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Message: <blockquote data-quote="IceFractal" data-source="post: 3092315" data-attributes="member: 27704">Some of the complaints that unlimited-use of abilities take away strategy seem to be based on the assumption that the game would be exactly the same except that all abilities would be unlimited use.  Obviously, this would not be the case.   Specifically, people have mentioned always blowing your most powerful spell at the beginning of the fight.  What it that wasn't an option?  What if you started gathering focus at the beginning of the encounter, and could either cast a relatively weak spell right away, or wait a few rounds to attain full focus and launch a much more powerful spell?  That's strategy right there - especially if you're talking about a defensive spell that could save everyone's hide ... can they hold out long enough to get the better protection?  And will the fight last long enough to make it worthwhile?  If anything, you get more strategy, as "go full blast, rest, repeat" is no longer the most desirable plan.Also, magic can certainly have costs in such a system - the difference is that the cost takes place before and during the casting, rather than afterwards.  More powerful spells take longer to cast, and make you more vulnerable while casting them.  So it's still just as crucial a choice - toss around Magic Missiles with impunity?  Or risk it all to cast Disintegrate?Some thoughts on structuring such a system:1) Magic and health can be recovered with a short meditation, probably about 1-5 minutes, so pretty much after each combat is over.2) However, the meditation is long enough that if several waves of enemies were to come rapidly (within a few rounds of the previous wave's demise), you could have a multi-part battle with diminishing resources.3) Powerful abilities are balanced by increased difficulty to use, and/or increased vulnerability when using them, rather than by expending daily resources.4) Really powerful attacks (physical or magical) can cause wounds, which are a lot harder to get rid of, requiring either several days care, or powerful spells that cost XP/much gold.5) Wounds, however, do not directly lead to death - a wounded character will be at a disadvantage in a fight, and thus probably more likely to die, but someone who wants to or needs to press on can do so, despite their injuries.  And finally, about the Swordsage.  If it bothers you that they can fly, just think of them as a type of spellcaster whose abilities often happen to incorporate weaponry and melee combat.  A melee-buff oriented Cleric might spend most of their time duking it out toe-to-toe, but nobody complains when they do cast a spell like Planar Ally.</blockquote>

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