Sniping Wizard and encounter powers

[Michele Carter]

*blink* M. Nute, I didn't know you posted here.

I like cake!

I figure that the Cake principle works best in this situation:

 

[drjones]

Encounter starts and ends when the DM says so. I don't see any reason why it would not 'start' when the wizard attacks and 'end' when one side or the other is dead/runs away. Distance is not a defining characteristic of 'encounter'.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I figure that the Cake principle works best in this situation:

Encounter powers: you regain them when you have time to sit down and eat a piece of cake without getting crumbs everywhere. You can't do it on the run, and you can't do it while hiding because those darn goblins will smell the cake.

Daily powers: you regain them when you have time to sit down, camp out, and bake a new cake.

Cake-based timing works a lot better than six-second rounds.

But wouldn't this make a Baker paragon path overpowered?

 

[Chibbot]

The Nute Cake Principle is pretty great. Cheers.

As for the original question (I think), the situation described would possibly be better handled as a Skill Challenge than a combat encounter. It depends of course on what the other party members are doing (are they down in the combat with the orcs/guards? then its definitely combat. are they sitting up by the wizard/ranger? might not be combat).

Something like:

the wizard makes an arcana check (difficult) to blast one of the orcs with magic.
the ranger makes a perception/whatever check (difficult) to shoot one of the orcs.
the warlord makes a diplomacy/intimidate check (moderate) to inspire/demoralize the guards/orcs


etc.

Is it perfect? Far from it. But I think it works just fine.

 

[Incenjucar]

I approve of the Cake Rule, or really any rule involving pastry.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Clever characters can use the 5 min rest rule to their advantage by actually retreating once in a while. Something that never ever happened in my 3e group.

For instance, let us say you have a party fighting some hobgoblins in a forest. On higher levels they could just use blast of frost or similar immobilizing spells, while on lower levels they could use... some strategy like going up a ravine or something where the hobgoblins have to go around to get to where the PC's are. (They don't want to go up the ravine because of the large boulder at the top of the ravine, now will they).

That way a party could get to use their encounter powers twice against the same set of enemies. Something that should change combat quite a lot. In 3e you were generally at max efficiency in round 2+ because you couldn't get your buffs up faster than that. And then in round 3 or 4 the fight would be over

 

[Dunamin]

The Cake Rule provides a great bit of crunch!

 

[MindWanderer]

The Cake Rule provides a great bit of crunch!

Eww, crunchy cake? Gross. Cake should be nice and fluffy.

 

[Mort_Q]

Clever characters can use the 5 min rest rule to their advantage by actually retreating once in a while. Something that never ever happened in my 3e group.

For instance, let us say you have a party fighting some hobgoblins in a forest. On higher levels they could just use blast of frost or similar immobilizing spells, while on lower levels they could use... some strategy like going up a ravine or something where the hobgoblins have to go around to get to where the PC's are. (They don't want to go up the ravine because of the large boulder at the top of the ravine, now will they).

That way a party could get to use their encounter powers twice against the same set of enemies. Something that should change combat quite a lot. In 3e you were generally at max efficiency in round 2+ because you couldn't get your buffs up faster than that. And then in round 3 or 4 the fight would be over

Well, if the PCs have time to rest and regroup, the NPCs also have time. If the NPCs didn't have healing surges RAW, I'd think I'd give them some.

 

[Dunamin]

Well, if the PCs have time to rest and regroup, the NPCs also have time. If the NPCs didn't have healing surges RAW, I'd think I'd give them some.

All creatures do in fact have multiple healing surges, so yes - if the PCs somehow manage to evade combat and effectively end the encounter, then go back and reengage, they will find their foes similarly having caught their breath and restored a bit of stamina and power.