Action Point Limits?

[Zetesofos]

So, I'm reading through the PHB, and I understand the normal rules regarding Action Points: Once per encounter. However, there are a couple powers that leave me wondering if they are exceptions to the rule

Archer's Glory (Battlefield Archer PP), Defy Death (Fighter), and one other (Combat Veteran PP).

All of these state roughly that either you (or an ally) gains an action point which they must spend before the end of their next turn.

Now, question. Do the acquisition of these Action points allow a person to spend more than one action point per round?. Archer's Glory is an encounter power, and so if not, it doesn't allow you to effectively use EVERY action point you would have, as I'm sure you'll likely drop at least ONE enemy every round.

Is having two action points in a given encounter overkill, I would think not with the Eternal Seeker ED, so I'd be willing to allow these abilities are an exception to the use of only one action point per encounter.

Thoughts?

 

[Mort_Q]

I haven't playtested this, but it seems to me that allowing a player to pool their action points, and use as many as they want in an encounter, would encourage players to skip the extended rests.

Wasn't that the goal?

I know I used two action points in on encounter (rule ignorant at the time) and still got taken to below 0 HP.

 

[Tale]

Now, question. Do the acquisition of these Action points allow a person to spend more than one action point per round?

No.

 

[theNater]

These powers say nothing to indicate that they counteract the rule of one action point per encounter.

Archer's Glory makes it so that the ranger can use an action point in nearly every encounter. Note that he cannot use Archer's Glory if the party is fighting a lone solo monster, and there's always the chance he'll need to use an action point early in the fight, before any foes have been defeated. He can use his normal action points for those situations, and his bonus ones in the other fights.

Superior Tactics, from the combat veteran paragon path, provides an action point to any nearby ally. Generally, the warlord should provide it to an ally who has not used an action point during that encounter, letting them save any action points they already have for later encounters.

Defy Death is a warlord power that does not interact with action points in any unusual way. I presume you were talking about Act of Desperation, which is a 22nd level fighter utility power. As a daily power, it essentially provides the fighter with one additional action point per day(assuming the conditions are met). This is quite beneficial if the adventuring day goes for more than one encounter.

The thing I worry most about with letting a character spend two action points in an encounter is what happens when they have another mechanic that interacts with action points. An eternal seeker could get four extra actions in a single combat, which is pretty significant in combats that seem geared to last about 10 rounds. A battle mage might be able to take four attacks with a +4 bonus to each attack in two rounds. These sorts of things could be seriously unbalancing.

 

[toxicspirit]

So Archer's Glory is not really an 'Encounter Power' then, but rather a 'Possibly-a-Couple-of-Times-a-Day Power' or an 'Every-Second-Encounter Power'.

 

[theNater]

So Archer's Glory is not really an 'Encounter Power' then, but rather a 'Possibly-a-Couple-of-Times-a-Day Power' or an 'Every-Second-Encounter Power'.

Yes. It is not helpful more often than in half of the encounters in a given adventuring day.

 

[Stalker0]

Yep, perhaps the designers intent was that these extra AP are an exception to the rule and can be used at the same time as other AP, but there are no rules to support that. A FAQ entry would have to clarify that.

 

[FadedC]

Well, my first thought was that these powers didn't overrule the once per encounter rule. Somebody however pointed out that the wording says you HAVE to spend these actions points by the end of the round. This could imply that you have no choice in the matter, and that it's a matter of the specific overriding the general....normally you couldn't spend a second action point but this power is not allowing it, it's requiring it.

I'm not necesarily saying I agree with that interpetation. But I can understand it.

 

[toxicspirit]

Yes. It is not helpful more often than in half of the encounters in a given adventuring day.

Just seems to me that if it works the way you describe (and I'm not necessarily saying it doesn't), it would be more fitting as a Daily Power instead of an Encounter Power that can't actually be used every encounter.

 

[icarusfallz]

I believe that this power is in addition to a normal Action point, otherwise, what if a character had already spent an action point that encounter?

Remember, every class, race, and power breaks the rules in some way. It's exception based design, after all.