D&D 4E Do full attacks have no place in 4e?

[Stalker0]

There are some powers in 4e that utilize move actions. The one I can think of off the top of my head is quicksilver stance from martial power, a high level daily that gives fighter a basic attack as a move action.

I think with powers you can introduce move action based offensives, but I wouldn't do it on a blanket level. I'm much happier they are introducing more powers that work off of charges.

 

[Flipguarder]

Though I would like to see more encounter/daily powers that are more powerful at the cost of taking a full round to accomplish, full attacks were too powerful.

Overall I don't miss them a bit.

 

[Caliban]

Rogues have one or two attacks that are a minor action (low slash, and something else).

With powers like Rain of Blows, Sweeping Blow, Come and Get it, etc. fighters can already get multiple attacks with just a standard action.

(And Rain of Blows can easily do 100+ damage around lvl 8-10 with an optimized fighter. And it can be re-used 2-5 times with various combinations of items and powers.)

 

[Nifft]

Funny thing... my Wizard, by using two Daily powers, can get a "full attack" each round:
- Mord's Sword (sustain and attack Minor)
- Wizard's Fury (cast Magic Missile as a Minor action for the duration of the combat) - spend my Move action doing this
- Normal Standard action attack

Cheers, -- N

 

[Regicide]

First off, a response to the OP, but a bit off topic, ToB was a complete and total disaster for 3E. Many MANY utterly broken and unbalanced things that they've never bothered to go back and address. Also there was no attempt to integrate it with the existing 3E mechanics so your Crusader can happily toss heal spells around every single round of combat... in the middle of an anti-magic field. UUUUUGH. And don't get me started on martial scrolls. I'd let players use Night Sticks first.

Second, people complaining about the full attack action in 3E either stopped playing early or really have no ground to stand on. There are MANY options, either magic items with teleport, or... feats... those things fighters get lots of, like Slashing Flurry to get 2 attacks off a standard action, Leap Attack to add huge amounts of damage on a charge, or Quick Draw to pull out a bow and get a full attack with it.

For 4E there are a lot of classes that don't have much they can do with their move action other than to move. I doubt we'll see full round action, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see feats before too long that give players something to do with their move action if they don't have a pet or a sustainable power.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Full attacks were gone from D&D for all of about 3 months.

Then martial power came out.

Rangers got a boatload of minor actions attacks. Full attack: Minor: Ruffling sting, trade move for another minor: off-hand strike, standard: twin strike

Rogues got a few minor action attacks. (Low slash).

Fighters got quicksilver stance.

Warlords got a power that lets people make basic attacks as a minor action (and resourceful warlords give a massive attack and damage bonus with those attacks so everyone will: Minor: basic attack, trade move for a minor: basic attack; standard: basic attack).

When it's all said and done, 4th edition really is not much more mobile than 3rd edition combat was. In 3rd edition, characters would full attack and five foot step if there was any point to doing so. In 4th edition, characters locked in melee attack and shift if there is any point to doing so. In fact, the change that is most responsible for the increased mobility of 4e combats (such as it is) is the dramatic loosening of the charge rules. Move and then charge (not necessarily in a straight line) to the closest square (of which there are usually at least three in the non-euclidian 4e world) has essentially doubled the threat range of most melee characters. The ability to shift and then charge also allows melee characters to change opponents without provoking OAs.

 

[Flipguarder]

its all about at-will minor actions

 

[Nifft]

its all about at-will minor actions

Now we just wait for the foolish, foolish supplement that contains an encounter-long effect which grants an extra minor action...

Mua-ha-ha, -- N

 

[Runestar]

First off, a response to the OP, but a bit off topic, ToB was a complete and total disaster for 3E. Many MANY utterly broken and unbalanced things that they've never bothered to go back and address.

I wasn't talking so much about the power level of ToB, but more of the features it introduced (namely the ability to simulate a full attack damagewise as a standard action, so you could effectively move and still "full-attack").

Plus, the ability to move and still full-attack remains fairly elusive, unless you dip 1 lv for barb (pounce variant), belt of battle (usable 3/day), quicksilver motion stance (available only to warblades and swordsages) etc. Yes, there were ways if you looked hard enough, but it wasn't a given.

So it seems that the posters here don't mind more swift action abilities. And I suppose they will have the initiative to build their characters to make efficient use of the action economy (ie: they should have some avenue to trade in their move action if it ever becomes unnecessary).

I guess the full attack should remain a relic of 3e.

 

[Flipguarder]

One of my issues about heroic level, is that sometimes you can't even find a use for your minor action.

That just seems wasteful.