D&D 4E 4e Special Ability PER Encounter stinks...

[RigaMortus2]

ok, the title is perhaps somewhat provoking (or not) but what does anyone think of special abilities useable X-times per encounter?

i personally do not like this approach, because encounter is something which can be from a short battle to a long battle, or even not be a combat encounter at all...so lets say you have a short encounter of 2 minutes of playtime: you can use special ability x here once. then there is a nother encounter taking 2 hours and still you can use special ability x only once here? remind you, encounter not necessarily means combat encounter... i think the whole useable per encounter thing stinks...

I would hope that they would better define what an encounter is. Currently, the DM is the person who determines when an encounter ends and when it begins. I think WotC needs to define this...

I think it is important to do so, because this actually has come into play for me and my group. The Crusader class from Tome of Battle uses a recovery method for their maneuvers which starts when an encounter begins, and stops when the encounter ends. A lot of times the DM will roll init just to get some sort of order, before combat even begins. Does the Crusader's maneuvers start when init is rolled or when enemies enter the scene, or before their first attack? Several rounds can go by before combat officially starts, so should the player of Crusader keep reshuffling his maneuvers even though he hasn't used them yet?

That's just one current instances of how defining when an encounter begins/ends can be important...

 

[Patlin]

The book of 9 swords had a definition for encounter that seemed fairly good, in terms of per-encounter abilities. The martial classes also had methods of getting back per encounter abilities mid-encounter if they used a bit of effort... time will tell what 4e will do!

 

[whydirt]

Again, how long is that exactly. 10 minutes, 1 hour, or what? I like specifc time tables, especially when it comes to character abilities and spells.

Why?

 

[breschau]

It's all about the record keeping. It's much easier to say x times per encounter than it is to keep track of all spells, class abilities, racial abilities, spell like abilities, etc with actual time.

Per encounter: ok, I've used my Smite for this combat. What else can I do?

Strict time: ok, my Smite will recover in 5 minutes... I have to wait how many rounds!?

Per encounter is easier.

 

[Sun Knight]

Why?

Three words.

Proper. Resource. Management.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

2 hour encounter? I don't think so.

Provide me an example, or I call shenanigans.

Most "long encounters" are easily and obviously broken up, and I fully expect the DMG to give a general rule of thumb for encounters -> time

 

[Wormwood]

Again, how long is that exactly. 10 minutes, 1 hour, or what? I like specifc time tables, especially when it comes to character abilities and spells.

A scene (or encounter) lasts as long as you need it to.

Obi-Wan vs. Anakin on the lava? 10 minutes.

Obi-Wan vs. Vader on the Death Star? One minute

 

[whydirt]

Three words.

Proper. Resource. Management.

Okay, but what do you mean by proper resource management? What's the difference between proper and improper in regards to the game?

 

[Sun Knight]

Fighting a Great Wyrm Red Dragon.

 

[Stone Dog]

Again, how long is that exactly. 10 minutes, 1 hour, or what? I like specifc time tables, especially when it comes to character abilities and spells.

As long as it has to be. The defining aspect isn't so much a period of time as it is when you can get a chance to breathe for a minute or so. If combat keeps trucking along and you don't get a chance to meditate, pray a little, stretch and rest up or whatever then you don't get to refresh your per encounter powers.

There will probably be rules for taking yourself out of a fight on purpose to recover, but odds are taking ten rounds (a minute) to replenish yourself to get your Smite back (or whatever) won't be as effective as fighting for those ten rounds.