Can you stack Combat Expertise and Power Attack?

Question

Are you allowed to stack the feats of Power Attack and Combat Expertise in a single round?

AceCalhoon · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-20 22:24:24Z

up vote 9 down vote accepted

Yes.

Both penalties are untyped, and therefore stack with each other. You may have a hard time hitting anything, though!

answered Feb 20 '11 at 22:24

AceCalhoon
16.4k25192

sebsmith · Answer 2 · 2011-02-20 22:26:37Z

up vote 5 down vote

Yes, but the penalties also stack, so it usually isn't done.

answered Feb 20 '11 at 22:26

sebsmith
1,615716

	In certain circumstances I've seen it done. There are things in the DMG with a high CR and a low AC. Fighters usually have VERY high attack bonuses in the mid to high levels so they parcel out the bonus a couple ways. – C. Ross♦ Feb 20 '11 at 22:48
	Well yes, especially if you are using abilities which let you transfer the penalty to something you care about less or using magic items to decrease the importance of your base attack bonus. Both of these are, as I understand, common in higher level optimized play, but, for the sort of person asking this question, I didn't think it would come up often soon. – sebsmith Feb 21 '11 at 2:39
	Actually our 9th level 2-handed Ranger/Fighter was looking to do this. The power attack increased his damage output, but the baddies were brutal when they connected (think trolls in construct form). – Scott Feb 22 '11 at 1:23

2 Answers