You gain an action point

[Andur]

Mouse here's the deal:

1) A player CHOOSES to take the Paragon Path, which grants Archer's Glory. (no force 1)

2) The Player CHOOSES when to use the Power dring an encounter (no force 2)

3) IF a VERY Specific condition happens with the use of the power, it grants an action point which must be used before the end of your next turn. That means it could be used on this turn, if you have some feat, ability, or what not that allows you to spend an action point on a turn that is not yours, or your next turn. However, you MUST spend that action point.

4) Reading in "or you lose it" is adding an exception to an exception. All it does on it's most basic level is gives the player 3 action points every 2 encounters, or half an action point more. Now the Demigod build can "break" it, but the Demigodbuild "breaks" alot of things. And even then it has to be successfully used everytime. Miss, no AP granted, hit and don't drop, no AP granted, adding yet another restriction seems silly.

If you were to open with Archer's Glory, then I'd say you can't use another AP in the encounter, however, if you already spent an AP, the power would grant another use as stated you MUST use the AP granted.

 

[Kesh]

I have to agree with Mouseferatu here. It sounds like the power wasn't written as clearly as it should have been. I'd expect this to go into errata and clarify that A) if you don't use the extra AP you lose it and B) it doesn't grant an exception from the "1 AP per encounter" rule.

 

[DClown]

I think some people are reading the word MUST incorrectly. 'Must' imparts an imperative. An imperative, or a requirement, does not however grant an accompanying ability. Just because you must do something, doesn't mean you can do it. If I am bitten by a rattle snake I must get to a hospital. That doesn't mean I can get to a hospital, it just means I've been given an imperative to get to one. If I'm on the interstate, I must drive the minimum speed limit. If my car has engine problems however the granted imperative doesn't magically fix my car.

This power gives you an imperative that you must use the granted action point prior to the end of your next turn. It does NOT grant the ability to actually use the point. If it did explicitly say 'an action point that you can use before your next turn' then the specific beats general clause would be applicable, but as worded that clause is not relevant. A requirement does not grant implicit ability, however it does come with an implicit consequence. The implicit consequence is often that the ability to the perform the action is stripped. It is important not to confuse the consequence with an implied ability granted with the requirement.

Thats all a pedantic way of saying just because you HAVE to do something doesn't mean you CAN. Look at it this way, if the power gave you an action point that you must use, and a monster killed you before you could use it, the requirement to use the power doesn't revive you just so you can use the point. There is no granted ability in the wording so the 1 action point per encounter rule applies.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

The benefit of this power seems to be that you can use an action point in one additional encounter per day, not that you can use more than one action point in an encounter.

 

[Lord Sessadore]

<snip>

Very nicely said, DClown. I was thinking the same thing, but wouldn't have worded it nearly as clearly as you did. Thanks

 

[SweeneyTodd]

The funny thing is, I think it works fine and is reasonably balanced regardless of which interpretation you use. (Whichever one the table agreed on I'd probably make the official interpretation for that campaign.)

I think that's true for almost all of the rules bits that aren't written to be exactly specific.

 

[loisel]

It baffles me that people still believe customer service about anything.

I like to think of it this way; before the supreme court considers a case, they often wait until the lower courts have produced contradictory rulings.

So what we need now is to continue asking the same question to customer support until one of them says that you can use more than 1 AP per encounter.

Seb

 

[Ginnel]

Thats all a pedantic way of saying just because you HAVE to do something doesn't mean you CAN. Look at it this way, if the power gave you an action point that you must use, and a monster killed you before you could use it, the requirement to use the power doesn't revive you just so you can use the point. There is no granted ability in the wording so the 1 action point per encounter rule applies.

Clear, logical and supports the obvious meaning of the power

 

[Robg54]

I'm not sure I agree. I don't think it's 100% certain one way or another. I tend to agree that it is a point that can be used regardless of whether or not a point has been used earlier.

I believe that DClown is using too realistic a definition of the term must. Yes, in real life saying that I must do something does not give me the option to do so, but in a game where the very fabric of the univers is defined by a series of rules it is not so crystal clear.

I know that if I was running the cmpaign I would play it that way.

 

[Gloombunny]

So what should a person do about it?

I know that I'll apply what little common sense I have and use the power as it was obviously intended.

Cool! That's what I'd do too.

I just wish more people would admit they're interpreting the rule as they think it's intended, or as they think would be most balanced or most fun, and not try to legalistically twist words to pretend that what is written is the same as what they think should be written. I don't really know why it annoys me when people do that. Call it a general dislike of intellectual dishonesty.