ericgrau
2008-08-10, 08:47 AM
Hello, my goal here is to find not only the best power attack modifier to use but also how much extra damage you're really getting. i.e., you gain damage per hit, but you lose some damage from misses. Most people don't understand damage per round very well, so I decided the most user-friendly format would be effective-damage-per hit. Basically I add the extra PA damage, then subtract the damage lost due to misses (spread out among your hits). That's the simple explanation, anyway.
So here it is (assumes two-handed fighting):
Effective Boost to Average Damage
PA Modifiier: 2 (-2 AB, +4 damage)
Avg. Chance to
Hit without
Power Attack Average Damage without Power Attack
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
10% -3.00 -5.50 -8.00 -10.50 -13.00 -15.50 -18.00
20% -3.00 -5.50 -8.00 -10.50 -13.00 -15.50 -18.00
30% -0.67 -2.33 -4.00 -5.67 -7.33 -9.00 -10.67
40% 0.50 -0.75 -2.00 -3.25 -4.50 -5.75 -7.00
50% 1.20 0.20 -0.80 -1.80 -2.80 -3.80 -4.80
60% 1.67 0.83 0.00 -0.83 -1.67 -2.50 -3.33
70% 2.00 1.29 0.57 -0.14 -0.86 -1.57 -2.29
80% 2.25 1.63 1.00 0.37 -0.25 -0.87 -1.50
90% 2.44 1.89 1.33 0.78 0.22 -0.33 -0.89
PA Modifiier: 4
Avg. Chance to
Hit without
Power Attack Average Damage without Power Attack
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
10% -1.00 -3.50 -6.00 -8.50 -11.00 -13.50 -16.00
20% -5.50 -9.25 -13.00 -16.75 -20.50 -24.25 -28.00
30% -4.00 -7.33 -10.67 -14.00 -17.33 -20.67 -24.00
40% -1.00 -3.50 -6.00 -8.50 -11.00 -13.50 -16.00
50% 0.80 -1.20 -3.20 -5.20 -7.20 -9.20 -11.20
60% 2.00 0.33 -1.33 -3.00 -4.67 -6.33 -8.00
70% 2.86 1.43 0.00 -1.43 -2.86 -4.29 -5.71
80% 3.50 2.25 1.00 -0.25 -1.50 -2.75 -4.00
90% 4.00 2.89 1.78 0.67 -0.44 -1.56 -2.67
PA Modifiier: 6
Avg. Chance to
Hit without
Power Attack Average Damage without Power Attack
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
10% 1.00 -1.50 -4.00 -6.50 -9.00 -11.50 -14.00
20% -4.50 -8.25 -12.00 -15.75 -19.50 -23.25 -27.00
30% -6.33 -10.50 -14.67 -18.83 -23.00 -27.17 -31.33
40% -4.50 -8.25 -12.00 -15.75 -19.50 -23.25 -27.00
50% -1.20 -4.20 -7.20 -10.20 -13.20 -16.20 -19.20
60% 1.00 -1.50 -4.00 -6.50 -9.00 -11.50 -14.00
70% 2.57 0.43 -1.71 -3.86 -6.00 -8.14 -10.29
80% 3.75 1.88 0.00 -1.88 -3.75 -5.63 -7.50
90% 4.67 3.00 1.33 -0.33 -2.00 -3.67 -5.33
PA Modifiier: 8
(All entries lower than PA for 6)
Naturally this assumes your chance of hitting is between 10% and 90%. If you hit on anything except a nat 1, even after power attacking, simply add that PA damage for free and don't subtract anything (no damage lost to misses).
Hopefully this will be of some help to people who play in games where their attacks have a chance of missing and they're deciding between, say, power attack and weapon specialization. It should also help show the value of +1 AB (if you're thinking of weapon focus, perhaps). For example, when you're dealing 30 damage, have an 80% chance of hitting, and you PA for +2, you gain +4 damage but lose 4.25 (net -0.25 shown on table). Thus +2 AB is worth 4.25 damage to that player, or +1 AB is worth about +2 damage.
If you have a way to always hit like wraithstrike or true strike or a very high AB, you of course take advantage of your free power attack. These tables are only for when your attacks have a chance of missing. Though I know some people play in games where that doesn't happen...
sword-and-board and leap-attack: For SABers (who don't switch to THF when PAing), double your "average damage without power attack" before using the table. Then divide the result you find on the table by 2. For leap attackers (assuming two-handed for 4x), multiply your "average damage without power attack" by 1/2 before using the table. Then multiply the result you find on the table by 2. (EDIT: fixed leap attack).
