Confusion

[TwinBahamut]

So long as it is written as: 1 minutes (10 consecutive standard/full round actions). Otherwise you have issues with what counts as rest. I know I sound like I'm splitting hairs, but gamers *do* come up with weird plans involving people being levitated and dragged along by apparatuses attached to Tenser's Floating Disks, allowing them to travel while not taking and movement related actions. Gamers (and I most certainly am one) come up with the strangest ideas... And how restful is riding a horse? The answer *should* change based on the horse's gait, of course. Make it 10 consecutive full round Concentration actions (DC based on the situation)?

It could just be that "resting" simply means "not fighting" or "no longer tracking initiative", and the level of rest is not held to a high standard. Certainly, I don't think it means that the characters are all sitting on the ground or taking a quick nap between every fight. I imagine that normal movement or riding a horse would be within the limits of acceptable rest. I also imagine there will be language to prevent any kind of resting while still inside initiative count.

 

[Kintara]

Ok, but how do you explain that to the players? What's the justification other than "I say so"?

It sounds to me kind of like determining when you can take 10 or not.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Elven perception aura. This feels (like has been said, although I cannot be bothered to track down the post) like the Dodge of 4e. The radius is *just* large enough that, most of the time it applies to the full party, except of course for the not-in-fact-uncommon cases of combat, or single-file corridors with large parties. Lets not even get into line-of-sight issues and corners. The bonus is small, and tracking it fairly screams "tedious". It isn't a fluff linchpin ability, so why include it at all? I thought part of the goal of 4e was to clean up such effects, with "effort to track">"reward".

Completely behind you on this, circumstantial +1 bonuses are stupid and a pain to remember.

 

[TwinBahamut]

It makes sense if you consider my other idea, that "per encounter" powers can be used freely outside combat, but while in combat, they can be used only once.

It really doesn't make any sense in conjuction with your 1 minute recharge rules.
Meanwhile, at the King's Archery Contest...
-You still have other 2 arrow to fire, come on elf!
-I know, just let me rest for 1 minute...

In Olympic shooting, you fire sets of three shots, and have 40 seconds for each shot. Archers lowering their bow and taking a quick breather between periods of readying a shot or taking a shot is very common. I am not sure you picked the best example, here.

Also, I don't like the 1 minute recharge rule, though I suggested it so many times before, because I can easily see characters counting rounds for every "per encounter" power they used so they can use it again, and counting rounds is cumbersome. If you raise the recharge time to 5 mintes, there's also a problem. What if 3 minutes after the end of the combat the group is attacked, those "per encounter" power are not really "per encounter" anymore.

Huh? I think it won't so much be "1 minute recharge for each individual power", so much as it will be "rest one minute, and get all of your per-encounter powers back". Did anyone suggest the former?

 

[Kintara]

Completely behind you on this, circumstantial +1 bonuses are stupid and a pain to remember.

I could see it if it was a bonus that had much use IN combat, but perception is more of a "travel mode" or "exploration mode" skill, in which case you can just assume everyone gets it unless someone mentions a reason why they wouldn't be with the rest of the group.

 

[Kraydak]

...

I also imagine there will be language to prevent any kind of resting while still inside initiative count.

I most certainly hope not. A character inside a (barless) Forcecage could be immune to people outside it (if they cannot teleport). If he can teleport, he can exit and beat people up. The latter keeps him in initiative count, while the former lets him rest. Or at least should. While mocking them, of course.

 

[Campbell]

I don't see any problem with leaving the way an 'Encounter' is defined as intentionally vague. It provides another way for a DM to adjust pacing and encounter difficulty on the fly. It is a bit of a dramatic departure from previous editions where the rules had a stronger hand in setting the pace of the game, but having abilities refresh as dramatically appropriate offers a higher degree of game play flexibility.

 

[Kraydak]

I could see it if it was a bonus that had much use IN combat, but perception is more of a "travel mode" or "exploration mode" skill, in which case you can just assume everyone gets it unless someone mentions a reason why they wouldn't be with the rest of the group.

It (or at least so I presume) is useful in combats with hiding or invisible participants. Which are plentiful.

If the party is advancing singlefile, and is rounding a corner when fun starts, does the bonus also round corners? Does only the side of the corner with the elf get the bonus? A 7 man (6 man+pet) party, well within reasonable size bounds, single-file, puts the front and back people out of range of each other.

If the bonus were 60' *and* required neither line of sight nor line of effect *then* it would be quite reliably on, baring scouting behavior.

 

[Kintara]

It (or at least so I presume) is useful in combats with hiding or invisible participants. Which are plentiful.

You got me there. Still, hiding in the middle of combat was rare in my games, and I rarely even bothered to try finding invisible opponents with spot/listen checks.

Edit: As for line of sight and single-file situations...I admit that I'd just dump some handwavium on it (i.e., just "conveniently" gloss over those fiddly bits).

 

[Kraydak]

I don't see any problem with leaving the way an 'Encounter' is defined as intentionally vague. It provides another way for a DM to adjust pacing and encounter difficulty on the fly. It is a bit of a dramatic departure from previous editions where the rules had a stronger hand in setting the pace of the game, but having abilities refresh as dramatically appropriate offers a higher degree of game play flexibility.

Looser rules opens the possibility of argument and hurt feelings. This reduces fun. Stricter rules (time-based, say), require more effort perhaps, but only in corner cases. Namely, those cases where arguments might arise. In which case they help prevent arguments and (compared to the alternative) enhance fun.