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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5969964" data-attributes="member: 42582">Sure. But there are other mechanical systems that don't involve resource management at all, or not in the same way. That don't make room for "nova-ing". These systems can make other elements of play salient, rather than managing resources.It's very common for PCs in 4e to not be at full strength for every encounter, because some daily powers have been used.Coming to 4e from Rolemaster, I found that - with its daily abilities, and its wizard spellbooks - if felt like D&D. (Rolemaster has daily items, and daily spell points, but not daily spells).I don't play video games. Are daily spells a common feature of them?Because 4e PCs have a range on non-daily resources, and are typically able to heal to full hit points after each encounter until they run out of healing surges, the variation in power at the start of an encounter is typically less than in AD&D. (Not always, though. I've GMed plent of encounters in which the PCs started at less than full hp because they had run out of surges.)Nevertheless, there have been many encounters in which team work and creative use of what is available contribute to victory. This is because the starting conditions of the encounter have been changed on the GM side of the table rather than the player side.I think items fall into two categories - those that are, in effect, part of a PC's build (eg Captain America's shield, Elric's sword, and the enhancement items in 4e), and those that are not. In 4e I generally wouldn't deprive PCs of the first sort of item except as a deliberate part of encounter design. (For example, when the PCs fought a combat at a dinner party, part of the combat involved them re-equipping themselves with their gear that they'd left on weapon racks, leaning against the wall etc.)The second sort of item they've lost or given away in various circumstances."Paraylsis" in 4e comes in various forms - immobilisation, restraint, dazed, stunned, unconscious. I've run encounters in which a PC is immobilised or restrained for most of the combat. But I've probably never had a PC stunned or unconcsious for more than 2 or 3 consecutive rounds.Action denial is an important part of combat tactics, but in my experience you certainly don't have to rob a player of actions completely in order to generate pressure.</blockquote>

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