D&D 5E D&D Next Design Goals (Article)

[Incenjucar]

Wouldn't it be more correct to say that At-Will powers are anything a particularly class with access to said power can do at-will?

No.

That would be "class-specific at-will powers."

 

[Imaro]

No.

That would be "class-specific at-will powers."

So what specifically are the At-Will powers everyone can use called?

 

[Incenjucar]

So what specifically are the At-Will powers everyone can use called?

At-Will powers, without any qualifiers.

Like how you have tuxedo cats and cats.

 

[Bedrockgames]

What do you think a perspective is? It's a difference is psychological traits leading you to produce different conclusions from the same stimuli. Do not go fishing for reasons to be offended. There's too much emotion in these conversations as is.

Except you were suggesting people couldn't see that 4e is capable of replicating anything from previous editions due to psychoogy over substance. It is the old, "people are too closed minded, uninformed,etc to see how cool 4e is" rather than just an honestvto goodness disagrement over how well 4e achieves those things.

 

[Incenjucar]

Actually, I was referring to how people respond to formats.

My personal psychology very easily separates format from story. If two methods mathematically get to the same exact range of conclusions, I'm very unlikely to notice a difference. Basically, presentation is meaningless to me except in how easy it is to use.

Others need particular formats, such as "wizards don't roll to attack, their targets roll to defend!" or everything feels off to them, even if the math turns out to be exactly the same.

As such, while I personally balk at mixing formats - which makes things harder to use - I acknowledge that, for some, it is a real need of theirs.

 

[Imaro]

At-Will powers, without any qualifiers.

Like how you have tuxedo cats and cats.

That's interesting because the Rules Compendium doesn't make that distinction...

Usage Types- Whether a power is an attack or a utility power, it has a usage type: at-will, encounter or daily. The usage type indicates how often a power can be used. A creature can use a power only if it is able to take the action that the power requires, regardless of the power's usage type.

At-Will Powers: At-will powers are not expended when they're used, so a creatture can use them again and again. They represent easy weapon swings or simple magical effects that require little effort to pull off.

There is nothing in the definition of an at-will power that makes it something that can be universally used... especially since one of the examples given is of a "simple magical effect" ... which cannot be performed by just anyone.

EDIT: Removed unclear example and added the following. The fact of the matter is that an at-will power is only defined by the fact that it can be used at-will... not by whether it is universal or not. There are universal powers... and class specific powers... but whether they are at-will or not has nothing to do with it.

 

[Ratskinner]

Full plate and shield is AC 0. If both are +5 and you wear a +5 ring of protection and have an 18 Dex, you get -18. And I think my PC in an admittedly horribly Monty Haul game still had a lower AC than that somehow.

I don't remember the details too well, but I recall figuring out that the best theoretical 2e AC available from "common" sources was something like -34. Depending on how the DM was ruling it (IIRC, stacking rules were commonly ignored or were unclear somehow.)

Let me think here...
Armor, shield, Dex gets to -18
Cloak +5 to -23
Ring +5 to -28
Invisible +4 to -32
Bless and Prayer +2 to -34

...though I could be wrong on that. I don't have my old 2e books anymore. I don't recall any characters offhand that got lower than single digit negatives, though.

 

[Incenjucar]

I can't really blame WotC for not anticipating pedantry.

That said, Melee Basic Attack, Ranged Basic Attack, Bull Rush, Grab, Opportunity Attack.

 

[Incenjucar]

EDIT: Removed unclear example and added the following. The fact of the matter is that an at-will power is only defined by the fact that it can be used at-will... not by whether it is universal or not. There are universal powers... and class specific powers... but whether they are at-will or not has nothing to do with it.

...Duh?

Taking a leak is a recharge power, for example, and golems probably can't use it.

 

[Imaro]

I can't really blame WotC for not anticipating pedantry.

That said, Melee Basic Attack, Ranged Basic Attack, Bull Rush, Grab, Opportunity Attack.

What about fighting with two-weapons? Why isn't this a universal power? Why can't I actually wrestle with someone... without being a specific class? This is, IMO, the weakness of the power system in 4e.