist was from 3.0, and the double-power-attack-with-two-handers thing only originated with 3.5.

[BowStreetRunner]

The Arcane Duelist PrC (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a) can use its Dextrous Attack ability to trade damage for to-hit bonus.
Now put that ability on a Duskblade and you will see why they didn't offer this as a feat.

[Coidzor]

RAW, no, but one could probably homebrew up a 3.5 compatible version of Accurate Attack from Mutants and Masterminds (http://www.d20herosrd.com/5-advantages).

Or look into the homebrew options for playing D&D 3.5 in M&M that are floating around these boards.

[Troacctid]

Does Precise Strike (Dragon Compendium) count? Only works on sneak attacks, but, you know, it does the thing you said.

[Grod_The_Giant]

RAW, no, but one could probably homebrew up a 3.5 compatible version of Accurate Attack from Mutants and Masterminds (http://www.d20herosrd.com/5-advantages).
It's... well, you could literally just copy the text, but the issue that M&M handles damage completely differently than D&D. Here it's a hit point pool; there being "damaged" is essentially a saving throw with varying effects based on how badly you fail. Here you run into previously discussed issues with wildly varying damage values, attack-roll based effects, bonus damage, and so on-- it makes it hard to convert. There pretty much every value on your sheet (except skills and abilities) will be within a few points of your level, so translating one thing to another is easy.


Or look into the homebrew options for playing D&D 3.5 in M&M that are floating around these boards.
It is pretty fun... (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?279503-D-amp-D-in-M-amp-M-a-new-approach-to-rebalancing-3-5-PF)

[Telonius]

There are a few feats in Complete Scoundrel and Complete Warrior that do this for Sneak Attack - trade xd6 Sneak damage for another effect.

[Nibbens]

If you can grab stuff from PF, they have Shield of Swings (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/shield-of-swings-combat).

It allows you to trade damage (1/2) for a +4 to AC while wielding a 2 hand weapon.

Other than that, I know of none.