Strategy Tokens

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Tactics of the Mind 2

Q: If you use Tactics of the Mind 2, do you need to designate a single, specific target on your initiative or can you delay and choose from multiple targets if they all have the same initiative (as is often the case when fighting groups of monsters)?

You don’t have to specify a target – you can jump in at any time by spending the token.

Q: How much information does the feat provide to the user? If the target is going to initiate a move action, does the user know the exact path the target will take and then decide whether or not to wait until it completes that action?

The opponent "announces" his action, so you get to see what he was going to do before you decide whether or not to wait. You’re predicting his move 'in game', which is best modeled out of game by telling you what that move is .

Q: If a target is going to take a full-round action, does that target have to complete that action, regardless of what the feat user may do? For example, if the feat user sees an armiger about to charge an ally of his and he decides to move in front of the armiger to block his path – can the armiger now attack the feat user? What if the feat user interferes with the target’s planned move or standard action? Eg. Destroys the bridge the target was going to cross, but could possibly jump over?

If you pre-empt his action (you must go before or after he has resolved his action, not during) then he can revert that action to something else, as he has not begun it.

e.g. An enemy decides to charge your ally. You move in the way to block the charge. He can choose to charge you instead, or try to tumble past, or some other action.

Tactics of the Mind 8

A number of questions came up about this feat and when to multiply the damage bonus.

In essence:

• If you are replacing your Str score (as in Weapon Finesse and Weapon Bond), you use the appropriate multiplier as if it were Str. x.5, x1, or x1.5, depending on the situation.
• If you are using Tactics of the Mind, you are actually *adding* your Int to damage, not replacing your Str with Int, so it's not affected at all. You get your full Int no matter how you are using the weapon.

What this means:

Tactics of the Mind 8 and Two-handed Weapons

The damage bonus from Tactics of the Mind 8 is not multiplied by 1.5 when using a two-handed weapon ... it's independant of a weapon's power, as shown by the fact that you get the bonus on non-mighty bows.

Tactics of the Mind 8 and Two Weapon Fighting

On the other hand, this means you get full benefits of Tactics of the Mind 8 with off-hand attacks: the INT-based damage bonus is not multiplied by 0.5.

Tactics of the Mind 7 and 8 and Weapon Bond

If you use Tactics of the Mind with a weapon you have Weapon Bond (Intelligence) with, you add double your Intelligence bonus to attack rolls (Tactics of the Mind 7) or damage (Tactics of the Mind 8), because Weapon Bond allows you to "consider the chosen ability score's bonus your Strength bonus for these purposes."

Tactics of the Mind and Power Attack

Q: If you have tactics of mind 1 "you may use Intelligence instead of your key ability for attacks rolls with ranged and melee weapons". Do you can use intelligence instead of strength with the power attack expanded mastery 2,3,5, 6, and 10 for calculate the DC saving throw of these feats?

No, because you use Int instead of your key ability "for attack rolls" specifically, not for anything else.

The same applies for Weapon Finesse and Power Attack (e.g with a Bastard Sword or with a light power weapon).