Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 sigfile Dec 26, 2014 9:26:17	I'm considering limiting the -5 to hit / + 10 to damage option granted by Great Weapon Master and Sharpshooter.   Instead of allowing the option on every attack, I'm considering allowing the option to trigger:   Once / attack action Once / turn Once / round So, option #1 would allow a fighter to action surge to get two uses in a round, and potentially trigger it on a bonus action, opportunity attack, or granted attack.   #2 would limit it to one use during the character's turn and potentially again on an opportunity attack or granted attack.   #3 allows one use per round, recovered at the start of the character's next turn.   I'm currently just musing. If anyone has implemented a similar change or taken a long, hard look at the ramifications of these or similar changes, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
#2 ChrisCarlson Dec 26, 2014 10:41:53	Would "use it" require success?   If a character with extra attack(s) applies it on his first swing, but misses, can he still try it with the second?   There's a big difference, based on your answer, as to whether the feat could become more detriment than benefit.
#3 sigfile Dec 26, 2014 10:47:26	You use it when declaring the attack.
#4 ChrisCarlson Dec 26, 2014 10:52:34	So if it causes you to miss (or you just roll badly) on your first attack, you are still done using it for the round. Your second attack has no chance to take advantage of the feat. Even though you've yet to hit anything. Bad feat. Wouldn't bother taking it.   Now, if that's your goal, then there you go. You've fixed the problem you have with that feat (i.e., people using it).
#5 sigfile Dec 26, 2014 11:22:38	Keep in mind, both feats still grant other bonuses. Great Weapon Master grants a bonus action attack when you crit or kill something. Sharpshooter allows you to attack at long range without suffering disadvantage and ignore 1/2 and 3/4 cover.   You think that restricting the number of times the bonus damage component can be used in a turn/round/action would be a deal-breaker. I'm curious to know why.
#6 ChrisCarlson Dec 26, 2014 12:24:12	If I miss on my first attack because of the -5, and cannot attempt it on the second attack, how often am I really going to get to take advantage of the crit/kill bonus attack benefit from the feat? I'm not doing much damage. I've already missed with half my attacks for the round. So the feat, net effect, has been a negative.
#7 sigfile Dec 26, 2014 18:33:40	I don't follow your reasoning. There's a penalty to hit in exchange for dealing more damage. Every use of these feats carries a risk of missing.
#8 Macv12 Dec 26, 2014 19:06:10	Allowing it 1/round or whatever would seriously hamper DPR compared to allowing it all the time, but would be an increase relative to never having it. I haven't seen it in action to judge whether it just dominates combat and makes it less fun, but that would be the only reason for me to restrict it. Of maybe you want to emphasize non-damage combat rolls, so you want to make other feat options more viable by comparison. It's supposed to be crunchy as all heck.
#9 sleypy Dec 26, 2014 19:28:02	sigfile wrote:
#42 Oraibi Dec 30, 2014 23:57:50	sleypy wrote:
#43 bonethug0108 Dec 31, 2014 3:38:26	I think many people are still stuck in the 4e mindset where dpr was THE most important thing in min/maxing (well, along with the condition riders). This edition is not built on that foundation and that's why people think things like GWM and the Beast Companion are broken (in opposite directions). Fact is 5e is about trade offs. Sword and board is a strictly better defensive style. It will never deal as much dpr as TWF and a GWF. To get upset about that fact means you are not grasping the system. If all you care about is dpr then go with the dpr build. Don't whine because your defensive build isn't keeping up damage wise. You are getting hit less and have less chance of biting it. Also, someone else touched on it but I will bring it up again. Any numbers you throw out from your game are meaningless unless you also throw out the miss percent and the die rolls along with the AC you were facing and whether you had advantage or not. Those have a huge effect on determining whether this is an issue or not.
#44 IgnatiusJ.Reilly Jan 01, 2015 13:45:16	Actually, when I looked over the chat logs on roll 20 it doesn't look like the player was taking the -5 penalty. When one mouses over the roll, attack bonus is +10. That would be +5 (Dex 20) +3 (Proficiency) and +2 (archery fighting style) I believe. I believe the ACs were twelve or thirteen, leather or studded leather. However, isn't this feat modelled after power attack, only useful against low AC creatures anyway.
(Reply to #44) EzechielDantan	IgnatiusJ.Reilly wrote:
#46 bonethug0108 Jan 01, 2015 19:42:26	So the roll 20 damage numbers from earlier don't mean jack just like I thought, and it's likely it wasn't being used properly anyway.