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<blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5339163" data-attributes="member: 2067">This seems a little problematic to me. I noticed it before Essentials with a few skill powers, or even class abilities (like Words of Friendship).<ol>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Combat vs. Noncombat: These shouldn't be in opposition, but noncombat utility powers make these in opposition, since, in order to be good at things outside of combat, you need to sacrifice a power that could make you better in combat.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol"> DM Controls the Power: An ability like Instant Friends is almost entirely dependent on DM whim. In some situations, it could be game-breaking, in some situations, it could be useless, and there's not a whole lot of in-between ground. </li>
</ol>The solution that I see is to FIX RITUALS, and to PAY ATTENTION TO NONCOMBAT CHALLENGES. The first involves getting rid of GP cost and (to a certain degree) time. The second involves giving classes different powers for accomplishing goals outside of combat and taking a cold, hard look at the &quot;sameness&quot; of skill challenges. Instant Friends is useful for a player looking for nostalgia, or looking for a &quot;charming enchanter&quot; archetype in a game in which that archetype is not hosed by a DM who doesn't want or isn't ready for Orcus to be your friend. It's incredibly niche.I want to see stuff like Instant Friends, but utility powers already have a niche as &quot;combat abilities that don't involve attacks.&quot; Instant Friends doesn't fit in that niche, and so it should be something else. The something else it could be involves taking a deeper look at how 4e deals with challenges that don't involve beating up stuff, not just making it a utility and calling it a day.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="I'm A Banana, post: 5339163, member: 2067"] This seems a little problematic to me. I noticed it before Essentials with a few skill powers, or even class abilities (like Words of Friendship). [LIST=1] [*] [B]Combat vs. Noncombat[/B]: These shouldn't be in opposition, but noncombat utility powers [I]make these in opposition[/I], since, in order to be good at things outside of combat, you need to sacrifice a power that could make you better in combat. [*] [B]DM Controls the Power[/B]: An ability like [I]Instant Friends[/I] is almost entirely dependent on DM whim. In some situations, it could be game-breaking, in some situations, it could be useless, and there's not a whole lot of in-between ground. [/LIST] The solution that I see is to [I]FIX RITUALS[/I], and to [I]PAY ATTENTION TO NONCOMBAT CHALLENGES[/I]. The first involves getting rid of GP cost and (to a certain degree) time. The second involves giving classes different powers for accomplishing goals outside of combat and taking a cold, hard look at the "sameness" of skill challenges. [I]Instant Friends[/I] is useful for a player looking for nostalgia, or looking for a "charming enchanter" archetype in a game in which that archetype is not hosed by a DM who doesn't want or isn't ready for Orcus to be your friend. It's incredibly niche. I want to see stuff like [I]Instant Friends[/I], but utility powers already have a niche as "combat abilities that don't involve attacks." [I]Instant Friends[/I] doesn't fit in that niche, and so it should be something else. The something else it could be involves taking a deeper look at how 4e deals with challenges that don't involve beating up stuff, not just making it a utility and calling it a day. [/QUOTE]

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