Power Critical: What is it good for?

[c2k]

I think Fighter builds don't need Power Critical.

Swashbuckler builds on the other hand, the ones built to rely on critical hits, do benefit from the feat because they can't get the AB a Fighter build can get.

[mireigi]

I'd probably pick Power Critical in a build that uses a weapon that doesn't crit very often, but when it does, it crits high. Like spears, scythes and warhammers. When they finally do crit, you want to be sure you can confirm the crit.

[NegInfinity]

It goes like this...

With your weapon, you will critical hits will always confirm on targets whose AC is lower or equal to your AB. Meaning, if you have AB of 35 (AB, not BAB), you will always relaibly crit opponents with 35AC... well, at least with your first attack.

You will never critically hit opponents whose AC is higher than your AB + 21. So, if you're fighing a monster with 56 AC, you will never land critical hit on it, ever.

What power critical does is shifting those ranges by 4.
With power critical, you will always confirm critical on targets whose AC = your AB + 4, and you will confirm critical for monsters with AC up to your AB + 24. Meaning, that you will be able to eventually maybe land a critical hit on that 56 AC monster with your first attack... although chances won't be very good.

The thing is, it does not translate into incredible increase in average damage per round.

Here's sample stats (no guarantee that math I used is correct, though, although it should be) for scimitars/falchions:

