Enhanced Resistive Formula

[Flipguarder]

I found it funny that I didn't think this was a problem til I was DMing a party with the artificer, and when I was playing I just thought "SWEET!"

Me and a friend got together and talked about this feat. the text says exactly this:

"When your resistive formula grants temporary hit points to you or an ally, that character can grant an equal number of temporary hit points to one ally within 5 squares of him or her."

Now when we first read it, it seemed clear but overpowered. Just double the healing on a healing ability from one feat.

While thinking about it I came across a relatively shaky way to read it that would make it a slightly underpowered feat and what I think could be the RAI:

"When your resistive formula grants temporary hit points to you or an ally, that character can grant his or her temporary hit points to one ally within 5 squares of him or her."

The change ruins the ability to be overpowered. but it does still grant a few things:

1. The temp hp is based on your choice of target, probably the defender.
2. It extends the range of the power.

Anybody have an opinion on this feat. A different way of reading it or a solid houserule.

 

[keterys]

Your change would certainly be a lot more balanced, but I'd have expected to see it worded differently and not be paragon tier if that's what it was... but maybe that's how it was originally designed and got tweaked differently.

Honestly, at heroic tier resistive formula is crazy good (probably too good) without the feat. At paragon it's just going to get crazy, at half the surge cost and a bump of several points for many characters (use it on the defender, bounce it to the controller).

 

[Thundershield]

The biggest mitigating factor to the feat (and Resistive Formula in general) is that it bestows temporary HP. The moment the encounter is over, they poof, provided there are any left.

Monsters might also change their tactics once they realize hitting some targets seems to have little effect and instead strike the characters without temporary hit points, causing real damage, which is harder for an Artificer to heal than for a Cleric.

That said, we tested the Artificer and Resistive Formula in a 16th-level Delve the other week, and it was rather interesting to see how it played out. It seemed like a powerful tool, but when the players were able to steamroll an encounter, they were sometimes annoyed they'd spent healing surges unnecessarily, making its use sort of balance itself.

I'd be more worried about the Battle Engineer's "Fleeting Dweomer"... An encounter power that grants a buff which lasts for a full encounter.. Not exactly what I'd call "fleeting"..

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The biggest mitigating factor to the feat (and Resistive Formula in general) is that it bestows temporary HP. The moment the encounter is over, they poof, provided there are any left.

Monsters might also change their tactics once they realize hitting some targets seems to have little effect and instead strike the characters without temporary hit points, causing real damage, which is harder for an Artificer to heal than for a Cleric.

That said, we tested the Artificer and Resistive Formula in a 16th-level Delve the other week, and it was rather interesting to see how it played out. It seemed like a powerful tool, but when the players were able to steamroll an encounter, they were sometimes annoyed they'd spent healing surges unnecessarily, making its use sort of balance itself.

I'd be more worried about the Battle Engineer's "Fleeting Dweomer"... An encounter power that grants a buff which lasts for a full encounter.. Not exactly what I'd call "fleeting"..

Well, it's a Dweomer... Aren't they supposed to be very powerful - it's basically combining two opposing extremes.

 

[Thundershield]

Well, it's a Dweomer... Aren't they supposed to be very powerful - it's basically combining two opposing extremes.

Except "dweomer" isn't used about epic spells anymore, partly 'cause epic spells have been absorbed into the standard level 21+ power sortiment and rituals. Otherwise the 2nd-level Swordmage utility power "Mythal Recovery" should be even more awesome.

No, what I mean is that it's an encounter power that lasts a full encounter... Basically it's always on, and more over, you can pick a new energy type every encounter to take full advantage of your foes' vulnerabilities. Frightfully overpowered for a 12th-level utility power, especially considering all the other powers and features of that PP also rock (+3 attack, +7 damage, and brutal +1 to all adjacent allies whenever I use my at-will, and even more whenever I use my encounter power).

 

[keterys]

The biggest mitigating factor to the feat (and Resistive Formula in general) is that it bestows temporary HP. The moment the encounter is over, they poof, provided there are any left.

Temp hp last until the target takes a rest... the really gross thing is to put these on, in advance.

Monsters might also change their tactics once they realize hitting some targets seems to have little effect and instead strike the characters without temporary hit points, causing real damage, which is harder for an Artificer to heal than for a Cleric.

Artificers are not worse at healing than, say, a bard or tactical warlord. Also, it only takes something like 3 temp absorbed _per tier_ to catch up to the cleric. A single daily magic item activation will often net the difference. Add on the fact that the surges come from anyone you want, and I'd say the artificer is a much more versatile healer unless the cleric invests attack powers into healing.

That said, we tested the Artificer and Resistive Formula in a 16th-level Delve the other week, and it was rather interesting to see how it played out. It seemed like a powerful tool, but when the players were able to steamroll an encounter, they were sometimes annoyed they'd spent healing surges unnecessarily, making its use sort of balance itself.

That's the opposite of the test I did... the party cheerfully tossed off a couple surges every fight to put the temp hp. Of course, it helped that there were some high Con characters to soak surges for the party. Warden wth 14 surges? Yeah, he doesn't nearly need all of those.