How often can you use "per encounter" abilities when not in combat?

[Nymrohd]

Would using a per encounter ability outside combat require a further 5 min rest for it to reset? Can you safely do so in a dungeon were there may well be patrols or alarms?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Would using a per encounter ability outside combat require a further 5 min rest for it to reset? Can you safely do so in a dungeon were there may well be patrols or alarms?

i would rule it that way. Usable once until you get a 5 min break. Simple as that. So healing up a complete party with clerical healing would take some time...

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I might rule usable once every ten minutes, simply because your average encounter is meant to last about 5 minutes, and then 5 minutes of rest.

These times are, of course, supposed to be approximations, and sometimes they'd be longer, sometimes shorter, but the idea is that the DM can keep simple track of "how long you've been down there" in the dungeon.

Personally, I'd still be wasted if I only slept six hours after a long day's work, but these are heroes of course. Also, I'd rule that the six hour rest comes with a two hour setting/striking camp (taking meal-making and tent building & striking into account.) Also, there should be at least a half hour break somewhere midday for a meal.

Fitz

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Well, perhaps more to the point, have the WOTC folk given any indication that the "per encounter" abilities will be particularly useful when not in combat? It was my impression that, as a broad generalization, the stuff we want to do in fights (often the primary encounter type) would be on the encounter timescales, and the stuff that want to do at other times would be on longer timescales (like per day).

Yeah that’s generally what I was getting at, prompted by the eladrin’s teleporting ability. For example, whether an eladrin thief could teleport to a rooftop then immediately teleport through the barred window or if the definition of “encounter” hindered such liberal use of it.

 

[Iron Sky]

Would using a per encounter ability outside combat require a further 5 min rest for it to reset? Can you safely do so in a dungeon were there may well be patrols or alarms?

We had that come up in the test-runs we did. Fight ended with the cleric out of healing words. Everyone waited until he had them back(5 minutes) so they would get more healing for them. 5 mins after the battle ended, he used them again and everyone waited 5 minutes more for them to recharge. He used 1 more, they waited 5 more minutes, then continued on. Would be risky in a dungeon as you might have something stroll along with your "encounters down" so-to-speak.

My interpretation of encounter powers is that they end 5minutes after the encounter they were used in ends. In the case above, they had a combat encounter, rested 5, then had a "healing encounter" where he used 2 Words, rested 5, had another "healing encounter", rested 5, and continued.

Also found an interesting result of the warlock/wizard's at-will spells: most doors are no longer a hinderance out of combat. Had one in the adventure I put together that I was expecting them to construct a battering ram to go through, but the warlock just sat on a barrel throwing magic at it until it fell apart...