Is Power Attack worth it?

[Vaxnor]

Hi all,

I'm a soon-to-be level 9 human barb and I'm wondering if Power Attack is actually worth it when I could take a different feat. Side note: I've heard there is a way to "exchange" a feat somehow...can anyone explain this simply?

Power Attack (as I'm sure you know) carries a -5 to hit and a +5 to dmg at base level. I use TWF and it sure seems to me, noob that I am, that the extra hits I get from NOT having PA turned on sure kill stuff faster than if I turn PA on and miss a bunch.

I've been wondering how/when/if this will change as I get higher levels, especially at end game. I've heard from some friends with high lvl chars (15,16,17) that AC starts to not matter as much, mobs will just inevitably hit you. Does one's 'to hit' follow along these lines? As I get to the upper levels will I just pretty much hit everything every time, making PA *much* more useful?

Any light anyone could shed on this would be a great help. I am also about to re-do my Enhancements to try to optimize those as well. 2nd side note: Any tips on Enhancements? Is the Human Versatility tract worth using? I never have...? I'm trying to have a sneaky/tumbly/jumpy TWF barb type of build. A sneak up and beat the ever lovin' stink out of you kind of character (Seems like I'm able to do this much more effectively when soloing, when in a group I end up just bashing stuff straight away) :) Thanks again for reading!

-Vaxnor, lvl 8 human barb

[Visty]

everyone who melees should take powerattack or is a waste of a spot
5dmg per hit is just too much to neglet

[ArichValtrahn]

My Barb just hit level 9 last night. I picked up Power Attack early. Probably too early. With it active, I couldnt hit the broad side of a barn. A -6 to attack just destroyed me. Then I hit level 8 and could use the +5 Flaming Greatsword I had sitting in the bank. Going from +1 to +5 was all the boost I needed for PA to actually work. The difference is amazing. Well, well worth it.

[Diarden]

Its a tough call from TWF and THF. If you are a THF Barb, you get +10 damage for -5 attack. With a TWF, you already lose attack because of dual weilding, so you're a little tighter on attack points. You need to figure out a way to integrate it in, because that extra damage is WHY you're playing a Barb.

[Impaqt]

I think the better question is this.

Is it worth playing a Barbarian.. Or any serious melee/DPS toon without Power attack?

[vVAnjilaVv]

I take it if u are asking this question u are not interested in the prestige enhancements. Unless I am mistaken....PA and Cleave are pre-reqs for it.

[CSFurious]

power attack equals frenzied berzerker

thf frenzied berzerker equals mucho dps

that is all

[Flasharte]

you can take PA and then use it when it is working ( if you are hitting on an 8 or lower turn it on if you are missing on 15 and lower turn it off) or something like that.

but you can't turn it on at all if you don'yt have it

[BlackSteel]

if you could only take one feat your entire career, it would be power attack.

as a barbarian theres no other single feat that will give you that much additional damage.

it may not be wise to use it 100% of the time at low level unless you're uber twinked. But once you get the right gear there's no reason to turn it off.

[eulogy098]

Is it worth playing a Barbarian.. Or any serious melee/DPS toon without Power attack?


I agree completely. I wouldn't build any Melee damage dealer or even semi-damage dealer (monk) without getting Power Attack. By level 10 or so the penalty becomes by and large nonissue.

To answer the question more directly-



YES, power attack is absolutely, completely and totally worth it.

[Darkrok]

I always found that the moment I finished the Korthos quests power attack was useful. The +1 insight and +2 stacking bonuses off of Anger's and the goggles giving you a total of +3 to hit negate over half the penalty. If there are things you're having trouble hitting get a higher plus weapon to make up for it.

However, I would NOT take the warforged power attack enhancements for quite awhile. There will be some content that pushes your to-hit until you get better gear and you want to avoid the situation where the +10/-5 would be acceptable but a +12/-6 or +14/-7 would not. While this seems like a small difference if you have a situation where you're only missing on a 1 and taking a -6 makes you miss on a 2 as well you've just doubled the amount that you miss. And with a -7 you've tripled that amount. Given that you'll be tight on enhancements anyway the +10/-5 is perfect in the early going.

[Darkrok]

There is one damage dealer you'll build that will likely have to skip power attack - a non-human finesse rogue.

Through level 15 you have to take the following: weapon finesse, twf, itwf, gtwf, imp. crit. piercing. That's five of your first six feats. For me, a rogue that skips out on toughness is going to be a dead rogue so power attack has to wait until level 18.

[Lorien_the_First_One]

It's not worth it at low levels because it can cause you to whiff more. But by L10 a good barb will hit on every swing, even with a -5 penalty so its free damage, take it.

[PurdueDave]

if you could only take one feat your entire career, it would be power attack.

I'm on board with that statement.

[Ericnox]

Ok, at level 9, you still have your normal rage, which you should use as often as possible.

When you rage, you gain the bonus HP, the Bonus Damage, and the Bonus to hit. +2 to hit and damage help to offset the drop for PA.

At level 9 you should be using a higher class weapon. Talk to some friends, hell, if you are Thelanis and you see me on (ericnox) I usually have some +5 weapons around your level laying about for alts I'll never make. In all seriousness, its worth it.

+5 to damage on both your main and off hand, +2 damage with rage, +5 weapon damage, +? for your STR mod, its too good to really pass up. 5 damage might not seem like much, but it adds up, quickly.