Full Attacks: Use your average chance of hitting for all attacks. This will usually be lower than your chance of hitting on single attacks. So the PA mod you choose for charging in may be different than the one you use on your full attack.
TWFers: This is complicated and PA isn't worth it for most TWFers anyway, so I won't get into this.
So here it is (assumes two-handed fighting):
Effective Boost to Average Damage
PA Modifiier: 2 (-2 AB, +4 damage)
Avg. Chance to
Hit without
Power Attack Average Damage without Power Attack
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
10% -3.00 -5.50 -8.00 -10.50 -13.00 -15.50 -18.00
20% -3.00 -5.50 -8.00 -10.50 -13.00 -15.50 -18.00
30% -0.67 -2.33 -4.00 -5.67 -7.33 -9.00 -10.67
40% 0.50 -0.75 -2.00 -3.25 -4.50 -5.75 -7.00
50% 1.20 0.20 -0.80 -1.80 -2.80 -3.80 -4.80
60% 1.67 0.83 0.00 -0.83 -1.67 -2.50 -3.33
70% 2.00 1.29 0.57 -0.14 -0.86 -1.57 -2.29
80% 2.25 1.63 1.00 0.37 -0.25 -0.87 -1.50
90% 2.44 1.89 1.33 0.78 0.22 -0.33 -0.89
PA Modifiier: 4
Avg. Chance to
Hit without
Power Attack Average Damage without Power Attack
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
10% -1.00 -3.50 -6.00 -8.50 -11.00 -13.50 -16.00
20% -5.50 -9.25 -13.00 -16.75 -20.50 -24.25 -28.00
30% -4.00 -7.33 -10.67 -14.00 -17.33 -20.67 -24.00
40% -1.00 -3.50 -6.00 -8.50 -11.00 -13.50 -16.00
50% 0.80 -1.20 -3.20 -5.20 -7.20 -9.20 -11.20
60% 2.00 0.33 -1.33 -3.00 -4.67 -6.33 -8.00
70% 2.86 1.43 0.00 -1.43 -2.86 -4.29 -5.71
80% 3.50 2.25 1.00 -0.25 -1.50 -2.75 -4.00
90% 4.00 2.89 1.78 0.67 -0.44 -1.56 -2.67
PA Modifiier: 6
Avg. Chance to
Hit without
Power Attack Average Damage without Power Attack
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
10% 1.00 -1.50 -4.00 -6.50 -9.00 -11.50 -14.00
20% -4.50 -8.25 -12.00 -15.75 -19.50 -23.25 -27.00
30% -6.33 -10.50 -14.67 -18.83 -23.00 -27.17 -31.33
40% -4.50 -8.25 -12.00 -15.75 -19.50 -23.25 -27.00
50% -1.20 -4.20 -7.20 -10.20 -13.20 -16.20 -19.20
60% 1.00 -1.50 -4.00 -6.50 -9.00 -11.50 -14.00
70% 2.57 0.43 -1.71 -3.86 -6.00 -8.14 -10.29
80% 3.75 1.88 0.00 -1.88 -3.75 -5.63 -7.50
90% 4.67 3.00 1.33 -0.33 -2.00 -3.67 -5.33
PA Modifiier: 8
(All entries lower than PA for 6)
Naturally this assumes your chance of hitting is between 10% and 90%. If you hit on anything except a nat 1, even after power attacking, simply add that PA damage for free and don't subtract anything (no damage lost to misses).
Hopefully this will be of some help to people who play in games where their attacks have a chance of missing and they're deciding between, say, power attack and weapon specialization. It should also help show the value of +1 AB (if you're thinking of weapon focus, perhaps). For example, when you're dealing 30 damage, have an 80% chance of hitting, and you PA for +2, you gain +4 damage but lose 4.25 (net -0.25 shown on table). Thus +2 AB is worth 4.25 damage to that player, or +1 AB is worth about +2 damage.
If you have a way to always hit like wraithstrike or true strike or a very high AB, you of course take advantage of your free power attack. These tables are only for when your attacks have a chance of missing. Though I know some people play in games where that doesn't happen...
sword-and-board and leap-attack: For SABers (who don't switch to THF when PAing), double your "average damage without power attack" before using the table. Then divide the result you find on the table by 2. For leap attackers (assuming two-handed for 4x), multiply your "average damage without power attack" by 1/2 before using the table. Then multiply the result you find on the table by 2. (EDIT: fixed leap attack).
Full Attacks: Use your average chance of hitting for all attacks. This will usually be lower than your chance of hitting on single attacks. So the PA mod you choose for charging in may be different than the one you use on your full attack.
TWFers: This is complicated and PA isn't worth it for most TWFers anyway, so I won't get into this.