PA vs Precision THF

[Marshal_Lannes]

I've gone through both on racial Paladin lives and consistently it feels like PA is doing more damage. However, it can be difficult to tell when you're getting benefits from precision. It's not like there is an easy chart that tells you how often it led to a crit. Another factor in this to consider is that if you're killing things quickly does precision even come into play vs the sustained weight from PA? Melee Power is yet another thing to factor in as that 10 extra damage is amplified further. For those that have done a lot of Paladin THF, which do you prefer?

[Stormraiser]

I've gone through both on racial Paladin lives and consistently it feels like PA is doing more damage. However, it can be difficult to tell when you're getting benefits from precision. It's not like there is an easy chart that tells you how often it led to a crit. Another factor in this to consider is that if you're killing things quickly does precision even come into play vs the sustained weight from PA? Melee Power is yet another thing to factor in as that 10 extra damage is amplified further. For those that have done a lot of Paladin THF, which do you prefer?

Take a note of when you miss attacks on rolls that are not a 1. Or when you don't confirm a crit on a low roll.

[drunkbarbarian]

I think PA vs Precision depends on the difficulty that you run. Normal through r1, PA probably has the edge. In higher skulls, to hit chance and fort bypass wins out.

[Nazanin]

PA generally for leveling 1-30. Precision for endgame

If im just doing a past life and some reaper ftbs i take PA at 3 and precision at 15. For an endgame focused build i drop PA.

[Pandjed]

I've gone through both on racial Paladin lives and consistently it feels like PA is doing more damage. However, it can be difficult to tell when you're getting benefits from precision. It's not like there is an easy chart that tells you how often it led to a crit. Another factor in this to consider is that if you're killing things quickly does precision even come into play vs the sustained weight from PA? Melee Power is yet another thing to factor in as that 10 extra damage is amplified further. For those that have done a lot of Paladin THF, which do you prefer?

PA is better at low levels, Precision better at high levels. This mostly comes out of how the game is build.

At low levels, mobs have little hp (compared to the damage you're doing) and PA cuts the number of strikes immensely, even if you need to hit every mob one less time, it saves you their attacks, especially if you use strikethrough relatively well.

In higher levels, some number bloats, like enemy AC, but with the right gear and Past Lives you can mostly ignore it, only high skulls will cause problems. But with the hp-explosion, one or two attack less won't feel that much, and the chance to crit usually non-critable foes like undead or constructs is much more valuable. Especially given how many buffs critical attacks get due to enhancements, (epic) feats, EDs, etc. That's why we have a crit-based META in DDO, and the +5 (or +10) to damage via Power Attack doesn't do as much, unless you take enhancements for PA, and there are few and most are viable, but fall behind crit bonuses.

In most cases, I'd stick to Precision, but if you're planning to use any form of rage, Precision is done for, as it deactivates during rage.

[DaviMOC]

If you get high fort bypass, something like 75+ you can make a case with improved pa from LD on epics, if not just stick with precision. Heroics PA is a better choice unless you're doing r5+

[nobodynobody1426]

Precision every day every time regardless because fort sucks. Things like undead, constructs, plants and so forth have innate 100% fortification so when you roll a crit the game just goes :trollface: to you. Some monster champion types also add another 25-50% fort on top of the monsters base value. Stacking armor piercing and fort bypass lets you remove that trollface and actually deal damage on those monsters. This has noting to do with to-hit because this game throws piles of attack bonus at players, it's about criting things that would otherwise laugh in your face.