Finishing Blow [D&D 3.5, Feat, Preview]

Finishing Blow
Prerequisites: Str 15, Power Attack, Cleave, Base Attack Bonus +12
Benefits: Whenever you use your Power Attack feat accepting a penalty of at least -5, if you hit a creature that is at or below 20% of its maximum hit points, then you deal x2 damage.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, to a maximum of 5. Each time you do, you deal x2 damage to a creature you hit that is at or below a number of hit points 20% higher than normal (to a maximum of 100%). For example, if you take this feat three times, you deal deal x2 damage to a creature at or below 60% of its maximum hit points.

So, what do you think?

Author's Notes:

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I'm working on a new game that is a fusion of concepts from Fallout 3/New Vegas, Borderlands, and Diablo 2 and this is a sort of D&D translated preview of that game's design philosophy. Feats in the new game can all be taken to a maximum of 5 "ranks" and players get 1 feat per level in addition to skill points and attribute points which would be used to define and fine tune their character. Classes do not exist. In the new game, this would be a high-level feat that progresses in 10% increments rather than 20% (and also wouldn't key off of Power Attack), but given the much higher premium on feats in D&D 3.5, I figured 20% wasn't out of the question here.

Seems to work on creatures that are immune to critical hits. Assuming your new classless system doesn't gimp most classes against those creatures, this feat is fine. In 3.5, though, most existing classes and features that deal increased damage don't work on creatures immune to critical hits. Then again, this is a +12 BAB feat. So, I'm not really sure.

I fully endorse anything that brings percentage softly and in a simple way to D&D.

This functions similarly to an assassin base class of mine, but this works better for those who cause lots of damage instead of adding extra dices of damage. Seems fair for me, except for the high BAB requirement.

I would drop the BAB requirement to something much smaller, and add increased BAB requirements for buying the feat more times.

This feat seems worthless for anyone who isn't a high level fighter. And we know how common those are. At best, someone can take it 3 times pre-epic which means, at 18th, they can deal double damage to anyone at 60% or less. Honestly, if they are at 60% or less at 18th, that just means your first hit didn't kill them, the double damage is redudant. Even more so, even at 12th, an enemy low enough to trigger the feat will be well within 1-hit range already from anything moderatly competent.

Faults taken care of, something constructive. I'd either give it a scaleing trigger percentage, perhaps by BAB. Then, non-high level Fighters actually get a use out of the feat. Or perhaps lowering the BAB pre-req to +6 and give scaling pre-reqs for subsequent takings of the feat. Personally, I'd lower the pre-req to +6 and give greater percentages every +3 BAB. But its your feat, do as you wish, its just my suggestion.

EDIT: Wow got ninja'd on my own suggestions. Great minds think alike eh?

Seems alright to me, if people want that extra insurance of a finishing blow actually finishing off a target. Never enough dakka, etc., etc.

Having feats pickupable in ranks is rather like what Iron Heroes does with their feats, so it may be something you want to look into. It's a very slick system, to boot. :smallbiggrin:

Basically you're charging 3-5 feats for a single decent effect. Because if anyone takes this feat just once, it'll be totally useless. Getting bonus damage for the last 20% works in WoW because 20% HP on a boss mob there means you still have another solid minute of pounding away at the boss before it dies. In D&D if your attacks weren't doing 20% of the target's HP damage while power attacking for 5 already, you may as well not be playing.

Remove the stacking clause and make it below 50% and you have a feat that is almost competitive.

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Originally Posted by Seerow

Remove the stacking clause and make it below 50% and you have a feat that is almost competitive.

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That's pretty much how I was thinking. In D&D this feat is just too weak, because ideally a melee is dealing between 1/5 and 1/3 of a monster's HP per attack. Oh, well. I've been trying to come up with D&D translations of the feats I plan to use in my brainstormed new game, but the mechanics and expected gameplay are just so different that I don't think they can translate properly.