Godbreaker#

The Godbreaker feat (Monk 20, Wrestler 20) is the ultimate Super Sayan move - but how likely are you to pull it off completely?

Let’s compare these builds:

  1. Monk (2. Crushing Grab, 6. Whilrling Throw, 19. Perfected Form, 20. Godbreaker)

  2. Fighter (2. Wrestler Dedication, 4. Crushing Grab, 8. Whirling Throw, 10. Agile Grace, 20. Godbreaker)

  3. Ranger (1. Flurry Edge, 2. Wrestler Dedication, 4. Crushing Grab, 8. Whirling Throw, 20. Godbreaker)

  4. Any other martial, e.g. animal barbarians (2. Wrestler Dedication, 4. Crushing Grab, 8. Whirling Throw, 20. Godbreaker)

  5. Any spellcaster (2. Wrestler Dedication, 4. Crushing Grab, 8. Whirling Throw, 20. Godbreaker)

Assume that:

  • All use +3 Greater Fearsome Keen Handwraps of Mighty Blows

  • All martials have an Apex item for +1 STR; start at +4 STR and increase it at all bumps

  • Non-martials start at +3 STR and increase it at all bumps

  • All perform the second and third strike with an agile unarmed attack

  • The turn starts with the target already grabbed

For the sake of tidiness we’re skipping damage calculations.

# Install in JupyterLite
%pip install -q pathfinder2e-stats

import matplotlib as mpl  # noqa: F401  # Needed by JupyterLite
import numpy as np
import xarray

import pathfinder2e_stats as pf2

Note: you may need to restart the kernel to use updated packages.

# Keen rune?
keen = True

# Fearsome, Greater Fearsome, Crushing, or Greater Crushing Rune?
# What's the status penalty to AC on a critical hit?
fearsome = -2

# How much help is the attacker getting from the other party members?
# Bestial Mutagen or Fury Cocktail for an extra +1 item bonus to attack
# Aid or Albatross Curse for +1 circumstance bonus
# Bless or Corageous Anthem for +1 status bonus
# Heroism for +1 (3rd), +2 (6th), +3 (9th) status bonus
party_help = {
    "dims": ["party help"],
    "coords": {"party help": ["nothing", "everything"]},
}
extra_atk_bonus = xarray.DataArray([0, 5], **party_help)

# Did another party member apply Frightened, sickened, or clumsy
# when the attacker's turn begins?
initial_AC_status_penalty = xarray.DataArray([0, -2], **party_help)

atk = (
    pf2.tables.SIMPLE_PC.weapon_attack_bonus[
        ["monk", "fighter", "ranger", "barbarian", "wizard"]
    ]
    .sum("component")
    .sel(mastery=True, category="martial", level=20)
    .to_array("class")
)
atk.to_pandas().to_frame("attack bonus")
attack bonus
class
monk 36
fighter 38
ranger 36
barbarian 36
wizard 32

Three standard targets:

  • level 18 with low AC

  • level 20 with moderate AC

  • level 22 with high AC

The target starts grabbed and remains grabbed throughout all strikes. If a strike fails, the grab is lost and the strikes end.

AC = pf2.tables.SIMPLE_NPC.AC.sel(level=20) - 2
AC.to_pandas().to_frame("AC")
AC
challenge
Weak 37
Matched 42
Boss 46 
MAP = xarray.DataArray(
    [
        [0, -4, -8],  # Monk
        [0, -3, -6],  # Fighter with Agile Grace
        [0, -3, -6],  # Flurry ranger
        [0, -4, -8],  # Any other martial
        [0, -4, -8],  # Any spellcaster
    ],
    dims=["class", "strike"],
    coords={"class": atk.coords["class"], "strike": [1, 2, 3]},
)
MAP.to_pandas()
strike 1 2 3
class
monk 0 -4 -8
fighter 0 -3 -6
ranger 0 -3 -6
barbarian 0 -4 -8
wizard 0 -4 -8

Perfected form (level 19 monk feature): On your first Strike of your turn, if you roll lower than 10, you can treat the attack roll as a 10. This is a fortune effect.

perfected_form = xarray.DataArray(
    np.zeros((3, 5), dtype=bool),
    dims=["strike", "class"],
    coords={"strike": [1, 2, 3], "class": atk.coords["class"]},
)
perfected_form[0, 0] = True
perfected_form.to_pandas()
class monk fighter ranger barbarian wizard
strike
1 True False False False False
2 False False False False False
3 False False False False False 
kwargs = dict(
    bonus=atk + MAP + extra_atk_bonus,
    perfected_form=perfected_form,
    keen=keen,
    # Roll independently for the three strikes...
    independent_dims=["strike"],
    # ... but roll only once across the different what-if scenarios
    # and apply the result of the d20 to different bonuses and DCs.
    dependent_dims=["class", "challenge", "party help"],
)

