For those are wondering why, your odds of getting at least one hit are actually better with two attacks than with one attack at a +2 to hit, except in some extreme cases.
If you need a 20 to hit, your odds are better with the +2. But how often do you need a 20 to hit?
If you need a 19+ to hit, your odds are 20% of getting a hit with the +2, and 19% with the twin strike. But that 1% chance less of 1 hit is more than countered by a 1% chance of getting two hits - and twice the chance of getting a crit.
If you need an 18 or lower to hit, twin strike is better.
As a result, Careful Strike is a power that might as well just not exist. The Fighter Power Sure Strike isn't quite as obviously outclassed, but on average it will do lower damage (counting the chance of hitting) than just making a basic attack.
What to do? Increasing the bonus or damage to Careful Strike tends to just get into a lot of finicky math about whether you should be using it or another power. I'd really like to find a houserule that makes Careful Strike a different option, with its own set of viable uses.
One thing I'm considering:
Careful (Sure) Strike
Pausing for a moment to consider your foe, you aim a careful blow through their guard.
Move Action: Your next basic attack this turn has a +2 power bonus to hit.
This has an extra cost; you need to spend a move action. However, you still get your damage bonus, and since it affects basic attacks you can use magic items that work with basic attacks or charge. I think this would be an interesting tactical option. (Note that the Ranger careful strike would still have the 2 weapon or ranged weapon limitation).
Opinions?
Since Twin Strike already improves your chance of hitting, why not have a move that makes attacking safer? For instance, standard basic damage plus the following line:
Hit: You receive a +2 power bonus to defenses against attacks from this target until the beginning of your next turn.
Instead, how about simply making it a basic attack with a +2 bonus to hit? It's a bit better than a normal basic attack (which is true for most at-wills), and it doesn't suffer in damage.
Sure Strike - Fighter Attack 1
At-Will • Weapon
Standard Action - Melee Weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Increase to 2[W] + Strength modifier damage at 21st level.
Careful Attack - Ranger Attack 1
At-Will • Weapon
Standard Action - Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapon or a ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs AC (melee) or Dexterity +2 vs AC (ranged)
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged).
Increase to 2[W] + Strength (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) modifier damage at 21st level.
The last poster's suggestion of a simple Strength +2 attack with full 1W + Strength damage is a little overpowered; Brash Strike from Martial Power does pretty much the same thing, except you automatically grant combat advantage for using it (and it deals your Con modifier in damage if you're using an axe, hammer, or mace).
Either way, it's a pretty creative concept and I think I'll be using it in my own games. Thanks.
My own thought on Careful Strike is that, rather than getting a damage boost, it ought to give a defense boost against the target that you attacked.
I just made them basic attacks but vs. Reflex; this way they're different from basic attacks and have added uses.
This is actually a really interesting idea and potentially the best solution. I completely agree with the OP that those "ability +2 attack vs. AC and 1[W] no ability modifier damage" powers are feeble. The major problem is that they obviate the class's chief ability in return for a flat small bonus, so the trade-off becomes worse and worse as the character levels up. As I found with Sure Strike, this is a wasteful exchange in virtually all circumstances.
On the other hand, I completely agree with the other responders who suggest that the "move action" and "minor action" approaches simply turn an at-will power (and what specifically should be an attack) into a utility. Is there any other Level 1 at-will attack power that isn't a standard action?
But, Xeviat's idea keeps the original structure of the powers while opening up a whole new aspect of usefulness. If I'm a fighter with 18 Str, I'm hardly going to give up +4 to damage in return for +2 to attack vs. AC. On the other hand, there may be numerous circumstances where I'd give up +4 damage for +2 attack vs. Reflex (particularly since fighter and ranger powers otherwise almost overwhelmingly target AC). Nonetheless, I'd be curious to hear how this works in playtesting. Namely, does it unbalance the fighter and ranger to give them an at-will attack against something besides AC?
CAREFUL STRIKE Ranger Attack 1
At-will * Martial; Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons or a ranged weapon.
Target: One or two creatures, two attacks
Attack: Strength +2 vs. AC (melee; main weapon and off-hand weapon) or Dexterity +2 vs. AC (ranged)
Hit: Strength modifier damage per attack (melee) or Dexterity modifier damage per attack (ranged). Each attack you hit with this power deals an extra damage equal to your weapon’s enhancement bonus.
Increase attack bonus to +3 at 21st level.
If you were using a melee weapon, you would make 2 attacks, just like Twin Strike, but both would have a +2 bonus to it. The first attack deals Strength + first weapon's enhancement bonus, and the second attack deals Strength + second weapon's enhancement bonus.
It certainly deals less damage than Twin Strike (1[W] is usually higher than Str modifier, and feats like Weapon Focus and Weapon Proficiency increases dice rolls damage, but not fix damage), but the +2 bonus to attack compensates it. That's probably the intention of the power.
