Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 cursed_lich Nov 18, 2009 0:28:07	Unbalance Opponent
#2 TheRealOrion Nov 18, 2009 1:53:17	According to RAW, your friend is wrong. The feat clearly specifies that it denies Strength bonus only. Whether you happen to be using Dexterity as the equivalent bonus in a given attack is irrelevant. However, if you interpret the feat by its name, "Unbalance Opponent," it would seem to imply that it causes your victim not be able to either (a) put his full weight into the blow, or (b) keep his balance well enough to execute the swing (or something like that). A GM would be within her rights to houserule this if she saw fit, but it would be a houserule, to my mind.
#3 DwarfFighter Nov 18, 2009 2:54:29	I'd rule that the character cannot add his Dexterity bonus to the attack roll. -DF
#4 cursed_lich Nov 18, 2009 6:16:01	You can say what you guess is right freely but at least explain your point of view. I don't want just "No, you can't!",  "Yes, you're right!" or even "OotS rox"
#5 DwarfFighter Nov 18, 2009 7:20:37	I'm of the mind that using a different ability than the default ability doesn't stop restrictions/options targeting the default ability. It's a simple rule to avoid power-gaming. Take the Field Scientist's Smart Defense: "A Field Scientist applies his or her Intelligence bonus and his or her Dexterity bonus to his or her Defense. Any situation that would deny the Field Scientist his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense also denies the Intelligence bonus." Here I ruled that the combined ability score bonuses should be treated as a single bonus to Defense and subject to the same restrictions as the normal Dexterity bonus. Thus a character with Dex 14 and Int 16 will have a +4 bonus to Defense when wearing a concealed vest (max Dex bonus +4). -DF