AC_status1 = initial_AC_status_penalty
strike1 = pf2.check(DC=AC + AC_status1, **kwargs).outcome.sel(strike=1, drop=True)

# Critical hits trigger the fearsome rune
AC_status2 = np.minimum(
    xarray.where(strike1 == pf2.DoS.critical_success, fearsome, 0),
    AC_status1,
)
strike2 = xarray.where(
    strike1 >= pf2.DoS.success,
    pf2.check(DC=AC + AC_status2, **kwargs).outcome.sel(strike=2, drop=True),
    pf2.DoS.no_roll,
)

# Critical hits trigger the fearsome rune
AC_status3 = np.minimum(
    xarray.where(strike2 == pf2.DoS.critical_success, fearsome, 0),
    AC_status2,
)
strike3 = xarray.where(
    strike2 >= pf2.DoS.success,
    pf2.check(DC=AC + AC_status3, **kwargs).outcome.sel(strike=3, drop=True),
    pf2.DoS.no_roll,
)

strikes = xarray.concat([strike1, strike2, strike3], dim="strike")
strikes.coords["strike"] = [1, 2, 3]
counts = pf2.outcome_counts(strikes)

Probability to obtain at least a hit on each strike#

  • A hit on the second strike can only happen if you hit on the first.

  • A hit on the third strike, and consecutive final slam into the ground, can only happen if you hit on the first two.

  • The probability to fully complete the Godbreaker three-action activity is equal to the probability of hitting on the third strike.

(
    counts.sel(outcome=["Critical success", "Success"])
    .sum("outcome")
    .stack(row=["challenge", "class"], column=["party help", "strike"])
    .to_pandas()
    .round(3)
    * 100
)
party help nothing everything
strike 1 2 3 1 2 3
challenge class
Weak monk 100.0 84.9 56.7 100.0 94.9 90.1
fighter 94.9 90.1 79.3 94.9 90.1 85.5
ranger 94.9 85.6 66.2 94.9 90.1 85.5
barbarian 94.9 80.9 54.2 94.9 90.1 85.5
wizard 80.1 51.1 22.9 94.9 90.1 67.5
Matched monk 100.0 57.6 22.5 100.0 89.9 62.7
fighter 85.0 63.0 38.3 94.9 90.1 81.1
ranger 75.2 47.7 23.5 94.9 90.1 72.0
barbarian 75.2 44.0 17.5 94.9 85.4 59.6
wizard 55.0 20.1 3.9 90.0 63.0 31.3
Boss monk 100.0 36.0 6.8 100.0 70.0 34.9
fighter 65.1 34.1 13.2 94.9 80.6 56.2
ranger 55.0 22.9 6.6 90.0 67.4 40.2
barbarian 55.0 20.1 3.9 90.0 63.0 31.3
wizard 35.0 6.1 0.3 70.1 35.1 10.4

Aside#

Godbreaker has the following extra damage and effects, compared to three iterative strikes:

  • 0 hits: 10 falling damage

  • 1 hit: 20 falling damage

  • 2 hits: 30 falling damage

  • 3 hits: 40 falling damage + Crushing Grab + 1 strike damage + grapple continues into next round

Probability of completing the Godbreaker#

This is just a selection of strike=3 from the previous table, for ease of reading.

(
    counts.sel(outcome=["Critical success", "Success"])
    .sum("outcome")
    .sel(strike=3)
    .stack(row=["party help", "challenge"])
    .to_pandas()
    .round(3)
    * 100
).T
class monk fighter ranger barbarian wizard
party help challenge
nothing Weak 56.7 79.3 66.2 54.2 22.9
Matched 22.5 38.3 23.5 17.5 3.9
Boss 6.8 13.2 6.6 3.9 0.3
everything Weak 90.1 85.5 85.5 85.5 67.5
Matched 62.7 81.1 72.0 59.6 31.3
Boss 34.9 56.2 40.2 31.3 10.4

Conclusions#

  • The Godbreaker activity has a very slim chance of complete success as a baseline, with a big risk of feeling underwhelming.

  • Party assistance makes an enormous difference.

  • The various classes compare as follows:

    1. Fighter/Wrestlers are by far the best at applying GodBreaker in all situations, thanks to their higher baseline attack bonus plus Agile Grace;

    2. Flurry Ranger/Wrestlers come second thanks to their low MAP;

    3. Monks, for which this feat was designed, are only third best despite their Perfected Form;

    4. Other martials and spellcasters should just avoid this feat due to their inability to consistently connect 3 strikes in a row with MAP.