Dracorat
First Post
It is my opinion that at-wills are one of the hallmarks of 4E that make the game system "just work".
No longer does the mage run out of spells and then try to throw stones at monsters or the rogue constantly get crippled by fights against walls or the rangers spend their eternity shooting arrows with the occasional heal or arrow-enhance.
Now, each class has "something cool" to do every round. Sure, somethings are "cool", some are "pretty cool" and some are "really cool" but none are "I shoot an arrow at the orc" bland.
At will powers imply that a person trains in fighting and has a method to their carnage. That method comes out when all else gets to brass tacks as "at will" powers.
Each player then has an arsenal of "aces" up their sleeves. These aces are pulled out at the best perceivable times - times of utter desparation, or times of opportunity - to do the maximum potential. For a round or two, each PC gets the opportunity to shine because when they say "I am going to use my encounter power" or even better "I am going to use my daily power" the players at the table hold their breaths in anticipation. They want the dice to roll well for their buddy because if it does, "cool things happen".
And for the first time ever, since 4E has come out, I've seen PC's actively give another PC a boost when they're about to do "something cool" because they were genuinely interested in the outcome of that PC's action. Not just because "it's their job" as a "good party member".
Changing that balance would be one of the most detrimental changes a DM could make to 4E, at least IMO.
No longer does the mage run out of spells and then try to throw stones at monsters or the rogue constantly get crippled by fights against walls or the rangers spend their eternity shooting arrows with the occasional heal or arrow-enhance.
Now, each class has "something cool" to do every round. Sure, somethings are "cool", some are "pretty cool" and some are "really cool" but none are "I shoot an arrow at the orc" bland.
At will powers imply that a person trains in fighting and has a method to their carnage. That method comes out when all else gets to brass tacks as "at will" powers.
Each player then has an arsenal of "aces" up their sleeves. These aces are pulled out at the best perceivable times - times of utter desparation, or times of opportunity - to do the maximum potential. For a round or two, each PC gets the opportunity to shine because when they say "I am going to use my encounter power" or even better "I am going to use my daily power" the players at the table hold their breaths in anticipation. They want the dice to roll well for their buddy because if it does, "cool things happen".
And for the first time ever, since 4E has come out, I've seen PC's actively give another PC a boost when they're about to do "something cool" because they were genuinely interested in the outcome of that PC's action. Not just because "it's their job" as a "good party member".
Changing that balance would be one of the most detrimental changes a DM could make to 4E, at least IMO.
