Here, Let Me Fix "Powers Per Day" For You

[CleverNickName]

I'm still trying to figure out why we keep having all of these "how many times can I be awesome each day" threads. I must be playing a completely different game, because I don't see a problem.

I have been gaming for more than 20 years, and I have never seen this "fifteen-minute day" problem. My players have learned the hard way to conserve resources. They have learned that "going nova" at 8:05 a.m. means being without ammo for the rest of the day. Sure, it's possible...but it is rarely advisable. You don't blow all your shotgun shells on the first zombie that shambles by, you don't fire all your rockets on that first missile lock of the mission, and you don't cast all your spells on the first orc that gives you trouble. Common sense alone tells you this is a bad idea.

Oh, I've had players "go nova" and regret it, though. See, I use random encounters and I impose time limits on my adventures. Setting up camp in The Haunted Forest of Poisonous Spiders? Waiting until tomorrow to rescue the princess from the Cult of the Twilight Murderers? Yeah, those are not always good ideas.

Maybe I'm doing it wrong, maybe I'm being unfair (or just plain stubborn.) But this is a D&D adventure, not the "Everybody Watch My Awesome Wizard" show.

The limited number of spells, etc. is a feature, not a bug. It prevents abuse, encourages cooperation, and promotes good roleplaying by forcing the player to think twice about their actions and manage resources. (Direct quote from my gaming table last year: "Again!? For the love of Pelor, will somebody please buy that wizard a crossbow already?!")

"But spells are different," you say. "I'm just swinging a sword hard enough to knock my opponent down." Fair enough. I see the disconnect.

So here, let me fix it for you.

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Per encounter, per day, per round...it's all just unnecessary bookkeeping IMO. And arbitrary "spells per level per day" tables are annoying (at best.) Instead, 5E should just give each character a certain number of points, and give each of these superawesome superpowers a point cost. Done.

No charts, no tables, no need to define what is and is not considered a "round" or an "encounter." D&DNext can call them Action Points, or Mana Points, or Batman Points, whatever, the vocabulary isn't as important. Each time you use one of these supercool superpowers, they are going to cost you something...and that "something" will take time to replenish.

You're welcome.

 

[Doug McCrae]

See, I use random encounters and I impose time limits on my adventures.

This isn't news, CNN.

 

[CleverNickName]

This isn't news, CNN.

But...doesn't everybody?

 

[FireLance]

This isn't news, CNN.

But ... if CNN says it is news, who am I to argue?

 

[Tallifer]

I have been gaming for more than 20 years, and I have never seen this "fifteen-minute day" problem.

I am happy for you. But I have experienced it many times. Even in the Fourth Edition with all the encounter powers and at-wills, I still meet players who whine and cry because they do not have any more Daily Powers and want to hold up the rest of us for their sake. Common sense never enters into it, alas.

 

[n00bdragon]

Just because you haven't seen a particular issue with your own personal group doesn't mean the issue doesn't exist and just because the DM can fix it doesn't mean it's not a problem inherent in the game that needs fixing.

 

[BobTheNob]

Yea, Im with you on this.

I think this whole "15-minute day problem" is a storm in a teacup as generally ground rules established within the group have prevented it being a problem.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Just because you haven't seen a particular issue with your own personal group doesn't mean the issue doesn't exist and just because the DM can fix it doesn't mean it's not a problem inherent in the game that needs fixing.

Sorry, but it actually does mean exactly that. For some of us, it is a feature. Of course, when we were younger, we blew our guns and wanted to rest afterward. But this problem arose mainly in the mid levels.

at first level, your single spell was all the nova you had (and sleep was a good one at that)
later on, you had enough spells, but going nova meant, that you were cast empty for half a week. And you had so many spells, going nova was practically impossible. Especially if you had spells, that could be "sustained" for some rounds.

Only in the mid levels, novaing was possible at all. And first few levels were just boring for the pure wizard. So the only things to be fixed are the number of spells at low level, and something to fall back, and oh... surprise... this is exactly what we got in the playtest.

 

[SKyOdin]

I hate per-day mechanics simply because they are designed for long dungeon crawls, and don't work at all for anything else. Since I don't like long dungeons, that is a problem for me.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I hate per-day mechanics simply because they are designed for long dungeon crawls, and don't work at all for anything else.

That's not entirely factually accurate. Per-day mechanics are designed in order to have a strategic resource that lasts longer than an individual encounter, allowing encounters to take place within a broader context, thus eradicating the need for micro-managed encounter balance and allowing more swing and more variety in playstyle.

Just because you haven't seen a particular issue with your own personal group doesn't mean the issue doesn't exist and just because the DM can fix it doesn't mean it's not a problem inherent in the game that needs fixing.

You're exactly right.

I believe CNN's answer to "how do you fix this problem?!" is something along the lines of, "Random encounters and time limits have worked for me for 20 years."

I am happy for you. But I have experienced it many times. Even in the Fourth Edition with all the encounter powers and at-wills, I still meet players who whine and cry because they do not have any more Daily Powers and want to hold up the rest of us for their sake. Common sense never enters into it, alas.

What happens when you use random encounters and time limits?

Also, for my purposes, what happens when you let them rest and have them fail and have the villain escape (or whatever)? What happens when you use any of these helpful suggestions? Is there something that can be done to make those easier to implement?