Is Maximized Attacks Worth It?

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In my first time through the game, I didn't have this feat and I seemed to have done quite well without it. I'm considering going through the game again with a party with more fighters who will likely specialise in 2 weapons. This feat jumped out at me as a possibility. However, with the prereq of 4 ranks in Concentration, being able to max out damage for a meer 10 second per day seems like a waste of a feat.

When I look at a feat like Weapon Specialization, it looks like a good feat to take because it's 2 damage per hit for every hit. I don't have to do anything special and it's always there. When I look at Maximized Attacks, I'm thinking that for 10 seconds, once per day, each attack will be maximised. The only thing random about damage would be the damage die. It's d8 to 2d6 for the weapons that I am using. That's somewhere between 3.5 to 5 points of damage for 3 or 4 hits? With weapon enhancements, specialisation and Str bonuses adding up to probably 10 points already plus an average weapon die damage of 4.5 to 7 it just doesn't seem worth it to me.

I guess I'm just hung up on the once per day for 10 seconds duration. There are a variety of buffs that can be used (prepared) multiple times and that last multiple rounds. Some even affect multiple characters.

Perhaps it's just my style of playing (and optimising my characters). These once per day effects don't seem to be that interesting to me. I have used a barbarian and only ranged maybe once or twice. I usually just point my characters in the right direction and they take care of business for the most part. Sometimes I direct them to a specific monster. Sometimes I cast an area spell like Fireball or Confusion. I just cannot see enough situations where I feel a once per day effect of such a short duration is going to make a significant difference in the battles I have played so far.

Does Maximized Attacks make a difference in enough battles to anyone out there? Of so, please tell me your story. Am I missing something?

 

Nope, Maximized Attacks is not worth it. Suppose the ideal scenario: 5 attacks per round with a 2d12 +5 Massive Greataxe of Flame (good luck finding one), and no luck. You'll do +11 extra damage with each attack, for +55 damage per round or +550 damage over the whole course of the feat. Once per day. (Compare to a Fireball which may inflict 550 total points of damage all at once in a single casting. Much less a DBFB which may inflict thousands.)

That's the optimal case. With a more normal weapon like a 1d8 longsword, it's more like +3.5 extra damage per attack (+150 total), which is pathetic compared to the extra damage you'd get from a simple casting of DUHM or Holy Power.

If you want to maximize damage output, you'd be better off investing in some cleric levels than Maximized Attack. From your playstyle, though, it sounds like even that might be too much hassle. Wailing away without any short-term buffs at all is perfectly acceptable too--although you probably should consider using long-term buffs like Champion's Strength because they really do help and don't cost much hassle.

-Max

P.S. Actually, that's not quite the optimal scenario. The optimal scenario would crit-hit with the Massive Greataxe of Flame on every hit. Good luck doing that without luck. With improved critical and Executioner's Eyes, though, you could crit 30% of the time for an extra 60% damage, which means Maximized Attacks would add 880 damage on top of your regular damage. It's still inferior to Holy Power though.

 

I think you still need to make attack rolls for Maximized Attacks, because it only affects your damage output. It's also quite useless when you're hacking away at Mirror Images and the like. If used in the final battle, it's wise to only activate the feat after you've confirmed that you're actually damaging the target...
By the way, comparing the damage output of Maximized Attacks to a Fireball isn't very relevant, because the situations where you can and would use these, are quite different.
There's nothing else quite like Maximized Attacks. It's equivalent to complete luck, without all the requirements. But the requirements are very steep. I wouldn't alter my character build just to get this, but it's a nice feat to get if you can.

 

You're grossly overestimating the feat - its duration is ten SECONDS, not ten ROUNDS. You'll only manage about 7 or 8 swings in that time, tops.

I never plan around this feat, but if I'd play a fighter that doesn't care for most of the skillpoints anyway, why not? It's still more damage than not having it, and it's not like you have lots of good feats to pick after the first six or so.

 

When using a Greatsword, 2d6 damage, the average base weapon damage roll is 7. With maximized attacks its 12. Combined with weapon specialization, it's fantastic. Non-warrior builds probably should ignore this feat, but Fighters can greatly benefit by having it in their repertoire.

 

What the man says.

Truth be told, I don't care much for that feat as the short duration kills it.

 

That's what turned me off as well. Buff spells tend to last at least several rounds by the time you qualify for Max Damage.

 

Ouch, it's ten real-time seconds?

I'm actually really fuzzy on how IWD2 measures time. 1 round = 6 seconds or so? So Emotion: Hope lasts for 50 rounds = 5 minutes? Does Improved Invisibility (1 minute/level) really last for 4 to 6 times longer than Emotion: Hope? Because it doesn't seem that way.

-Max

 

Some of the listed spell durations don't seem to be accurate. Barkskin and Imp. Invisibility are notable spells that seem to last much shorter. I tried to identify and repair the problem using NearInfinity, but I couldn't find it...

 

It seems so and even if it isn't exactly 10s it still has a very short duration, so short in fact that it's easy to miss it out altogether.

It would be worth the trouble if it worked with sneak attacks but (according to nunsbane who gave it a shot) it only works with the regular damage and not the sneak attack bonus.

 

It only affects the damage dice rolls. Strength bonus doesn't require a die roll, so it won't be boosted. The items that benefit most from it are 1d10 bastard swords, and multiple-dice weapons like 2-handed swords and halberds, as well as weapons that have '10% chance to do 1d10 fire dmg' or something similar. Since you still do an attack roll (don't confuse this with the maximized damage roll), It won't make all of your attacks count as critical hits. But Executioner's Eyes will significantly boost critical damage, especially with x3 critical weapons.

I'm using a modded item, the Bastard Sword of Heroism. Originally it has 1d10+3 damage [+5 enchanted], +3d6 slashing. But ease-of-use component Improved Bastard Swords gives it a 4d10+3 instead. Either way, it's a good item to use with Maximized Attacks.

 

Well, yeah, Coin, it does seem fairly obvious that the more powerful the weapon (in terms of damage potential), the more that weapon will benefit from Maximized Damage.

And I suppose that it's arguable that in HOF, it'd be worth taking for a tank rather than yet another specialization in some weapon you might not even be using. Of course, you do have to remember to use Max Damage to get any value out of it... which is a big reason that I'm not fond of it.

 

I'd classify it as one of those nice buffs that you know would make you better, but can't be arsed to use after you're through with the usual ones. And, as everyone else has pointed out, the duration combined with once per day limit puts it squarely into the "all bells and whistles" category.