Power Attack at lv 1, why?

[Asherons_Chosen]

So I've seen a few builds posted on forums and I wonder why anyone would go w/ power attack at lv 1.

I ask the question because at low levels on a fighter/barb/ranger/bard/pally you will probably kill most things in 1 or 2 swings anyway, but you wont kill nothing you can't hit... which PA and the - to hit at low levels is painful is useless imo. refute me. make me see th elight

[Freeman]

Because a lot of other feats have BAB, level, stat, or some other requirements that make it impossible to take them at level 1. By taking Power Attack at first level, you get it out of the way and keep the later feat slots open for whatever else you need.

[JoeyJoJoJr]

So I've seen a few builds posted on forums and I wonder why anyone would go w/ power attack at lv 1.

I ask the question because at low levels on a fighter/barb/ranger/bard/pally you will probably kill most things in 1 or 2 swings anyway, but you wont kill nothing you can't hit... which PA and the - to hit at low levels is painful is useless imo. refute me. make me see th elight

i'm assuming they're not taking feat usefullness into account when selecting PA as their first feat. that build just needs that feat, which is available at lvl1 which allows them to take a higher lvl feat later (which they could not take at 1).

just a guess...

[WeaselKing]

So I've seen a few builds posted on forums and I wonder why anyone would go w/ power attack at lv 1.

I ask the question because at low levels on a fighter/barb/ranger/bard/pally you will probably kill most things in 1 or 2 swings anyway, but you wont kill nothing you can't hit... which PA and the - to hit at low levels is painful is useless imo. refute me. make me see th elight

I would think that it is added at level 1 to set up for pre-reqs for something else (ie Warchanter), or perhaps it is the only feat they are planning on taking that doesn't have a pre-req that they can't fulfill yet (like a bab req). I would also think that these playuers are not using power attack during the five minutes they spend at level one.

[Demoyn]

Not to mention that power attack increases with base attack. At first level, there's no way to make power attack subtract more than one point (5% chance to hit) from your attack modifier.

If you start with an 18 strength and weapon focus (humans and fighters), you've already got a +7 to hit. With an average armor class of 13, you're going to hit on a roll of 6 anyway, so requiring a roll of a 7 to hit instead and gaining 2 damage (a fighter at 1st level that doesn't take the greataxe is just slowing himself down) is a fine tradeoff for the first two or three levels.

Personally I don't take power attack at first level because I like to progress my other feats first since I won't use it between levels 3 and 6, but there's nothing wrong with taking it at level one. This is, of course, in addition to the other reasons already listed.

[rimble]

Right:

1) They need to take it at level 1 due to how their build is planned out.

2) You know you can get +3 Competence bonus to hit from the Korthos Island items? They stack...the Anger's set (necklace and shoes I think?) and the Goggles...yeah, I thought it was weird too...so why not Power Attack?

[Demoyn]

I believe the set bonus is actually an untyped bonus. But yeah, by the time you get the goggles and set bonus you should be level two. By the way, the pathfinder's items are better than any other set if you're melee. There's no reason to ever get the fighter or barbarian items.

[Valiena]

I have to echo everyone else, it fits in well at level one. Same for toughness.

[Aspenor]

FWIW, you can just take the feat...and leave it turned off....

[Memnir]

Power Attack is a prereq for Cleave - and Cleave is awesome.
The faster one takes PA, the faster one can Cleave.

[Asherons_Chosen]

Well now there we have it. Thanks for responses cuz i was confused... even though I took it on my barbs...

[BlackSteel]

by the time you end up replacing the korthos items, you'll have enough STR and other buffs to mitigate the penalty. Before korthos I wouldnt have recommended it to anyone unless that was the only place they could fit it in. But with the current amount of twinkage, why not? 18 STR, +3 korthos, +2 tome, weapon to hit +1

sooooooooo +10 to hit at lvl 1, and thats not including rage. I think you could afford a -1 to hit for +2 damage.