Balance question: Replacing Dailies with Encounters
- Thread starter TwoSix
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TwoSix
Everyone's literal second-favorite poster
Yea, pretty much. Focusing on attacks, too, rather than utilities. Utilities complicate things, don't they?
TwoSix
Everyone's literal second-favorite poster
More and more, I'm tempted to say only use Essential classes, and consumables for the big bang moments.
D'karr
Adventurer
You might want to look at them as recharge powers, similar to what monsters have. A daily attack power might be a recharge six power, as an example. A daily utility power might be a recharge five power. In that fashion you could even change the recharge frequency from a d6 to a d8, or a d10 if you wanted.
Campbell
Relaxed Intensity
What's your goal here? I'd start with what sort of play experience you have in mind. Then design to that.
Nevertheless one possible alternate solution is to use a variant of the Escalation Die. Rather than limiting daily attack powers to once a day they could become available only after a certain number of rounds of combat, but could still only be used once an encounter. It's an idea I've been kicking around for awhile as a thought experiment. I've also considered having powers powered by milestone or some other meta game mechanic.
Nevertheless one possible alternate solution is to use a variant of the Escalation Die. Rather than limiting daily attack powers to once a day they could become available only after a certain number of rounds of combat, but could still only be used once an encounter. It's an idea I've been kicking around for awhile as a thought experiment. I've also considered having powers powered by milestone or some other meta game mechanic.
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heretic888
Explorer
Back when I was running 4E (I pretty much only run 13th Age now), I ran one-shots using two different sets of houserules:
Houserule Set A:
- Whenever a character takes an extended rest, he regains 1d4 healing surges (1d4+1 at paragon and 1d4+2 at epic) and can make a saving throw for each expended daily power. On a success, the daily power refreshes.
- Achieving a milestone bestows the same benefits as taking an extended rest. DM has final say on when a milestone has been reached.
- At the conclusion of an adventure or a major quest, all your hit points, healing surges, daily powers, and action points reset.
I found these houserules lengthened the adventuring day while simultaneously ensuring those "only one fight" days had an impact on long-term resources. Players also didn't hoard dailies as much when there was a 50% chance they'd get them back every 2 encounters.
Houserule Set B:
- Characters do not gain any feats or encounter powers beyond those automatically granted as class features or racial traits.
- Characters can use each of their daily powers once per encounter.
- Characters gain a bonus to at-will damage equal to their level and to daily damage equal to twice their level.
- Characters do not have healing surges. When they take a short rest, their hit points are automatically restored to full.
- Characters do not have action points.
- Characters can use second wind as a minor action and it restores their bloodied value in hit points.
- When a character is affected by a power or effect that references a healing surge, he only heals a number of hit points equal to his Con mod + his level (defenders heal Con mod + twice their level).
- Whenever a character would gain an encounter attack power, he gains +1d6 damage to all critical hits (stacks with those provided by magic items or inherent bonuses).
This set of rules was obviously heavily inspired by Gamma World. My goal was both to simplify and speed up 4E combat while making it a bit deadlier. Mission accomplished: using these rules, my group cleared the Red Box adventure within 2 hours.
Just some food for thought.
Houserule Set A:
- Whenever a character takes an extended rest, he regains 1d4 healing surges (1d4+1 at paragon and 1d4+2 at epic) and can make a saving throw for each expended daily power. On a success, the daily power refreshes.
- Achieving a milestone bestows the same benefits as taking an extended rest. DM has final say on when a milestone has been reached.
- At the conclusion of an adventure or a major quest, all your hit points, healing surges, daily powers, and action points reset.
I found these houserules lengthened the adventuring day while simultaneously ensuring those "only one fight" days had an impact on long-term resources. Players also didn't hoard dailies as much when there was a 50% chance they'd get them back every 2 encounters.
Houserule Set B:
- Characters do not gain any feats or encounter powers beyond those automatically granted as class features or racial traits.
- Characters can use each of their daily powers once per encounter.
- Characters gain a bonus to at-will damage equal to their level and to daily damage equal to twice their level.
- Characters do not have healing surges. When they take a short rest, their hit points are automatically restored to full.
- Characters do not have action points.
- Characters can use second wind as a minor action and it restores their bloodied value in hit points.
- When a character is affected by a power or effect that references a healing surge, he only heals a number of hit points equal to his Con mod + his level (defenders heal Con mod + twice their level).
- Whenever a character would gain an encounter attack power, he gains +1d6 damage to all critical hits (stacks with those provided by magic items or inherent bonuses).
This set of rules was obviously heavily inspired by Gamma World. My goal was both to simplify and speed up 4E combat while making it a bit deadlier. Mission accomplished: using these rules, my group cleared the Red Box adventure within 2 hours.
Just some food for thought.
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