Opinions on Combat Focus [Archive] - Wizards Community

Opinions on Combat Focus [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
doink1212
07-18-07, 09:58 PM Anyone ever try out the combat focus feat set from PHB II? How did it work out for you?

Once you get three of them all of the bonuses are real nice looking, +8 to will saves, fast healing 8, +8 on againist all disarm, grapple, bull rush, knowwiing you opponents hit point total is kind of nice.

I imagine it would work best on the fighter who will still end up with as many feats as everyone else.

Fighter / Divine Crusader could be a nice combo.

Could be real nice for a warforged plus adamintine body, I dont know if fast healing works on Warforged, who dont get normal healing.
aelryinth
07-19-07, 12:19 AM 1) the delay on the effect shafts their usefulness. What good is a +6 on my will save if I have to first enter combat and hit something? by then, I could already be charmed, feared, dominated, etc.

2) It takes too much of a feat investment to actually make them useful, and they don't scale unless you invest feats...and then only to a limited, fixed extent.

In other words, a nice idea, but it should have been taken further, and become must-have feats for fighters, where you actually have to agonize over taking them vs. other good feats. Generally speaking, that problem isn't there.

===Aerlyinth
MerlintheTuna
07-19-07, 02:51 AM I consider them secret-Fighter-feats, in that they're not really useful for anything but a Fighter; the increased effects are what make them worth it, and most classes just can't afford to burn that many feats. At any rate, I've seen them be useful in a low level game - fast healing and changing the Dodge target as an immediate action helped immensely in a few battles - but can't picture them being useful by the time 8th and 9th level come around.
BilopTheFleshwarper
07-19-07, 03:17 AM there are lots of little bonuses that get better as you get more feats.

I like to take them for professional fighters as they give lots of bonuses.

but at 25th level a +70 vs disarms is good.
Xeviat-DM
07-19-07, 04:17 AM I don't like them; I'm not fond of having a million different mechanics for things. I would have liked if they stuck with psionic focus, or something else, rather than make something new and then abandon it.
Meikle_641
07-19-07, 10:05 AM Personally, I've enjoyed a couple of them. A fighter/warblade anti-mage/combat harrier used the Fast Healing to great effect. In a test fight against a warforged warlock at level 9, it managed to drag it out to around an hour or so IRL hours. It isn't much, but that little bit can keep you alive.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
doink1212 07-18-07, 09:58 PM	Anyone ever try out the combat focus feat set from PHB II? How did it work out for you? Once you get three of them all of the bonuses are real nice looking, +8 to will saves, fast healing 8, +8 on againist all disarm, grapple, bull rush, knowwiing you opponents hit point total is kind of nice. I imagine it would work best on the fighter who will still end up with as many feats as everyone else. Fighter / Divine Crusader could be a nice combo. Could be real nice for a warforged plus adamintine body, I dont know if fast healing works on Warforged, who dont get normal healing.
aelryinth 07-19-07, 12:19 AM	1) the delay on the effect shafts their usefulness. What good is a +6 on my will save if I have to first enter combat and hit something? by then, I could already be charmed, feared, dominated, etc. 2) It takes too much of a feat investment to actually make them useful, and they don't scale unless you invest feats...and then only to a limited, fixed extent. In other words, a nice idea, but it should have been taken further, and become must-have feats for fighters, where you actually have to agonize over taking them vs. other good feats. Generally speaking, that problem isn't there. ===Aerlyinth
MerlintheTuna 07-19-07, 02:51 AM	I consider them secret-Fighter-feats, in that they're not really useful for anything but a Fighter; the increased effects are what make them worth it, and most classes just can't afford to burn that many feats. At any rate, I've seen them be useful in a low level game - fast healing and changing the Dodge target as an immediate action helped immensely in a few battles - but can't picture them being useful by the time 8th and 9th level come around.
BilopTheFleshwarper 07-19-07, 03:17 AM	there are lots of little bonuses that get better as you get more feats. I like to take them for professional fighters as they give lots of bonuses. but at 25th level a +70 vs disarms is good.
Xeviat-DM 07-19-07, 04:17 AM	I don't like them; I'm not fond of having a million different mechanics for things. I would have liked if they stuck with psionic focus, or something else, rather than make something new and then abandon it.
Meikle_641 07-19-07, 10:05 AM	Personally, I've enjoyed a couple of them. A fighter/warblade anti-mage/combat harrier used the Fast Healing to great effect. In a test fight against a warforged warlock at level 9, it managed to drag it out to around an hour or so IRL hours. It isn't much, but that little bit can keep you alive.