[Feat] Power Attack/Combat Experstise combo

[Joltz]

Another little thing that forced it's way into my head. It could use a better name...

Expert Technique
You blend offense and defense
Prerequisites: Int 13, Str 13, Combat Expertise, Power Attack
Benefits: On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls and as a dodge bonus to AC. This number may not exceed 1/4 your base attack bonus. The changes to attack rolls, damage, and Armor Class last until your next action. This penalty plus any other penalties from Combat Expertise and/or Power Attack may not exceed your base attack bonus.
Special: Two handed weapons are somewhat unwieldy and difficult to use with this fighting style than lighter weapons. Characters using a two handed weapon while using the benefits of this feat gain only 1/2 the attack penalty as AC. The attack penalty is considered to be from the Combat Expertise feat, which may activate some other effects. damage bonus from this feat is considered to be a bonus from power attack and is therefore increased when using a two handed weapon and by various other effects.


I think it's balanced, and the effects are somewhat true to rl combat.

I considered having weapon focus as a prerequisite for the feat and only allowing it to be used with weapons you have weapon focus for, but I don't like having lots of feat prerequisites.

[Proven_Paradox]

Yeah, I'm no expert at balancing feats, but this one seems far more powerful than it should be. Maybe if you add several more prerequisites (such as weapon focus, as you suggested) so that only a fighter can reasonably qualify for it.

[adanedhel9]

For sure you'll want to specify how this feat and Shock Trooper interact. As is, someone with this feat, Shock Trooper, and Improved Combat Expertise might expect to be able to use Power Attack for free.

[Joltz]

Added the cap on the overlapping bonus to prevent Improved Combat Expertise stuff. I forgot about that.


Yeah, I'm no expert at balancing feats, but this one seems far more powerful than it should be. Maybe if you add several more prerequisites (such as weapon focus, as you suggested) so that only a fighter can reasonably qualify for it.
I don't like that idea. How does limiting any abuse to characters with lots of spare feats help? That's just my opinion on feats in general though.


For sure you'll want to specify how this feat and Shock Trooper interact. As is, someone with this feat, Shock Trooper, and Improved Combat Expertise might expect to be able to use Power Attack for free.
Unfortunately, I don't have access to CW, so I don't remember what Shock Trooper does at all :smallfrown: .

[Deepblue706]

Unfortunately, I don't have access to CW, so I don't remember what Shock Trooper does at all :smallfrown: .

Heedless Charge is a subability of Shock Trooper. It works like this: when charging, you take a penalty to your AC instead of attack when Power Attacking with a -5 penalty or more (max is BAB). So basically, you can do massive damage with an accurate swing, but instead become vulnerable. Usually, that isn't a problem, because those who go for Shock Trooper also get stuff like Leap Attack, etc, and just slaughter whatever they just attacked anyway...so, there's often nothing left to take advantage of the low AC. And, if there is, martial classes usually don't mind, because they have high HP regardless.

[Joltz]

:smalleek: I think I'd tweak Shock Trooper before I tweaked this feat to accommodate Shock Trooper. No wonder everyone talks about using Shock Trooper with charge builds.

If I'm reading that right, you get the benefit of power attack by sacrificing 5 or more points of AC in place of BAB (but still limited by BAB)? That's just asking for abuse...

Eh, easy fix now that I think about it. I'll clarify that it works with attack penalties. It won't stop the feat from being used at the same time as Heedless Charge, but it clarifies that you can't take a penalty to AC to gain a bonus to AC at least. It's not like they couldn't get a bonus to AC from some other feat anyway.

[Matthew]

Well, it's not really abusive because of the conditions in which it operates (i.e. D&D 3e and it's Core Caster Problem).

The basic idea is:


Fighter 6 (5 of 8 Feats)
Attributes: Strength 18,
Feats: Power Attack, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Leap Attack, Shock Trooper,
Equipment: Great Sword,

Normal Attack: AB 10, DB 2D6+6,
Charge Attack: AB 12, DB 2D6+6, AC -2,
+ Power Attack: AB 6, DB 2D6+18, AC -2,
+ Leap Attack: AB 6, DB 2D6+24, AC -2,
+ Shock Trooper: AB 12, DB 2D6+24, AC -8,

...which should be enough to take down an Ogre or two, but leaves the Fighter open to retaliation. It's basically a result of increasing the Hit Points of the Monsters and strengthening the Spell Casters in 3e.

An alternative build (sans Pounce) would be:


Human Fighter 6 (7 of 8 Feats)
Attributes: Strength 18,
Feats: Two Weapon Fighting, Oversized Two Weapon Fighting, Power Attack, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Shock Trooper, Two Weapon Pounce,
Equipment: Two Long Swords,

Normal Attack: AB 8/8, DB 1D8+4/1D8+2,
Charge Attack: AB 12, DB 1D8+4, AC -2,
Two Weapon Pounce: AB 8/8, DB 1D8+4/1D8+2, AC -2,
+ Power Attack: AB 2/2, DB 1D8+10/1D8+8, AC -2,
+ Shock Trooper: AB 8/8, DB 1D8+10/1D8+8, AC -8,

at Level 7 this becomes:
+ Leap Attack: AB 8/8, DB 1D8+16/1D8+14, AC -8,

What you are proposing is granting double the benefit for the same loss (increased Defence and increased Damage?), which strikes me as aesthetically a bit off, and also mechanically a bad idea (too many ways to abuse it).