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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Majoru Oakheart" data-source="post: 8720277" data-attributes="member: 5143">I am reading the rules for the first time and I’ma little confused by Battle Hymn. I read somewhere that it used to last multiple rounds and was changed to only last one but its mechanics seem really odd to me. First, it uses no action economy at all. It is free to turn it on and free to target things. It also can be activated ”at any time“ which isn’t really clarified. Almost every other action in the game has a type of action both to tell you the timing of it and to limit stacking too many effects on the same round.This ability seems to use rather convoluted mechanics where you need to decide which Hymn to activate at the beginning of your turn and then at some point later target someone within 30 feet with it. It also gives you the option to Sustain it for another round without spending another use.My real question is: am I missing something? Wouldn't this entire ability be less confusing and work almost the same way if you just activated the ability as some sort of action when you want to use it? Like if you changed Harmony of Pain to be "as a Bonus Action, you can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration and give a target creature within 30 feet temporary hit points equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die" wouldn't that be less confusing, fit in with the overall mechanics of the rest of the system better and remove a huge paragraph about activating and sustaining the ability that isn't really needed? Even if you think the change to make it take an action of some sort is bad, you could keep it a free action but make it do you target and use it immediately.As it is now, I'm not sure if you can use Harmony of Pain on an enemy's turn or even in reaction to somebody taking damage to absorb it.</blockquote>

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