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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5634801" data-attributes="member: 54877">As I see it, technically correct, but missing a critical piece of context: If you have decided at your table to expand to a more robust usage of powers out of combat, then it isn't much of a jump to selectively allow some of that to go back into the combat portion. After all, you've already taken responsibility for allowing "magic" to do some things outside the rules. Presumably, then, you'll be somewhat comfortable extending that ruling back into combat.  This gets fuzzy of course. Because p. 42 is usable in combat--maybe mainly usable in combat--a character can already push the definition of powers through it. That is, per RAW, you can't just use Hypnotism to get some other effect that sound "hypnotic" or corresponds to some prior editions more wide open rulings. But you can use p. 42 in conjunction with a power to do something "hypnotic" that might not be acceptable with the power or p. 42 alone.  For example, even running a fairly strict game, I'd be prone to let someone use the p. 42 guidelines and hypnotism to inflict a daze or slow effect. You just have to work for it a little more than using directly what the power says on the tin, and the bonuses might not be quite as good using p. 42.  That's with my current group, who would never dream of abusing narrative freedom granted like that. The more they did, the more I'd let up too. I like it if this kind of thing grows as the campaign develops. With an D&D Encounters group (not that I'd ever run such), I'd be a lot more strict--at least until I got to know the people. Seems like there is nearly always "that guy" at such an event who always tried to find a way to abuse the letter of the rules, and however much of the spirit of the rules you left within his grasp. Part of the 4E design was to help the poor novice GM come down hard on "that guy"--until the GM got his feet under him.</blockquote>

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