I meant that the power would be Str vs. Reflex for 1W+Str damage, just like the rogue's at-will.
Oh. Well, I'd be less geeked about that.
Simply replacing the broken ranger and fighter powers with the non-broken rogue power dilutes the rogue's uniqueness and undermines some of the incentive a fighter or ranger might have for paragon multiclassing as a rogue.Another alternative would be to make Careful and Sure Strike "Ability modiifer +2 vs. AC" attack and "1[W] + Ability modifier -3" damage. From this approach, the attack simply exchanges damage for slightly less of an attack bonus, like Power Attack in reverse. In fact, you'd probably want a "special" entry that forbids it from combining with Power Attack.
I could also see a variation that keeps damage at "1[W]" with no ability modifier, but replaces the flat +2 attack bonus with this "special" entry: "You gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your ability modifier (up to +4)."
Sure Strike - Fighter Attack 1
At-Will • Weapon
Standard Action - Melee Weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs AC. You have combat advantage for this attack if you didn't move this turn.
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Effect: You are immobilized until the start of your next turn.
Increase to 2[W] + Strength modifier damage at 21st level.
I can see why you all feel like a 'Move' power is weird...but its really not an attack power. It doesn't do anything on its own; you MUST use an attack action after it for it to accomplish anything. You could come up with some complex phrasing ala Syne_Lau's suggestion, but you're basically just increasingly the complexity of doing the same thing.
I may go with the vs. Ref attack though...
Another option for rangers would be to make it a +DEX+2 attack with no stat damage bonus. Useful for when bow oriented rangers get stuck in close.
Edit: Except its a ranged attack, not just a melee one. *Smacks head and exclaims DOH!*
Careful Strike allows you to designate the target as your quarry before making an attack.
Handy for ambushes, and when you really want to spend your minor on something else.
Otherwise works exactly as it currently does; +2 to hit, no stat bonus to damage.
Wisdom is secondery ability for both ranger and fighter.
The Ranger At-Will power Careful Strike suffers from essentially flat out being flat our worse than Twin Strike.
For those are wondering why, your odds of getting at least one hit are actually better with two attacks than with one attack at a +2 to hit, except in some extreme cases.
We resolved this matter by accident. We read the rule wrong. We didn't notice the words "two attacks".
So with twin strike, the player makes one and only one attack roll. However, the enhancement bonuses for each weapon are applied seperately. If one weapon has +4 and the other has +2, there is a two point discrepency between each weapon's chance of making contact with the enemy.
One attack roll is made. The die produces a 15. This means the main weapon struck but the secondary weapon did not. A roll of 17 means both weapons connect.
When attacking minions, it is now clearly of greater benefit to use one weapon, rather than the twin strike.
We also have a house rule (so far as I know it isn't official) that any weapon that permits two attacks per turn will grant a maximum of one attack if used in concert with the twin-strike power.
Ok, I've got it figured out for Rangers, but not fighters.
Careful Strike allows you to designate the target as your quarry before making an attack.
Handy for ambushes, and when you really want to spend your minor on something else.
Otherwise works exactly as it currently does; +2 to hit, no stat bonus to damage.
I like this Idea and I wrote it up just for everyone to see.
Careful Attack - Ranger attack 1
At-will - Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Requirement: Two melee weapons or a ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Str + 2 vs. AC (melee) or Dex + 2 vs. AC (ranged).
Hit: 1[W] damage (melee) or 1[W] damage (ranged).
Increase damage to 2[W] (melee) or 2[W] (ranged) at 21st level.
Special: Free Action. You may designate the target as your quarry before making an attack. Canceling any previous quarry.
Careful Attack - Ranger attack 1
At-Will - Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Str + 2 vs. AC (melee) or Dex + 2 vs. AC (ranged).
Hit: 1[W] damage (melee) or 1[W] damage (ranged) and you gain a +2 power bonus to AC against that target until the start of your next turn.
Increase damage to 2[W] (melee) or 2[W] (ranged) at 21st level.
Replace the words "two attacks" with the phrase, "calculate both attacks from a single die roll."
Oh. Well, I'd be less geeked about that.
Another alternative would be to make Careful and Sure Strike "Ability modiifer +2 vs. AC" attack and "1[W] + Ability modifier -3" damage. From this approach, the attack simply exchanges damage for slightly less of an attack bonus, like Power Attack in reverse. In fact, you'd probably want a "special" entry that forbids it from combining with Power Attack.
I could also see a variation that keeps damage at "1[W]" with no ability modifier, but replaces the flat +2 attack bonus with this "special" entry: "You gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your ability modifier (up to +4)."
My solution was to add half the wisdom modifier, instead of the normal +2 to-hit.
Wisdom is secondery ability for both ranger and fighter.
Both of these posts made me think of this.
Sure Strike - fighter attack 1
At-will -Martial, WeaponStandard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength + Special vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] at 21st level.
Special: You gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Wis ability modifier (up to +4).