Are there too few known encounter powers?

[jeffhartsell]

The one item that keeps nagging me is the chart of power progression. I understand items will provide more powers, but even then, the number of encounter powers seems low.

If a fight is suppose to last 6-10 rounds, most of the time I'll just be spamming an at-will even at level 30. Sure, they get flashier, but 11th - 30th you just have 4 encounter powers.

What was magical about capping it at 4? And why only start with 1?

I can see a house rule brewing, start with 2 and change the chart on how encounter powers are gained.

 

[ender_wiggin]

I'm not sure I agree. If you push up that cap to 6-10, all of a sudden higher level characters never use at-will abilities any more.

 

[Rechan]

Each race gets 1 encounter power.

Half-elves get another.

Feats give you another (Both clerics we've seen have gotten encounter powers via feats).

Magical items give you encounter powers.

 

[Blackeagle]

Too many encounter powers and you end up not using the at-will powers much at all. In a 6 round fight, you could only end up using an at-will twice. Throw in a daily power and you'd only use an at-will once. From what I've read I'm guessing 6 rounds would be on the short side, but still, throw in the at-will, daily, and utility powers and a high level character can conceivably get through a 15+ round fight without using any power more than once.

 

[Green Knight]

Feats give you another (Both clerics we've seen have gotten encounter powers via feats).

Bear in mind that those were Channel Divinity Feats. If the Cleric uses one Channel Divinity ability then he can't use any others in the same Encounter. So those Clerics didn't actually gain additional Encounter abilities. Just a different way of using a preexisting Encounter Power.

 

[Thasmodious]

If a fight lasts 6-10 rounds, you will spend very little time forced to use your at wills. Between dailies, item powers, racial powers, etc.

 

[jeffhartsell]

If magic items end up giving out 8 more encounter powers I will be amazed. The crunch we've seen is daily powers. A powerful item might give an encounter power, but I cannot see a PC getting a full load of items each with encounter powers.

With 4 encounter, assume 13 dailies (from magic but some are minor actions), and 7 utilities at 30th (some of which are minor actions encounters and some daily standard) and 4 encounters per day you might be able to go without using an at-will.... 3-4 dailies powers per encounter plust 1-2 utility powers.

But would 1 more known encounter power really tip the balance?

Just wondering about the magic number being 4?

 

[Sojorn]

Just wondering about the magic number being 4?

It lets you use an encounter power every other attack. So you set up a good situation with an at-will or two for your teammates, as well as one from yourself perhaps, and then you unleash an encounter. Next round you do it again. Setup, big attack, setup, big attack.

If you had 8 encounters, it'd be better to just fire through them one after another and there would be no incentive to use at-wills to setup better attacks.

 

[Blackeagle]

Thinking about it encounter powers in 4e are roughly the equivalent of a 4/day ability in 3e. 3e assumes 4 encounters per day, so in theory an encounter power would get used four times.

Or to put it another way, that's about the same as the basic number of spells per spell level for a Wizard. A Wizard with no Int bonus (is there such a thing?) gets 36 1st through 9th level spell slots (not counting cantrips since they're unlimited in 4e). A 30th level 4e character gets 4 encounter powers (equivalent to 16 daily use powers in 3e), 4 daily powers, and 7 utility powers (which can be either encounter or daily, if we assume 3 encounter and 4 daily, that's the equivelent of 20 more daily use powers). That's the equivalent of 34 spell slots, plus the 4e character gets their unlimited use at-will powers (and cantrips if they're a wizard). That compares quite favorably in terms of raw uses (though the 4e character is less flexible in choosing what powers they want that day).

 

[Cadfan]

Lets say a fight lasts 10 rounds.

And lets say I have the following.

2 at will powers.
2 per encounter powers.
2 daily powers.
2 encounter powers from items.
1 racial per encounter power.

Is this going to be a problem?