Can encounter healing powers be used out of combat?

[Otterscrubber]

My DM thinks no, although i do not recall every reading anything specifically prohibiting it. Basically we ended a fight and I wanted our warlord to use his ability to heal us up afterwards so as to minimize our use of healing surges. DM decided that those powers can only be used in combat and that we could not take 15 minutes (3 separate uses of the powers) to recharge and use it.

 

[Mort_Q]

Yes, encounter powers may be used out of combat.

Encounter powers recharge in 5 minutes.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Ya, that was my response, but it got poo-poo'ed by the powers that be. Was a little irked.

 

[weem]

Without quoting from the book, it very specifically states that you CAN indeed use an encounter power while resting (between encounters). It just says you will need to rest again another time if you want to use it again.

---edit---

Forgot to mention this was in regards to a short rest - so 5 minutes as was mentioned above (forums are crawling for me, otherwise my post would have been more immediate, hehe).

 

[LightPhoenix]

PHB, page 263, in the inset. "If you use an encounter power (such as a healing power) during a short rest, you need another short rest to renew it so that you can use it again." This basically says you can use encounter powers (inspiring word, healing word) to heal. If it required an enemy target (such as some Cleric powers) I would say no though, since those are dependant on being in combat.