Person_Man's Guide to Optimizing To-Hit REDUX

[martixy]

This is useful to me, but has been languishing in obscurity, brokenness, incompleteness and error. Decided to fix.

Features:

• Recheck all sources.
• Add missing page numbers.
• More detailed notes.
• Fix errors.
• Reformat all tables.

It's still incomplete. Could use help. For example, the debuff table never got completed. Can also add PF1e sources.

This is the source-of-truth table.
I have a thing that makes BBCode out of it. Comment permissions open to everyone. If you want edit permissions, ask, I'm not stingy.

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Original thread located HERE.

Now that WotC is done with publishing official 3.5 material, I’m doing my best to index every major combo. This thread is dedicated to optimizing a character's ability to hit.

General Advice and Tactics:

1) Pick one attribute and have it be the base for all of your offensive abilities. If you have class abilities that depend on one attribute (spells, psionics, binding, meldshaping, blade magic) you should use your primary attribute for that class. This may require you to take an X stat to Y bonus ability in order to get that attribute to apply to your ability to-hit. For example, it's a good idea for Psychic Warriors to take Intuitive Strike, so that he can use his Wisdom bonus to-hit instead of Strength. This will help a great deal when you allocate your attribute scores during character creation, and help you conserve resources when you buy magic items and use buffs. However, this is not always the case, especially at low level. In particular, if you just happen to roll high scores for 3 or more attributes and are playing in a low level campaign, then Multiple Attribute Dependency (MAD) isn’t a big deal. If your class doesn't depend on Save DC's (Fighter, Barbarian, Rogue, etc) then the attribute you pick should be Strength for melee builds, Dexterity for ranged builds.

2) Avoid spending resources on small static bonuses. Weapon Focus is not worth spending a feat on. Don't spend money on a +4 Glaive, when you can buy a +1 Spell Storing Wounding Glaive and have a friend cast Greater Magic Weapon on it for you. This also applies to X stat to Y bonus abilities - if you have a Strength of 14 and a Dexterity of 18, it's not worth spending a feat on Weapon Finesse to get a +2 to-hit (though it might be worth it later in your progression when your Dex gets higher). The biggest exception to this guideline is spells. A mid to high level caster can easily accumulate a ton of small bonuses, often without expending any high level spells, buffing himself to insane power levels (ie, CoDzilla).

3) Be very aware of combat modifiers, and use them to your advantage whenever it is reasonably possible. Flank your enemy. Fight from horseback so that you count as being on higher ground. If you have Quickdraw and you're fighting a BBEG, your first attack against him should be with a Net. And so on.

4) A debuff to your enemy’s AC can sometimes be just as good as a bonus to-hit. But not always. Against a single powerful enemy it’s even better, because all of your friends essentially get a bonus to-hit against that enemy as well. Against a group of enemies it’s often worse, as many debuffs only effect a limited number of targets. Debuffs also often allow Saving Throws, making them inhearently weaker then bonuses to-hit, which are always on.

5) At higher levels, your real problem is Miss Chance and other magical protections, not AC. A Pit-Fiend (highest AC in the MM, IIRC) has an AC of 40. So once you accumulate a ECL + 20ish bonus to-hit (including BAB, your primary to-hit attribute, and all the miscellanies bonuses and debuffs) you can move on to optimizing something else.

6) Denying your enemy their Dexterity bonus and/or using touch attacks can make it much easier to hit your enemy. In fact, if you combine these two things, (which is not hard to do even in a core only game – Flame Blade and Greater Invisibility) you often have a 95% chance of hitting your enemy every time you make an attack. But…

7) Don’t over do it. It's important for any build to be good at hitting things, especially when you expend a resource of some kind (spells, power points, daily abilities, etc). But you don't want to be so good that you hit things 95% of the time every time, because then your DM just ups the AC, hit points, miss chance, and other protections on your enemies in order to challenge you. Figure out the overall power level of the other PCs in your party, and try to be in the same ball park. Keep a couple of tricks up your sleeve for when you absolutely need them, but don’t use them in every combat.

