Dragon 398: Rituals Index
- Thread starter Mentat55
- Start date
TarionzCousin
Second Most Angelic Devil Ever
Nemesis Destiny
Adventurer
I really liked the idea of Martial Practices. They seem to have been abandoned though, and nobody in my group has ever used them. I wonder - perhaps if I gave out the entry feat for free to any character with the Martial power source...
Klaus
First Post
I wonder if Martial Practices would see more use if they were written up as powers. I mean, when you look at it, Martial Practices are a way to get many more utilities outside the feat/class structure.
Reliable Balance
Special: You must spend a healing surge.
Effect: For the next ten minutes, you can take 10 on Acrobatics checks.
Reliable Balance
Special: You must spend a healing surge.
Effect: For the next ten minutes, you can take 10 on Acrobatics checks.
erf_beto
First Post
I'd go a step further and do the same for (some) rituals. Essential classes have "powers" that were originally rituals (like raise dead).
Maybe the reason rituals feel out of place in 4e is because they are written with the structure of older edition spells, instead of the transparent-clear-highly-balanced-mechanical power. I'm not saying which is better, they are just different, I like both. But combat, and therefore, powers, are central to 4e.
Well, to me, "rituals as powers" is pretty much covered by skill powers. Which in principle I like, but somehow never wind up using. So maybe more martial-oriented skill powers would be nice, but I'm not sure I'd be too excited about it myself.
IMO, the whole point of rituals as rituals is that they ARE outside the structure of powers. They're explicitly under tighter DM control. As such, they can incorporate all sorts of cool but potentially unbalancing effects. It's much easier for a DM to say "no, you can't create flying magical mounts unless you quest for pegasus feathers as components" when it's a ritual than to say "no, you can't use that special Astral Steeds utility power you just took even though you meet the prereqs".
Nemesis Destiny
Adventurer
That's the thing with Skill Powers - some of them are ridiculously good, and others suck. A lot also depends on if your class gets good utilities or not. I make heavy use of Skill Powers with my Valorous Bard (the L2 Endurance one puts all the at-level Bard utilities to shame). I have a Wizard fluffed as an arcane doctor who uses the Heal Skill Powers a lot.
They can be excellent, but most of them are too situational to be worth taking with most characters. They shouldn't be better than class utilities, but it should at least be a tough choice sometimes, and sadly that just isn't the case for most characters.
AbdulAlhazred
Legend
The real problem isn't skill powers per-se but the whole concept of utility powers. You get one utility power for a slot and can't really switch it out. There will ALWAYS be a utility at every slot that is a big advantage in combat, so all the others just gather dust.
Utility powers should be either swappable or there should be a line of consumables that you can use to get the same effects or something. As it is 99% of them never see the light of day, even though they're quite nice in certain cases.
Rituals at least avoid THAT problem. Honestly, combining the ritual casting and utility power concept would be the best option. Make utilities immediate effect stuff that requires an HS. Maybe all characters get to pick say 3 of them they can choose to use on a one-per-encounter basis or something.
Utility powers should be either swappable or there should be a line of consumables that you can use to get the same effects or something. As it is 99% of them never see the light of day, even though they're quite nice in certain cases.
Rituals at least avoid THAT problem. Honestly, combining the ritual casting and utility power concept would be the best option. Make utilities immediate effect stuff that requires an HS. Maybe all characters get to pick say 3 of them they can choose to use on a one-per-encounter basis or something.
