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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sashi" data-source="post: 4189062" data-attributes="member: 61842">Appropriate in who's eyes, exactly? 4E is trying very hard to even the power disparity between classes, and to do that they gave every class a role, balanced that role, and then ensured the class could fill that role at all times. They did this by making at will powers that fill the role.In previous editions a wizard gives up significant combat power to cast powerful spells. The fighter, on the other hand, gives up the ability to cast spells to gain significant straight-up combat ability.Now, if I'm a wizard and I use my first level spell, then I have no spells left. I've used up all that power I traded combat ability for. If I hike up my robes, pull out my dagger, and wade into combat. Hey, look, I'm a sucker.  Why? Because I blew all that power that I traded fighting capability for, and now I'm just a fighter with way fewer hit points and a much smaller stick to whack things with.Now, this is "balanced" because many many levels later, when the fighter comes face to face with a fire giant (who is in all ways a much bigger and badder dude than he is) he is completely outclassed in all ways. And I come along and cast one of my spells (that remember I sacrificed a bunch of fighting power to gain) and I turn the fire giant inside-out, or I take over his body and go stomping around in it, or any number of other things. Well now the fighter is the sucker! Hoo rah!This constantly happens, any time one class is performing the role of another class he's a sucker. He traded his cow for a bunch of beans, and they aren't even magic beans with a giant at the top who's head you can separate from his body and then cart off all his treasure.What 4E is trying to do is remove this cycle of suckertude. And they do it by giving every class at will powers that fulfill their chosen role. The cleric trades away combat power for healing power? Well now you've got an at-will power that heals people (okay, temporary HP, but if your HP count is one higher that's like healing, even if it goes away after awhile). Now, it would be pretty boring to just have a power of "be a big health sink for everyone" so they tie it to an attack. I whack things with a stick and also fulfill my primary role HOORAY! I'm a wizard, I blast things with spells. Well now I have a spell that I can blast people with every round if I need to, and it has specific advantages and disadvantages over shooting a bow, or whacking things with a stick, or whacking things with a stick and granting a temporary HP, or any of a dozen other abilities.Sometimes I may be stuck saying "This is not a situation in which I shine" But I never have to say "Well, right now the best thing I can do is be a poor-man's Ranger."And that's a good thing.</blockquote>

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