Bonus To-Hit

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Name	Type	Book	Page #	Edition	Bonus	Notes
Animal Devotion	Feat	Complete Champion	55	3.5	+1 to +4	Str bonus(sacred); Ape's fury
Archivist 1	Class	Heroes of Horror	83	3.5	+1 to +3	Dark Knowledge (tactics); Applies to all allies, Knowledge check
Avenging Strike	Feat	Tome of Battle	28	3.5	Charisma	vs evil outsiders, 1/day per cha bonus
Battlecaster Offence	Feat	Complete Mage	40	3.5	+1	Tactical; Limitations
Battledance	Epic Feat	Dragon #297	28	3.0	Charisma	Insight bonus; also to AC and Reflex
Barbarian	Class	PHB	25, 26	3.5	+2/+3/+4	Rage, Str bonus
Blackguard 2	PrC	DMG	182	3.5	Charisma	Smite Good, limited use per day
Bow of Song	Equipment	Magic Item Comp	48	3.5	Charisma	requires Bard music
Chameleon 3	PrC	Races of Destiny	112	3.5	Charisma	1/day per 2 lvls
Chaos Devotion	Feat	Complete Champion	56	3.5	random	-
Deft Opportunist	Feat	Miniatures Handbook	25	3.5	+4 on AoO	-
Eternal Blade 1	PrC	Tome of Battle	110	3.5	Intelligence	Insight bonus; Against 1 creature type
Factotum 1	Class	Dungeonscape	14	3.5	Intelligence	Requires Insp. Point
Greater Weapon Focus	Feat	PHB	95	3.5	+1	-
Heart of the Beast	Magic Item	Magic of Faerun	160	3.5	Divine Power	One use item.
Imbued Healing	Feat	Complete Champion	60	3.5	+1	Req. War Domain; Secondary healing effect.
Killoren (Destroyer Aspect)	Race	Races of the Wild	102	3.5	Charisma	Limited Smite 1/hour
Knight	Class	PHBII	25	3.5	+1 to +4	Fighting Challenge, against 1 enemy, limitations.
Knight of the Middle Circle 1/5/10	Prestige Class	Defenders of the Faith	67	3.0	+2/+4/+6	Insight bonus; Combat Sense, 1 enemy
Knowledge Devotion	Feat	Complete Champion	60	3.5	+1 to +5	Requires Knowledge check
Law Devotion	Feat	Complete Champion	61	3.5	+3/+5/+7	Sacred bonus, atk or AC
Marshal	Feat	Miniatures Handbook	13	3.5	+1 to +4 on melee	Motivate Attack Aura(major), all allies
Marshal	Feat	Miniatures Handbook	13	3.5	+1 to +4 on ranged	Steady Hand Aura(major), all allies
Martial Disciple	Magic Weapon	Tome of Battle	148	3.5	+1/+3	Depends on Discipline use (knowledge=+1, usage=+3)
Master of Masks	PrC	Complete Scoundrel	53	3.5	+1 to +4	Competence bonus; Gladiator Persona Mask
Mineral Warrior (+1LA)	Template	Underdark	96	3.5	Constitution	1/day
Paladin 1	Class	PHB	42	3.5	Charisma	Smite Evil, limited times per day
Reckless Charge	Feat	Miniatures Handbook	27	3.5	Extra +2 on Charge	Extra -2 AC
Reckless Offense	Feat	Expanded Psionics Handbook	51	3.5	+2	-4 AC
Shiba Protector 1	PrC	Oriental Adventures	222	3.0	Wisdom	also damage
Smite Fiery Foe	Feat	Frostburn	50	3.5	Charisma	Smite Fire subtype, limited uses
Snowflake Wardance	Feat	Frostburn	50	3.5	Charisma	requires Bard music
Soulborn 1	Class	Magic of Incarnum	25	3.5	Charisma	Smite Opposition, limited times per day
Tomb Warden 3	PrC	Libris Mortis	58	3.5	Charisma	10 min/day
Vexing Flanker	Feat	PHBII	85	3.5	Extra +2 on Flank	-
Warblade 3	Class	Tome of Battle	22	3.5	Intelligence	To confirm Criticals only
Watery Death	Domain	Player's Guide to Faerun	92	3.5	Wisdom	On Smite, limited use, aquatic creatures only
Weapon Focus	Feat	PHB	102	3.5	+1	-

