#492 Vital Strike

[Matthew 'Janack']

When selecting Vital Strike as the attack option in the weapons tab it is counting Devastating Strike in the damage bonus while the feat is not selected.

[Anonymous]

Probably related, when selecting Vital Strike in the weapons tab, I noticed the bonus damage dropped by 2 points. This is with a level 8 fighter using a +1 elven curved blade with power attack (Strength 22; = 9[Str] + 9[PA] +1[weapon] +1[weapon training] = 20, but it's displaying 18).

[Anonymous]

I'll have this corrected in the next update.

[Matthew 'Janack']

Just noticed this, if you select Vital Strike you should lose the rest of your attack iterations. Not sure if the program can account for that.

[thebluecanary]

Why? I don't see that mentioned in the description of the feat.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/vital-strike-combat---final

[Matthew 'Janack']

VITAL STRIKE
You make a single attack that deals significantly more damage than normal.

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6.

Benefit: When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon’s damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), precision-based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.

This has been brought up on the Paizo message boards and with a quick search I found a thread that helps clarify this issue.

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2prmb?Vital-Strike#1

Stephen Radney-MacFarland designer
There is a difference between an attack action, which is under the heading of "Standard Actions," (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 182) and an attack when you use a full-attack action, which is under the header of "Full-Round Actions" (Core Rulebook 187). It can be a little confusing because and attack action has one attack, while a full-attack action has multiple attacks and things in the game can trigger on attacks or attack actions or rules can hinge on using an attack action or when making an attack. While the distinction is there in the text, it can be very easy to gloss over it because of the similarity of words and terms the rules use.

If we had it to do over, I think we could have made a better distinction between the two, but it was like that way in the 3.5 ruleset as well, so a bit of momentum took hold and now the problem my be too systemic for a reasonable and complete fix.

To answer the original question, you can gain the benefits of Vital Strike when you take the attack action, that is a standard action where you make one attack. You cannot use it when you take a full-attack action where your make multiple attacks.

I used to think the same way till my rules lawyer of a GM friend, (we still game I just know what I'm getting into) pointed this out to me. I hope it helps.

R/

Matt

[thebluecanary]

I see, I will have to update the sheet accordingly.