Fiery Assault

[RNightstalker]

So I'm reviewing ToB and...it has to be a typo, you gain access to a stance at LEVEL 11 that only gives a D6 bonus to melee attacks? C'mon.

[Kish]

If you don't consider 1d6 fire damage on all your melee attacks worth it, I'd suggest taking a different stance.

[RNightstalker]

If you don't consider 1d6 fire damage on all your melee attacks worth it, I'd suggest taking a different stance.

It's not that 1d6 fire damage on all melee attacks isn't worth it...I just don't think it's worth it by the time you can actually attain it.

[Zombimode]

D&D is a game of building up incremental advantages. This stance is similar to the rogues increase of 1d6 SA damage at level 11.

If that is "worth it" can only be answered in the context of a specific character.

[Gnaeus]

It really shows the power difference between PoW and ToB that there is a level 3 elemental flux stance that does this, and also grants fast healing 1 and fire resistance. And can be switched to other elements with different special effects.

[Khedrac]

It's hardly the only problem with the book.

Take the Naitlyn Rakshasa (or however it is spelt).
The have a number of alternate forms which come with a stance and a couple of strikes each - they adopt the stance with the form and lose the form if forced out of the stance (fine so far).
The Stone Dragon-related form has the stance which gives you DR if you don't move, but one of the strikes is a charge, so if you start the charge you lose the stance, the form and the ability to use the strike you were trying to make...

[RNightstalker]

D&D is a game of building up incremental advantages. This stance is similar to the rogues increase of 1d6 SA damage at level 11.

If that is "worth it" can only be answered in the context of a specific character.

An 11th-level Rogue is adding a 6th SA die to the 5 already accrued...

[ChaosStar]

An 11th-level Rogue is adding a 6th SA die to the 5 already accrued...

On one attack. Fiery Assault is meant for those who deal many attacks. For instance if you had 7 attacks, all of them would get the +1d6 fire damage from the stance.

[Zombimode]

An 11th-level Rogue is adding a 6th SA die to the 5 already accrued...

And Fiery Assault is adding 1d6 to whatever damage the attack would already deal. In both cases it is an increase of +1d6 damage.

[rrwoods]

On one attack

Huh? No, rogue gets SA as often as they qualify for it, on every attack in a full attack routine.

[Kish]

The rogue class feature is "+1d6 sneak attack damage"; at level 1, at level 11. A better comparison is that swordsages, the class that has Desert Wind as a discipline and thus would be looking at Fiery Assault, also has Shadow Hand and thus can have Assassin's Stance for +2d6 sneak attack damage as a third-level stance (level 5).

If Fiery Assault is worth it--and I'm taking no stance (so to speak) on that--it's for the damage being fire, not standard weapon damage, and working on creatures and in situations that Sneak Attack doesn't.

[Twurps]

And Fiery Assault is adding 1d6 to whatever damage the attack would already deal. In both cases it is an increase of +1d6 damage.

The rogue isn't giving up anything though. He/she just gets +1d6 extra.
The fiery stance requires you to give up whatever stance you were in before. So there's opportunity costs involved that the rogue doesn't have, and that flaws the comparison.

[RNightstalker]

The rogue class feature is "+1d6 sneak attack damage"; at level 1, at level 11. A better comparison is that swordsages, the class that has Desert Wind as a discipline and thus would be looking at Fiery Assault, also has Shadow Hand and thus can have Assassin's Stance for +2d6 sneak attack damage as a third-level stance (level 5).

If Fiery Assault is worth it--and I'm taking no stance (so to speak) on that--it's for the damage being fire, not standard weapon damage, and working on creatures and in situations that Sneak Attack doesn't.

You're not taking a stance...ha! I see what you did there!

But really, Assassin's Stance gives a character +2d6 at 5th level...and you're waiting for 1d6 at 11th level? A Rogue Blade let's a character attack from concealment and get SA on every attack too. Sure it has it's limits, but by that level most encounters won't be lasting 6 rounds at all.

[ChaosStar]

Huh? No, rogue gets SA as often as they qualify for it, on every attack in a full attack routine.

Sorry, getting ready for a 5th edition campaign where that is what happens. Trying to adjust to 5th is difficult, especially when I'm still playing 3.5.

[lightningcat]

Holocaust Cloak is a 3rd level stance that deals 5 damage to the attack each time you are hit.
While Aura of Chaos (Devoted Spirit 6th stance) lets your damage dice explode, Dancing Blade Form (Iron Heart 5th stance) gives you reach, and Shifting Defense (Setting Sun 5th stance) lets you 5' step as an AoO each time you are attacked.
And you could easily have a flaming weapon (a +1 bonus) long before 11th level, so Fiery Assault is both weak and boring.