Finally, a semi-official word on non-combat encounters

[frankthedm]

I think it is a set-up for the 4e version of spells that function a certain number of times per encounter instead of with the current Vancian system.

If they want abilties like that, make them at will with a 2 round charge up time.

 

[RigaMortus2]

If they want abilties like that, make them at will with a 2 round charge up time.

Ohhhh, the bookkeeping fun that would be!

 

[Asmor]

I gotta say, I think their definition of encounter (in the context of the Factotum, at least) makes perfect sense. I can't think of any cases off the top of my head which wouldn't work, regardless of whether a Factotum's involved or not, and I think that the Factotum makes a perfect example of why an encounter needs to be codified.

Granted, you need to use a little common sense. For example, if they're trying to break down a door and fail, if they wait a few minutes and then try again, it shouldn't be treated as a new encounter. The door is a single encounter. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if they try to break down a door, fail, go somewhere else and have some combat, then come back to that door 5 hours later, it should be the same encounter. In essence, things limited to so many uses per encounter would be how many times you could use them to take a whack at a particular problem.

 

[hong]

Blech. Encounter should not be a duration in the D20 ruleset. In a more free form game that can work, but in the classified and codified 3E, it will cause problems like with barbarians* and attacks lauched after the first force is dispaced with.

Hooray for classification and codification!

 

[blargney the second]

My players just ask if it's a new encounter. Usually it's clearly yes or no. The other times, I just roll a 50% chance to see if their maneuvers have refreshed or not. Pretty straightforward, really.

 

[Dross]

Well, how much does bashing down a door add the the EL of an encounter?
What is it's CR, or that of a about to fall down bridge? Does it scale (harder doors probably should)?

Problems with the weather, loss of food etc could also be enounters
But what is the CR of a drizzley rain or monsoon storm? Tornado, dust storm???

I'm not sure that the answer helps a lot of people, or if it does, it provides a lot more questions as well.

 

[RigaMortus2]

I gotta say, I think their definition of encounter (in the context of the Factotum, at least) makes perfect sense. I can't think of any cases off the top of my head which wouldn't work, regardless of whether a Factotum's involved or not, and I think that the Factotum makes a perfect example of why an encounter needs to be codified.

Granted, you need to use a little common sense. For example, if they're trying to break down a door and fail, if they wait a few minutes and then try again, it shouldn't be treated as a new encounter. The door is a single encounter. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if they try to break down a door, fail, go somewhere else and have some combat, then come back to that door 5 hours later, it should be the same encounter. In essence, things limited to so many uses per encounter would be how many times you could use them to take a whack at a particular problem.

But what if the BBED (Big Bad Evil Door) has minions in the way, and before you can get to him, the BBED teleports away? Did you properly defeat the encounter? Was your goal to bash the door down, or walk through the doorway it was guarding?

 

[the Jester]

Well, how much does bashing down a door add the the EL of an encounter?
What is it's CR, or that of a about to fall down bridge? Does it scale (harder doors probably should)?

Problems with the weather, loss of food etc could also be enounters
But what is the CR of a drizzley rain or monsoon storm? Tornado, dust storm???

I'm not sure that the answer helps a lot of people, or if it does, it provides a lot more questions as well.

I'm currently running a game that takes place in a sort of mid-apocalyptic setting. There are lots of encounters that are environmental, and that have ad hoc xp awards assigned to them (so for instance, one area might earn xp for overcoming a CR 3 challenge).

I worked on codifying a rule set for assigning CRs to different environmental hazards, but I never finished it.

 

[hong]

Well, how much does bashing down a door add the the EL of an encounter?
What is it's CR, or that of a about to fall down bridge? Does it scale (harder doors probably should)?

Problems with the weather, loss of food etc could also be enounters
But what is the CR of a drizzley rain or monsoon storm? Tornado, dust storm???

I'm not sure that the answer helps a lot of people, or if it does, it provides a lot more questions as well.

Nothing says that an "encounter", in the context of using per-encounter abilities, has to provide an XP gain. Encounter is not (yet) a term of art.

 

[Dross]

Nothing says that an "encounter", in the context of using per-encounter abilities, has to provide an XP gain. Encounter is not (yet) a term of art.

Granted, they don't have to be (similar to an encounter with a merchant to buy supplies).

But given the context of the original poster, encounters outside of combat, then to me one of the flow on effects is when/how to adjudicate the encounter in light of giving out or not giving out xp.

Encounter very approx = challange, opening a door is a challange in some cases and is now stated as an encounter. So, the potential for xp is there, but is it going to be totally ad hoc? Or based on some system? does it change when by itself versus as part of a larger encounter?