D&D4: Most Unique and Interesting Powers.

[bugdontme]

In your opinion, what's some of the most interesting powers in 4th edition? I'm especially looking for powers beyond the standard escalation of damage, pushing, pulling, and so on...

 

[kalil]

I like Provoke Overextension for the team work it encourages.

 

[Jools]

I'd be interested in this too!

 

[bugdontme]

No more suggestions? Personally, I like most wall powers. They bring a bit to the table beyond your standard attack powers.

 

[Balesir]

Speaking from a GM's perspective, what I see as interesting in 4E are actually not individual powers, classes, characters or whatever, but how they combine and mix to form "more than the sum of the parts".

As an example, here is a sequence from the game I GM:

- Fighter wades into the thick of the fight and triggers Come and Get It - gathers foes around him and strikes at them all.

- Rogue moves into a flanking position on one of the 'corner' enemies and shoots it, triggering an opportunity attack, which the fighter punishes with an interrupt (Combat Challenge) before the Rogue strikes with sneak attack and flanking.

- Warlock uses Fey Switch to swap places with the Fighter amid the swarm of enemies - and then uses Otherwind Stride to leave in a flash of explosion, damaging the gathered foes again. Oh, and immobilising them.

- The enemies now being neatly gathered in a 3x3 square with none of the party within it, the Wizard hits them with an Area attack that leaves a nasty zone behind, and

- Finally the Dragonborn Paladin breathes on them before attacking and shifting away.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Speaking from a GM's perspective, what I see as interesting in 4E are actually not individual powers, classes, characters or whatever, but how they combine and mix to form "more than the sum of the parts"..

To me the way 4e powers are interesting, as well as the tactical combos mentioned, are by how they change how the characters move and behave. The 4e Monk, for example, becomes a pure Wire-Fu class straight out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

But much more interesting are the small-seeming powers; At Wills like Tide of Iron are how you interact with the world - on the front foot, pushing forward and taking ground. While a power to allow a rogue to use thievery as a minor action is both one that focusses on speed and the brush pass; walking through a crowd and pickpocketing someone while never actually slowing down. Which says a lot about the character.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

It's been so long since I played 4E but the most interesting powers to me were the non-combat utility ones (I recall many of the skill powers being interesting in this way) and while not technically powers, the rituals. Both helped expand the game away from the tactical wargamish aspect and into more creative spaces.

 

[MichaelSomething]

"Come and Get it!," the Power that spawned a thousand bans!

 

[steenan]

The most interesting single power in D&D4 was, for me, the Fey Step.

Not because of its tactical uses (although it had many), but because of its world-building potential. It significantly changed how the whole race interacted with the world and it was a great fun to explore in play.

In general, I love the places where the system and fiction build on each other.

 

[Balesir]

The most interesting single power in D&D4 was, for me, the Fey Step.

Not because of its tactical uses (although it had many), but because of its world-building potential. It significantly changed how the whole race interacted with the world and it was a great fun to explore in play.

In general, I love the places where the system and fiction build on each other.

Heh - this reminds me of a nice scene we had while the PCs were in the Feywild. They were attacked by enemies on flying steeds while they were peacefully wandering and shopping in the square of a small Fey town. Realising that every inhabitant of the town had either the ability to fly, teleportation or invisibility in some form, and giving all the "innocent bystanders" the same initiative pip, I arranged it that that one moment the square was a bustling marketplace full of exotic fey folk, the next it was empty of all but the PCs and their foes. Every inhabitant either flew to an upstairs window, teleported into a house through a window or went invisible and left the square. This simple (and systemically natural) development said "you are in a fey settlement" more graphically than any of my whimsical description did!