Author Topic: 3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18  (Read 1680 times)

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bhu

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3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18
« on: October 31, 2009, 07:44:12 AM »
If you were rebuilding 3.5, would you keep iterative attacks?  And if so what form would they take?

veekie

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Re: 3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2009, 08:47:55 AM »
I think extra attacks, by default are unnecessary, leave it to the particular class in question to gain or not gain extra attacks by dint of their class features.
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Runestar

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Re: 3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2009, 10:30:26 AM »
As always, I both like and dislike iterative attacks.

One thing I like about it is that it makes me feel as though I have contributed something during my turn, while striking a middle ground between feeling useless and doing too much.

Let me elaborate. Say I am a warblade using a standard-action strike. When I attack, one of two things happen. Either I hit for a lot of damage, or I miss and do nothing.

But the way iterative attacks are structured, I typically hit with my 1st 1-2 attacks (possibly 3 with haste), and miss with my remaining 2. So I don't feel like my turn was a complete waste. It is a good way of spreading out the damage so combat does not become too binary.

But I dislike that you are more or less expected to miss with your iterative attacks, and that many attacks tend to bog down the game. I am thinking that perhaps we should follow the decisive strike monk variant in PHB2. Mathematically speaking, I think that +20/+15/+10/+5 is roughly equivalent to +20/+20 (according to a study done at enworld).

So give combat classes fewer but more meaningful attacks.  :)

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RobbyPants

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Re: 3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2009, 10:50:02 AM »
If I were rebuilding 3.5, I'd keep iterative attacks, because I think the only harm they cause in and of themselves is extra rolling.  I don't think that makes them bad enough to drop.

I would probably cap the penalty at -5 for all iteratives, and possibly remove it all together.  So, a 20th level fighter's attack routine would either look like 20/15/15/15 or maybe even 20/20/20/20.

Casters don't take penalties when they start acquiring multiple targets.  Why should non-casters?
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Re: 3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2009, 03:04:13 PM »

Quote
  Let me elaborate. Say I am a warblade using a standard-action strike. When I attack, one of two things happen. Either I hit for a lot of damage, or I miss and do nothing.

But the way iterative attacks are structured, I typically hit with my 1st 1-2 attacks (possibly 3 with haste), and miss with my remaining 2. So I don't feel like my turn was a complete waste. It is a good way of spreading out the damage so combat does not become too binary.
 
Brilliant analysis  :clap

I love them personally. I just want them to hit more. Further I don't want to see the game "ONLY" include standard action strikes, I know that there's enough room for Barbarians/Fighters and Those Martial Manuever guys.
So something like what robby says is what I would go with.
I'd probbably make it a standard action do use them all, also.
Though really thats just optional. Especially if you make martial manuevers more available to folks.
Still something like 20-15-15-15 would really help Warrior types alot.


It really decreases the item drain to increase your to hit as well.
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Runestar

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Re: 3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2009, 03:08:44 AM »
I would also implement iterative attacks along the lines of manyshot. You can make more attacks, but each imposes a cumulative attack penalty.

So at 6th lv, you could opt to attack at +6 or +4/+4. At 11th lv, you could attack at +11, +9/+9 or +7/+7/+7. Likewise, at lv16, +16, +14/+14, +12/+12/+12/ or +10/+10/+10/+10. This ensures that all your attacks have a fair chance of hitting, so you don't ever feel like you are really rolling just for the sake of it (in the chance that a natural 20 might turn up).

This also has the benefit of letting you remove the cap of 4 attacks at epic lvs, since all your attacks would be made at your highest bab (plus a penalty).
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ninjarabbit

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Re: 3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2009, 10:21:11 AM »
I hate that without pounce or something similar that you can only move 5' if you want to make all those attacks.  Make it so you have a greater range of movement, say an extra 5' per extra attack

dman11235

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Re: 3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 18
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2009, 04:37:23 PM »
I think maybe itteratives would work best as a class feature (or a feat, or both) for combat oriented classes.  BAB (or whatever) improves as normal, but you get itteratives based on feats/class features, probably feats to keep the level-appropriate numbers.

Then again, the way they work now is only a little off, and either a -2 each time or a flat -5 would work, but not a cumulative -5.  Or the way Runestar suggested.
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