Trying to understand the proper way to think about powers

[rook111]

Ok after re-reading it twice and listening to what you guys are saying I think its starting to sink in.

you guys are actually clearer than the book.

 

[Danceofmasks]

I was confused by this at the start, too.
Reckon if there's a new printing of the PHB, it needs to be revised for clarity.

 

[Rechan]

The exception to the rule are Wizards, and the Channel Divinity/various Word powers.

Wizards: They have a spellbook. When they get a Daily attack power from their wizard class (levels 1, 5, 9, etc), or when they get a Utility power (2, 6, 10, etc) they pick 2, and put those powers in their Spellbook. Then, after every Extended Rest, they pick which power they would like to use for that level. Thus:

A 1st level Wizard has Acid Arrow and Flaming Sphere in his book. WHen he takes an Extended Rest, he decides today he will have Flaming Sphere. He cannot cast Acid Arrow until he takes an Extended Rest and swaps it out.

Also, you can't swap dailies that don't match that level. A 5th level wizard could not put Flaming Sphere in his 5th level Daily slot; he can only put fireball or Bigby's Icy Grasp, etc.

Channel Divinity: Clerics and Paladins receive a Channel Divinity class feature. You can only use one of the Channel Divinity powers per encounter, even though you are given two (so, a cleric can either use Turn Undead or Divine Fortune in an Encounter, not both).

Healing powers: Healing/Inspiring Word are encounter powers, but they can be used twice in an encounter. However, they can only be used once per round. So you can Heal this turn, and heal the next turn, and then the power is used up. (This is similar, but different, from the Paladin's Lay on Hands ability; the LoH can be used every round, up until the Paladin runs out of healing, and then he's out for the rest of the day.)

 

[James McMurray]

Since we're talking use limits, magic items are also limited.

• You can only use one daily from a magic item per tier (1 at heroic, 2 at paragon, 3 at epic).
• You get one extra use per milestone you achieve that day.
• You can't use a single daily from the same item more than once unless someone is playing the playtest Artificer from Dragon magazine and recharges it for you.

 

[Paultimatum]

One thing I've wondered is where it actually says that the wizard can only pick one of the powers they have in their spellbook per level to prepare. For example, what stops a wizard from preparing both of his level 5 dailies at level 5, instead of 1 level 5 and 1 level 1? I know this probably isn't intended to be possible, but i can't find anything against it.

 

[ForbidenMaster]

One thing I've wondered is where it actually says that the wizard can only pick one of the powers they have in their spellbook per level to prepare. For example, what stops a wizard from preparing both of his level 5 dailies at level 5, instead of 1 level 5 and 1 level 1? I know this probably isn't intended to be possible, but i can't find anything against it.

"After an extended rest, you can prepare a number of daily and utility spells according to what you can cast per day for your level." PHB page 158

Plus:

8. Can a 5th level wizard memorize two 5th level daily spells instead of a 1st and a 5th level daily spell?

At the end of each long rest, a wizard prepares one 1st-level Daily spell chosen from the list of 1st level daily spells in her spellbook. If she were at least 2nd level, she would also prepare one 2nd-level utility spell chosen from the list of 2nd-level utility spells in her spellbook. At 5th level she would also prepare one 5th-level daily spell from her list of 5th-level daily spells in her spellbook. She would repeat this process for every level that she has access to wizard daily or utility spells. She could not, as a 5th-level wizard, prepare a second 5th-level daily spell in place of a daily spell of a different level.

Answer