I know this Class ability has been discussed before, but I have a specific question. When I first read the ability I simply assumed that it granted a +2 to Hit as well as +2 to Damage, as in 3e. I am unsure of why you would remove the bonus to Hit, assuming that the Primal Fury effectively bolsters strength.
So what reasons are there for removing the +2 to Hit?
Barbarian Primal Fury
Some do give the +2 bonus to hit. But, it's not all about Strength. More like unmitigated rage and "wild swinging" at anything that moves. When you're not thinking straight, your Strength isn't going to help you hit something... but, when you do hit it, it is going to make that thing hurt more, basically.
serleran wrote:
Some do give the +2 bonus to hit. But, it's not all about Strength. More like unmitigated rage and "wild swinging" at anything that moves. When you're not thinking straight, your Strength isn't going to help you hit something... but, when you do hit it, it is going to make that thing hurt more, basically.
This is what I thought. My trouble is that when you use the abstraction of HP then Strength does help you "hit" i.e. do more damage. That is why Strength provides a bonus to hit in the first place. Trying to make a distinction at this stage only seems odd to me.
Strength also factors into speed, which would affect a character's chance of hitting his opponent, as well as overcoming any body armour that his blows might impact.
It's the same for charging in C&C, though. You only get +2 Damage, not +2 to hit. Personally, in both cases, I apply the bonus both to hit and damage.
_________________
It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after ones own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350)
It's the same for charging in C&C, though. You only get +2 Damage, not +2 to hit. Personally, in both cases, I apply the bonus both to hit and damage.
_________________
It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after ones own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350)
Matthew wrote:
It's the same for charging in C&C, though. You only get +2 Damage, not +2 to hit. Personally, in both cases, I apply the bonus both to hit and damage.
Good point. I think that charging can be distinguished in that the action does not increase Strength as much as it merely increases the impact of the attack i.e. a bonus to damage. However, Primal Fury does seem more along the lines of a Strength boost.
I think I will go with a +2 bonus to Hit too (as well as reducing the Fatigue time either to zero or twice the length of the use of Primal Fury)
Well, there is definitely an argument for the momentum from a charge increasing the chances of a blow overcoming body armour or otherwise defeating the defences of the character being charged. However, these rationalisations aside, I just prefer the aesthetic of applying modifiers in the form +X/+X where possible.
I should say I also use 'Offensive Fighting' and 'Defensive Fighting' rules, so a character can always choose to do one of the following:
+1 to Hit, -2 to Armour Class
+2 to Hit, -4 to Armour Class
-2 to Hit, +1 to Armour Class
-4 to Hit, +2 to Armour Class
...but not as part of a charge, which has it's own modifiers:
+2 to Hit, +2 to Damage, -2 to Armour Class
_________________
It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after ones own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350)
I should say I also use 'Offensive Fighting' and 'Defensive Fighting' rules, so a character can always choose to do one of the following:
+1 to Hit, -2 to Armour Class
+2 to Hit, -4 to Armour Class
-2 to Hit, +1 to Armour Class
-4 to Hit, +2 to Armour Class
...but not as part of a charge, which has it's own modifiers:
+2 to Hit, +2 to Damage, -2 to Armour Class
_________________
It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after ones own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350)