D&D 4E 4E Cross-Class Power Selection

[Dedekind]

I think you can totally get away with it and it would be very interesting. With that said, you may encourage them to only take from classes in the same role to keep the party balance.

Of course, it sounds like you are pretty free-wheeling group, so I bet you can get away with most anything that keeps the number of powers constant.

 

[phloog]

and even more thanks are due!

Again, the PLAN was to primarily use them as book-standard, but what I was looking for was the answer to a situation like:

Character A, in line with the story, encounters a situation where he MIGHT reasonably expected to acquire something that is not typical for his class, but instead from another. So perhaps once or maybe twice max per character in the entire course of play, one of their powers might be from another class.

Random page flipping example (using the Essentials books - don't hate me!)

A wizard is temporarily possessed by some demonic nasty, and in the course of the battle is horribly scarred. I might decide that if he wanted, I would allow him (if he had or took the prereq Intimidate) to take the Grim Presence utility in place of his next utility choice, though this is meant for fighters.

To me, I think it would be cool if it could be 100% open/flexible, but I'm mainly looking for ways to quickly and easily allow the story to change the choices without breaking the system. I could see the flip side of this being a fighter who gets caught in some extradimensional trap for a time, and after the experience wants to take Dimension Door as a power.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Especially if it's coming from you as a DM, I don't think it would get bad for a more casual group at all.

Likely some things will be powerful, some things will be weak, but since each power is fairly self-contained, it shouldn't bork over your entire campaign too often. Just keep an eye on what you're offering.

Really, you seem to be offering the powers as a kind of treasure or alternate XP almost, which is cool, and very thematic. Maybe cut down on magic item powers in response (just give them +1 swords, and these abilities), but really, especially with you controlling the pipe, they should be fiiiine.

Sounds fun.

Though I am one of those horrible awful heretics who believes that the Powers system in the PHB1&2 at least is like eating pasta for every meal (but maybe with different sauces). So I tend to believe the wall should be torn down.

 

[phloog]

KM - - you've got it...in terms of background, I started playing this game around 1978, and quickly moved from boxed set with light blue covered book to the 1E books.

Back then, you would in the course of telling the story make a change to a character, and that would often give them a drawback or benefit like we're discussing here...the problem was that without some framework it was as likely as not that the power would be too much, and could overshadow the other players. Without a list of graded powers, you'd give them some version of Grim Presence, and have to make your best guess about power level...and best guesses are usually rotten.

Having a whole catalog of powers that is, at least in theory and by intent, balanced to a degree, allows me to simply give them choices that should be somewhat balanced.

If they opt to take the Grim Presence, then they shouldn't be suddenly the most powerful character in the party. And it's their choice - if they don't take it, then they might still be scarred, but it has no significant impact.

And of course I'm not even handing it out as a BONUS - My original thought was that it would be a choice of this INSTEAD of a power from their normal list. But I could see also treating it like an item or 'bonus thing'.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Ah. If it's DM house ruling for minor boons and options then it should be absolutely fine (beware of Barbarian attack powers as the barbarian extra damage is folded in there, and one or two other things such as wizard dailies). A good optimiser with their pick of powers from any class will be able to snap the game with nasty synergies. But if under the DM's control the problems should be minor - and there's also the Boons and Themes systems.