Ampersand: Sneak Attack

[Spatula]

I don't see the problem with martial X per Y abilities... how is it any different from a barbarian's rage?

 

[frankthedm]

You lost me as soon as you suggested that your character's bow attack is more 'real' than gravity.

It is truth in D&D. A good jump roll or skill check may flaunt gravity, but no matter the attack roll, no additional arrows can be pop'ed into being mid flight without magic directly being involved, like the "Darts of the Hornet's Nest".

 

[Imban]

Well, I started roleplaying with Shadowrun. In there, active spells require concentration, and it was very difficult to maintain multiple spells. When I came to D&D 3.0, I had to get accustomed to the idea that I could actually have multiple spells running and not sucking. (though that might have been the smaller change I had to adapt to compared to the formulaic SR spells to the highly unique Vancian spells and the whole "per day" stuff... Or Hitpoints...)

So, it's not like your power actually has a variable duration - you just decide to end it because you no longer need it, and it takes effort to maintain. And if you wouldn't end it, you couldn't get enough rest to replenish your per encounter resources.

Well, this works as long as you can choose when to end it. If all of us use encounter-duration buffs, kick down the door, and find two goblins and a hostile flying goldfish behind it, I would be dissatisfied if I couldn't kick down the next door and fight another battle while my buffs remained up just because "two goblins and a hostile flying goldfish" was an encounter, albeit a one-round and stupid one.

With any luck, things will be set up such that "Well, I want my powers to recharge, time to drop out of combat mode" or "You know, I'll stay in combat mode since I'm in a dungeon, buffed with a daily buff, and haven't used a single encounter power yet, and also not stupid" is a choice characters can make.

With unluck, you'll get stupid crap like not being able to use encounter powers outside of combat, even when they'd be useful, or people actually insisting that if you use the 4e equivalent of Bull's Strength to bash down a door that it wears off right after that because that was the encounter, not the horde of orcs inside the room.

 

[hong]

With any luck, things will be set up such that "Well, I want my powers to recharge, time to drop out of combat mode" or "You know, I'll stay in combat mode since I'm in a dungeon, buffed with a daily buff, and haven't used a single encounter power yet, and also not stupid" is a choice characters can make.

1st rule of thumb is: if the DM is counting initiative, the encounter is still going. 2nd rule of thumb is: if a minute passes where nothing happens, the encounter is over.

 

[AllisterH]

1st rule of thumb is: if the DM is counting initiative, the encounter is still going. 2nd rule of thumb is: if a minute passes where nothing happens, the encounter is over.

As a Bo9S player, this fear about encounter length is unjustified. Has anyone else that has used BoNS had a problem with determining "what is an encounter?"

 

[hong]

As a Bo9S player, this fear about encounter length is unjustified. Has anyone else that has used BoNS had a problem with determining "what is an encounter?"

I certainly haven't....

 

[small pumpkin man]

As a Bo9S player, this fear about encounter length is unjustified. Has anyone else that has used BoNS had a problem with determining "what is an encounter?"

Nope.

 

[mach1.9pants]

As a Bo9S player, this fear about encounter length is unjustified. Has anyone else that has used BoNS had a problem with determining "what is an encounter?"

Nada
Players could be jerks and try to metagame it; but then I wouldn't be playing with them!

 

[Steely Dan]

Has anyone else that has used BoNS had a problem with determining "what is an encounter?"

No, not in 21 years, regardless of using ToB, which we have, or not.

 

[Derren]

1st rule of thumb is: if the DM is counting initiative, the encounter is still going. 2nd rule of thumb is: if a minute passes where nothing happens, the encounter is over.

Thats why you always carry a bound goblin which you can kick with you. That way something is happening and the encounter goes on.