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<blockquote data-quote="Hypersmurf" data-source="post: 4469987" data-attributes="member: 1656">Interestingly, that's one of the things I'm liking most about 4E - that the power descriptions are vague enough that the flavour can be reskinned just about any way you like.I'm treating 4E like Mutants and Masterminds, in that respect - an effects-based system.&nbsp; In M&amp;M, Blast is the power that deals ranged damage.&nbsp; Whether you describe it as a lightning bolt, a ray gun, a crossbow, or 100-foot arms that punch you from across the room, it doesn't matter.&nbsp; Force Field is a power that makes it harder to hit you.&nbsp; Whether you describe it as a literal force field, or a preternatural awareness that allows you to dodge out of the way at the last moment, or a flying remote droid that intercepts attacks, it doesn't matter.So in 4E, I can describe a power in any way I like, and the mechanical effects occur.If I'm a fighter with the Tide of Iron at-will, then as long as I'm holding a shield, I can make a Str-vs-AC attack that deals 1[W] + Str and pushes the opponent 1 square.&nbsp; Being very vanilla, I can describe it as &quot;I hit him with my sword, and shove him with my shield.&quot;&nbsp; But I can also say &quot;I flick a sweeping cut at his calf; off-balance and bleeding, he staggers back a pace.&quot;&nbsp; Or &quot;I hook his blade with the edge of my shield to create an opening, and hammer my boot into his chest to force him back.&quot;&nbsp; And even in that last case, I'll still add my sword's proficiency and enhancement bonuses to the attack roll, and I'll roll damage as though I described hitting him with the sword.And if I lose my shield?&nbsp; Then I won't be able to flick a sweeping cut at someone's calf, sending them staggering back a pace off-balance and bleeding.&nbsp; Because I can only use the Tide of Iron power when I'm holding a shield.&nbsp; I don't have an issue with that, because the whole off-balance thing is merely the cinematics I'm using to narrate the mechanical effect of the power.Exactly.&nbsp; I get hit for 8 damage, and the DM says &quot;blah blah opens a cut on your arm blah blah&quot;, and shortly afterwards the warlord uses a &quot;And all adjacent allies can spend a healing surge&quot;.&nbsp; I finish the fight at full hit points.And during our post-encounter rest, I describe getting the cut on my arm bandaged, and cursing the elf for a fumble-fingered lackwit when he pulls the bandage too tight around the still-fresh wound, and flexing my fingers and declaring &quot;It'll do&quot;.&nbsp; Why should being at full hit points stop me doing any of that?-Hyp.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hypersmurf, post: 4469987, member: 1656"] Interestingly, that's one of the things I'm liking [i]most[/i] about 4E - that the power descriptions are vague enough that the flavour can be reskinned just about any way you like. I'm treating 4E like Mutants and Masterminds, in that respect - an effects-based system. In M&M, Blast is the power that deals ranged damage. Whether you describe it as a lightning bolt, a ray gun, a crossbow, or 100-foot arms that punch you from across the room, it doesn't matter. Force Field is a power that makes it harder to hit you. Whether you describe it as a literal force field, or a preternatural awareness that allows you to dodge out of the way at the last moment, or a flying remote droid that intercepts attacks, it doesn't matter. So in 4E, I can describe a power in any way I like, and the mechanical effects occur. If I'm a fighter with the Tide of Iron at-will, then as long as I'm holding a shield, I can make a Str-vs-AC attack that deals 1[W] + Str and pushes the opponent 1 square. Being very vanilla, I can describe it as "I hit him with my sword, and shove him with my shield." But I can also say "I flick a sweeping cut at his calf; off-balance and bleeding, he staggers back a pace." Or "I hook his blade with the edge of my shield to create an opening, and hammer my boot into his chest to force him back." And even in that last case, I'll still add my sword's proficiency and enhancement bonuses to the attack roll, and I'll roll damage as though I described hitting him with the sword. And if I lose my shield? Then I won't be able to flick a sweeping cut at someone's calf, sending them staggering back a pace off-balance and bleeding. Because I can only use the Tide of Iron power when I'm holding a shield. I don't have an issue with that, because the whole off-balance thing is merely the cinematics I'm using to narrate the mechanical effect of the power. Exactly. I get hit for 8 damage, and the DM says "blah blah opens a cut on your arm blah blah", and shortly afterwards the warlord uses a "And all adjacent allies can spend a healing surge". I finish the fight at full hit points. And during our post-encounter rest, I describe getting the cut on my arm bandaged, and cursing the elf for a fumble-fingered lackwit when he pulls the bandage too tight around the still-fresh wound, and flexing my fingers and declaring "It'll do". Why should being at full hit points stop me doing any of that? -Hyp. [/QUOTE]

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