- To Hit : H (Your to-hit as given by charbuilder)
- Level : L (Your Level)
- Bow Dice: B
- Quarry: U
- CritChance: C
- CritDamage: D
- Static Modifier: S
HitChance (T) = 1-((L+14-H-1)/20)-C
Odds of Quarry (Q) = 1-( (1-T)^2 ) * U + 1-( (1-C)^2)*max(U)
Average Damage = ( T*(B+S) + C*(max(B)+S+D) )*2 + Q
In english: Calculating twin-strike without quarry is trivial, you simply apply the average damage calculation as presented here and then calculate the odds of hitting at least once and multiply that through the quarry. I will assume that you are competent to add misc bonuses into your hit modifier and your static modifier.
In terms of optimization, for double-attackers, getting accuracy and the staticMod as high as possible is key. Hunter's quarry is "meh" in comparison.
Edit
Running the numbers provided from your comment with the following:
If it's not to much to ask... what would the average damage for Twin Strike be for: Ranger, Level 26, To-hit +32, Weapon Ench +5, Weapon Focus Feat giving +3 damage, hit chance 10% (epic tier feat making crits 19-20), Quarry 3d8, and +2 to damage (due to Bracers giving +2 item bonus to melee attacks). He's using 2 bastard swords (d10 damage). –
We start by listing assumptions and requirements.
Requirement: Does a twin-bastard sword ranger do excessive damage?
Assumption: Excessive damage will be defined as being able to drop a standard monster in less than two rounds, as per the DPR king thread.
Assumption: PP and ED play a significant role in this calculation. Therefore we must calculate damage with and without an optimal PP and ED.
Assumption: An optimal PP is one that is sky blue here as is ED
Assumption: Weapon choice has a significant impact, therefore we must also perform these calculations with and without magical weapon.
Assumption: Stated +32 to hit resolves into an 18 strength at level 1 pre-racial or ED. Therefore, I will assume a +2 due to ED, and not apply racial cheese.
Assumption: Feat choice has a significant impact, therefore I will assess the damage with and without the paragon-tier prime * feats. I will not perform further calculations as to frostcheese or other damage strategies.
Therefore:
Build 1, semi-competent damage: Half-orc, two-blade ranger, Heavy weapon expertise, bastard sword prof, Stormwarden PP, Indominable Champion ED (Boring as *, but whatever), Lethal Hunter, Heavy Blade Mastery, Called Shot, Prime Punisher, Slashing Storm, Weapon Focus (Heavy Blade), Iron Armbands of Power (Heroic Tier?)
There are so many more optimizations possible, but this is a good "Not too glassy" option leaving many feat, items, and so-forth.
Character builder produces the following attack: +32 v. AC // 2d19+10 damage,+3d8 quarry, +5 to damage rolls due to called shot, prime punisher, +1 to accuracy due to prime shot.
The complete expression to be evaluated is, therefore:
(32 accuracy, AC of 26+14, extra -1 due to prime shot)
Base damage, before quarry. (1-(26+14-32-1-1)/20-.1)*(5.5*2+10+5)*2+.1*(10*2+10+5+3.5*5)*2 = 41.700
Rounds to drop 1 enemy, before quarry = 5.5 = absolutely pathetic for a striker. Minimum recommended striker rounds = 4
Quarry damage, calculated correct follows the following pattern: Odds of hitting the first time * quarry + odds of critting the first time * quarry + (odds of hitting the second time * odds of missing first time) * quarry + (odds of critting the second time - odds of missing the first time) * quarry.
Odds of hitting: (1-(26+14-32-1-1)/20-.1)
60%
Odds of critting: 10%
Odds of missing: (26+14-32-1-1)/20)=30%
Total odds =1
.6*4.5*3+.1*8*3+.6*.3*4.5*3+.1*.3*8*3=13.65 expected quarry damage from one twin strike
Total DPR:
13.65+41.700=55.130
(8*26+24)/55.130=4.208
Not quite in minimum striker level damage.
Extra DPR 2*Dex (stormwarden, assuming both 11 and 16 come into play) + Wis (slashing storm)= +8+8+2 = +18
55.130+18=73.130
(8*26+24)/73.130=3.172
Just about right for a semi-optimized ranger at-will.
Dropping prime punisher and called shot gets twin-strike DPR to: 32.6, 13.257 quarry damage
32.6+13.257+18 = 63.857, 3.633 rounds, just right.
Dropping stormwarden:
32.6+13.257+2 = 47.857, 4.847 rounds, unacceptable.
Therefore, based on the parameters you described, the ranger's damage probably fits into the low end of the "striker damage" window or below and should be allowed into your game.
Best Answer
In 3.5, the base damage for a medium creature's greatsword is 2d6, not 1d12. You may be thinking of the greataxe, which does deal 1d12 damage.
Your damage on an ordinary attack is
2d6 + 3 (1.5× str) + 2 (spec)
. In a rage, your strength modifier is +4 (unless you are high-enough level to have an improved rage), so this rises to2d6 + 6 (1.5× str) + 2 (spec)
.Power Attack gives you the option of voluntarily taking a penalty (up to your base attack bonus) on the attack roll in order to gain a bonus on your damage roll. For a two-handed weapon, the bonus is twice the penalty. So you could take a −1 penalty to attack to gain an extra +2 damage, or (provided your BAB is high enough) a −5 penalty to attack for a +10 bonus to damage, and so on. If you use Power Attack, then you must declare the penalty you are taking before you roll to attack, and the penalty and bonus apply to all attack rolls you make this turn.
All of these sources of damage are doubled on a critical hit, including the base damage and all of these bonuses. Usually, the only sort of damage that is not increased on a critical hit is bonus damage dice, such as from sneak attack or a flaming weapon. When dice are increased on a critical hit, such as weapon base damage dice, you generally roll them again rather than multiplying the original result, although I often have seen individual games vary from this.
If you are enraged, take a -4 penalty for Power Attack, and score a critical hit, then your total damage would be
4d6 + 12 (2× 1.5× str) + 4 (2× spec) + 16 (2× power attack)
, which comes out to 4d6 + 32.When I play a barbarian, I often write out two different weapon entries on my character sheet, one with rage bonuses and the other without. Then, the only math I have to do on the fly is for Power Attack.