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weapon 'rapier, falchion, scimitar, kukri (keen)' with ab '(45 40 35 30 25 20)',
stats: #S(WEAPON-STATS :CRIT-RANGE 15 :CRIT-MULTIPLIER 2 :POWER-CRIT 0)
vs 10 ac:  total-damage:  750.00%; crit-damage:  360.00%; miss:   5.00%; hit:  95.00%; normal-hit:  65.00%; crit:  30.00%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance: 100.00%;
vs 15 ac:  total-damage:  750.00%; crit-damage:  360.00%; miss:   5.00%; hit:  95.00%; normal-hit:  65.00%; crit:  30.00%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance: 100.00%;
vs 20 ac:  total-damage:  750.00%; crit-damage:  360.00%; miss:   5.00%; hit:  95.00%; normal-hit:  65.00%; crit:  30.00%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance: 100.00%;
vs 25 ac:  total-damage:  722.50%; crit-damage:  345.00%; miss:   8.33%; hit:  91.67%; normal-hit:  62.92%; crit:  28.75%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance:  95.83%;
vs 30 ac:  total-damage:  662.50%; crit-damage:  315.00%; miss:  15.83%; hit:  84.17%; normal-hit:  57.92%; crit:  26.25%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance:  87.50%;
vs 35 ac:  total-damage:  568.75%; crit-damage:  267.50%; miss:  27.50%; hit:  72.50%; normal-hit:  50.21%; crit:  22.29%; threat-chance:  29.17%; confirm-chance:  75.00%;
vs 40 ac:  total-damage:  448.75%; crit-damage:  207.50%; miss:  42.50%; hit:  57.50%; normal-hit:  40.21%; crit:  17.29%; threat-chance:  25.00%; confirm-chance:  58.33%;
vs 45 ac:  total-damage:  328.75%; crit-damage:  147.50%; miss:  57.50%; hit:  42.50%; normal-hit:  30.21%; crit:  12.29%; threat-chance:  20.83%; confirm-chance:  41.67%;
vs 50 ac:  total-damage:  208.75%; crit-damage:   87.50%; miss:  72.50%; hit:  27.50%; normal-hit:  20.21%; crit:   7.29%; threat-chance:  16.67%; confirm-chance:  25.00%;
vs 55 ac:  total-damage:  116.25%; crit-damage:   42.50%; miss:  84.17%; hit:  15.83%; normal-hit:  12.29%; crit:   3.54%; threat-chance:  12.50%; confirm-chance:  12.50%;
vs 60 ac:  total-damage:   56.25%; crit-damage:   12.50%; miss:  91.67%; hit:   8.33%; normal-hit:   7.29%; crit:   1.04%; threat-chance:   8.33%; confirm-chance:   4.17%;
vs 65 ac:  total-damage:   30.00%; crit-damage:    0.00%; miss:  95.00%; hit:   5.00%; normal-hit:   5.00%; crit:   0.00%; threat-chance:   5.00%; confirm-chance:   0.00%;
=============================================
weapon 'rapier, falchion, scimitar, kukri (keen, powercrit)' with ab '(45 40 35 30 25 20)',
stats: #S(WEAPON-STATS :CRIT-RANGE 15 :CRIT-MULTIPLIER 2 :POWER-CRIT 4)
vs 10 ac:  total-damage:  750.00%; crit-damage:  360.00%; miss:   5.00%; hit:  95.00%; normal-hit:  65.00%; crit:  30.00%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance: 100.00%;
vs 15 ac:  total-damage:  750.00%; crit-damage:  360.00%; miss:   5.00%; hit:  95.00%; normal-hit:  65.00%; crit:  30.00%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance: 100.00%;
vs 20 ac:  total-damage:  750.00%; crit-damage:  360.00%; miss:   5.00%; hit:  95.00%; normal-hit:  65.00%; crit:  30.00%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance: 100.00%;
vs 25 ac:  total-damage:  728.50%; crit-damage:  357.00%; miss:   8.33%; hit:  91.67%; normal-hit:  61.92%; crit:  29.75%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance:  99.17%;
vs 30 ac:  total-damage:  674.50%; crit-damage:  339.00%; miss:  15.83%; hit:  84.17%; normal-hit:  55.92%; crit:  28.25%; threat-chance:  30.00%; confirm-chance:  94.17%;
vs 35 ac:  total-damage:  585.75%; crit-damage:  301.50%; miss:  27.50%; hit:  72.50%; normal-hit:  47.37%; crit:  25.12%; threat-chance:  29.17%; confirm-chance:  85.00%;
vs 40 ac:  total-damage:  466.75%; crit-damage:  243.50%; miss:  42.50%; hit:  57.50%; normal-hit:  37.21%; crit:  20.29%; threat-chance:  25.00%; confirm-chance:  71.67%;
vs 45 ac:  total-damage:  346.75%; crit-damage:  183.50%; miss:  57.50%; hit:  42.50%; normal-hit:  27.21%; crit:  15.29%; threat-chance:  20.83%; confirm-chance:  55.00%;
vs 50 ac:  total-damage:  226.75%; crit-damage:  123.50%; miss:  72.50%; hit:  27.50%; normal-hit:  17.21%; crit:  10.29%; threat-chance:  16.67%; confirm-chance:  38.33%;
vs 55 ac:  total-damage:  128.25%; crit-damage:   66.50%; miss:  84.17%; hit:  15.83%; normal-hit:  10.29%; crit:   5.54%; threat-chance:  12.50%; confirm-chance:  22.50%;
vs 60 ac:  total-damage:   62.25%; crit-damage:   24.50%; miss:  91.67%; hit:   8.33%; normal-hit:   6.29%; crit:   2.04%; threat-chance:   8.33%; confirm-chance:  10.83%;
vs 65 ac:  total-damage:   31.00%; crit-damage:    2.00%; miss:  95.00%; hit:   5.00%; normal-hit:   4.83%; crit:   0.17%; threat-chance:   5.00%; confirm-chance:   3.33%;

Basically, you get about 5..10% damage output increase for a small portion of possible targets, and it does not afffect incredibly weak targets.

It also implies fair random generator (and not the one nwn2 is using) and "average" means average over a huge number of fights (think about millions of them).

personally i would take it on a TWF weapon master that gets his dmg from critting and multiplying fighter bonus feats like mastery or specialisation, cos on this build every crit counts (low base dmg) and he has a lot of attacks that can utilize this feat

Dual-Scimitar Dervish?

Dual-wielding kukri weapon master/dervish/fighter/tempest under effect of thousand cuts and dervish dance. 71 crit damage. With kukri.

[Thorsson]

Basically it works best if you have low AB but high damage and a high crit multiplier. Otherwise there are likely to be better Feats. Getting the odd extra crit may not be the most important thing you need...

[TeoDeathDealer]

Yep, Thor is right. Have a toon with a low ab (38) with a spear and am looking to fit in power crit.