Am I exploiting?

[Maevan2]

Just think of what happens with the thin blade of a rapier when a half-orc barbarian tries to use it like his great axe ;-)

[Quoth The Raven]

Best if you actually hit something with that, Cornuto, cause the character sheet often lies.

[Root]

The bug here, IMO, wouldn't be Power Attack, it would be using a Short Sword (Small) on a small race, and finessing it. What shouldn't be possible is using a weapon with two hands, AND applying finesse to it (unless it's a rapier).

However, in the absense of a Rapier designed for a halfling (which you could get in PnP, and which would allow you to do this), I think it's fair enough.

[Nil]

This is a well-known power build, so I have a hard time believing that the idea of combining the two was unknown when the character was designed.

However, that said, I don't think it's any more of an exploit than a Sorc/Paladin or MT with one level of cleric.

It's a PVP server. If my character were capable of power attacking, i'd certainly do it.

[Cornuto]

A halfling melee powerbuild.... really? o_0

[Nil]

A halfling melee powerbuild.... really? o_0

Yup. Viva la revolucion!

[07paul87]

Yeah, I know it's a powerbuild, I've never refuted that. I'm talking about using weapon finesse and power attack, and whether or not it's an --exploit--

[BedlamX]

This is a well-known power build, so I have a hard time believing that the idea of combining the two was unknown when the character was designed.

However, that said, I don't think it's any more of an exploit than a Sorc/Paladin or MT with one level of cleric.

It's a PVP server. If my character were capable of power attacking, i'd certainly do it.

Um...well known to anyone that actually seeks power builds, maybe. I've been playing nwn since it came out (and D&D longer than some of you have been alive) and had no idea small stature creatures could finesse small size weapons until this thread. I also had no idea they could power attack with the finesse weapons.

Of course...I also never look at power builds to make a character. I make all mine to fit what I want them to do, how to act, and rarely actually plan a build (other than feat/skill selections for PRCs).

Your other two examples of "exploiting" are just your opinion of the "builds". Both examples can be done in PnP (along with Arcane Archer with one caster level and numerous others that have a requirement that can be attained with one level of a base class) unless house rules ban taking less than a certain number of levels in each class (like my old games had...3 levels minimum to show you actually took time to learn a class). None of these are available only because of a bug in the game engine and, therefor, not an "exploit". "Power builds"? Maybe. "Exploits"? No.

Just my take on all this.

[Nil]

I think I may not have communicated what I meant to communicate.

I was defending him.

This is no more exploitive than 1000's of other loops in the rules. After all, we're talking about a gimped way of playing (melee - especially on this server) with a race not especially suited to melee. Finding ways to make them awesome is a great passtime.

By the way, in case anyone is interested, you can get the same effect with medium weapons and the monkey grip feat. Finessable power attacking rapier-wielding halflings away!

edit: But I refuse to use the word "dawg" for any reason.

[Thief Of Navarre]

I tried this with a wood elven fighter/ranger and the results can be devestating. Can you imagine favoured powerattacks with a huge AB from dex?

As a player I see nothing wrong with it. As a DM I might disallow it depending on the campaign; its a tricky one

[Cornuto]

Generally for power attack to be scary your strength needs to be pretty high. If you're getting any benefit from weapon finesse that would mean your dexterity is actually a higher stat then your strength so I'm kind of underwhelmed at how game breaking bad-ass this is.

A maxed strength based fighter with power attack seems scarier to me than one that splits his stats between dexterity and strength.

[07paul87]

And INT!

[Nil]

And INT!

Beat me to it.

[Root]

The power comes from using some special mechanics to change what you're using for what.

With high Int and Dex, you can use Swashbuckler and Duelist abilities to mean that from these two stats, you're getting more AB, more damage, and more AC.

In this, you become comparable to a high-str fighter, only you have benefits that come with more Int (IKD (Which is silly as a halfling with low str), Disarm, and more skill points) and Dex (more stealth, mainly).

[Nil]

In this, you become comparable to a high-str fighter, only you have benefits that come with more Int (IKD (Which is silly as a halfling with low str), Disarm, and more skill points) and Dex (more stealth, mainly).

Until you get to later levels and everything is immune to crits. The high-str fighter keeps on trucking and the int/dex combo is castrated.

There's still a balance here.