Replaces X Attribute with Y Attribute To-Hit

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Name	Type	Book	Page #	Edition	Replaces	Notes
Brutal Throw	Feat	Complete Adventurer	106	3.5	Str for Dex	Thrown weapons
Charming the Arrow	Feat	Online	Link	3.5	Cha for Dex	With bow/crossbow
Companion Guard Style	Feat	Dragon #315	52	3.5	Str for Dex	Longsword or longspear
Control Body	Power	Expanded Psionics Handbook	86	3.5	Str for Int	of controlled creature
Fey-craft	Equipment	DMGII	275	3.5	Dex for Str	limited weapons
Intuitive Strike	Feat	BoED	44	3.5	Wis for Str	limited weapons.
Ordained Champion 5	PrC	Complete Champion	91	3.5	Wis for Str	Uses Turn attempts
Serenity	Feat	Dragon Mag #306, Drag Comp	106	3.5	Wis for Cha	For all Paladin Abilities, including Smite Evil.
Slippers of Battledancing	Equipment	DMGII	272	3.5	Cha for Str	Limitations
Tomb Warden 3	PrC	Libris Mortis	58	3.5	Charisma ?	10 min/day
Weapon Finesse	Feat	PHB	102	3.5	Dex for Str	limited weapons
Whirling Blade	Spell	Spell Compendium	238	3.5	Int or Cha for Str	Uses primary caster statistic
Whirling Blade	Spell	Spell Compendium	238	3.5	Int or Cha for Str	Uses primary caster statistic
Zen Archery	Feat	Complete Warrior	106	3.5	Wis for Dex	Ranged weapons

Deny Enemy Dexterity Bonus

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Name	Type	Book	Page #	Edition	Notes
Acrobatic Backstab	Skill Trick	Complete Scoundrel	84	3.5	1 attack
Blink	Spell	PHB	206	3.5	Attack as invisible creature
Confound the Big Folk	Feat	Races of the Wild	153	3.5	Tactical; 1 round; Limitations
Escape Attack	Skill Trick	Complete Scoundrel	86	3.5	1 attack
Flick of the Wrist	Feat	Complete Warrior	99	3.5	light weapon; 1 per round, 1 per opponent
Greater Invisibility	Spell	PHB	245	3.5	-
Hidden Blade	Skill Trick	Complete Scoundrel	87	3.5	1 attack
Invisibility	Spell	PHB	245	3.5	1 attack
Ninja 1	Class	Complete Adventurer	8	3.5	Invisibility for 1 round, 1/2 level + Wis times per day
Ring of Blinking	Item	DMG	230	3.5	27k gp
Sudden Draw	Skill Trick	Complete Scoundrel	89	3.5	1 attack

Touch Attacks

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Name	Type	Book	Page #	Edition	Notes
Eldritch Glaive	Invocation	Dragon Magic	82	3.5	Warlock Least
Emerald Razor	Maneuver	Tome of Battle	63	3.5	1 attack, Diamond Mind 2
Flame Blade	Spell	PHB	231	3.5	Druid 2
Heartseaker Amulet	Item	Magic Item Comp	110	3.5	1 attack, 3 times per day
Master Thrower 5	PrC	Complete Warrior	59	3.5	Weak Spot
Pyrokineticist 1	PrC	Expanded Psionics Handbook	52	3.5	Fire Lash
Spectral Weapon	Spell	Spell Compendium	58	3.5	Wizard 3
Spot the Weak Point	Skill Trick	Complete Scoundrel	89	3.5	1 attack
Wraithstrike	Spell	Spell Compendium	242	3.5	Wizard 2

Debuffs to AC

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This is pretty much an empty stub right now. I will fill it with:
Dexterity Damage.
Fear.
Ways to knock your enemy Prone.
Anything other debuff anyone posts.
To those who have already posted a few debuffs, I have noticed, and thank you. I just haven't created a table for this section yet.

[martixy]

Reserved, just in case.

Spoiler: Technical stuff

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Table regexes, for posterity

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