For the final time: At no level of abstraction do single use powers like that in a sports setting or as a martial power make sense to me. To me, they are by definition nonsense.
Decisions like that occur all the time. According to a pre-release interview, the makers of the original Starship Troopers movie looked at their budget and realized they couldn't afford to do both the Bugs and the Humans in power armor as the book depicted them: they could do either side as in the book, or they could compromise both sides. They decided that if they screwed up the Bugs, they would never be forgiven so Humans in nuclear powered armor got written out.
And people made their judgements of the film- pro and con- based on this decision. Some liked it, some hated it, some wonder what things would have looked like with compromised forces.
The point is, yes, in any creative process, you have to figure out what you can do and what you will do. When that decision is made, however, you have no guarantees as to how it will be received.
I received martial daily powers poorly.
Because a burst of extra effort is not a once per day thing unless its the last thing you do that day.
(And unless you haven't guessed, I'm not exactly buying into the "plot coupon" theory.)
Call The Amazing Randi! His prize for proof of psychic abilities is right here! He has read my mind...IN THE FUTURE!!!
How many times do I have to tell you that I hate physical/martial daily powers before you'll believe I'm telling you the 100% truth.
Let me try again: I hate physical/martial daily powers, and I would never use them in a game I would design.
And later that day, he will be capable of that level of exertion again, except, as I said, unless he gets hospitalized.
Did I stutter? Have I changed my position from the very first time we started talking about this? To me, physical/martial daily powers are a glaringly artificial mechanic.
Ladies and gentlemen, he's done it again- he's a human polygraph, further proof that he deserves Randi's money!
I think the mechanic is crap. I- and others- came up with suggestions that I think are better models for physical exertion. I accept that you don't think they are. But why can't you accept that I think they are, and that I dislike martial daily powers in and of themselves, not because they represent some sacred cow?
I did already when I first posted my modified encounter powers.
Since you clearly missed that or misunderstood: I can see encounter powers not working again within an encounter because every foe present has a chance to perceive how it developed and will be on guard for that sequence of martial maneuvers that set it up. For example, in an encounter, a Fighter uses an encounter power in which he gathers himself behind his shield, holds his weapon just so, and unleashes holy hell upon the target in front of him. After that, all the foes in the encounter will be aware that when he gathers himself behind his shield, holds his weapon just so, it's time to get ready for what comes next.
This does NOT apply to daily powers unless every being in the universe has somehow witnessed that sequence of events. For example, in an encounter, a Fighter uses a daily power in which he gathers himself behind his shield, holds his weapon just so, jumps in the air screaming "For Pony!" and unleashes holy hell upon every target within his reach. Like before, everyone in the area is going to recognize that sequence if it occurs again, and will safeguard against it.
But the creatures 4, 3 or 2 encounters down the road have no such prior experience with this Fighter doing that. Why should they be on guard for that sequence? The answer: they shouldn't.
Sorry I wasn't clear on this: there would be no PF- at least, not one as big as it is now- because Hasbro would still have 3.5Ed or a revised edition of it on the market beside the game currently known as 4Ed (but which would obviously have a different name).
While there are some who think this is not feasible, the fact is that there are companies who have managed to maintain support more than one RPG in their products line, for how long depending upon company size and game quality. And if anyone can do it, it would be within the realm of possibilities for the company with the biggest name in the history of the hobby, the most valuable IP, and the backing of Hasbro. (TSR managed to have a couple of RPGs in its line, and WotC did as well- according to what they said in press releases, the only reason Everway was killed off was WotC didn't have the money to support it and other games. WotC under Hasbro probably doesn't have that same kind of issue.)
The trick is that the companies that do so make their RPGs feel different from the ground up. Well, a 4Ed decoupled from ALL of the preconceptions and design constraints of D&D would have the freedom to be as different as any other FRPG out there...but with the marketing advantage of coming from a company and designers who are a known quantity, an identifiable brand.
They most certainly did- look at the early press releases where they say that Vancian magic is still in the game as but one example...even though its largely erased. They may not have kept it fully as many would have liked, they made sure they SAID it was still around. They kept most of the game's classic races, classes, heck- having classes, and many other old elements, albeit in mechanically altered form.
...Because of the legacy issue. If 4Ed D&D were not called 4Ed D&D, people could hardly complain that it changed things from prior edition, because it would be in all senses what many 4Ed non-adopters call it: a totally new game.
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