Is Fey Step really the best racial power?

[OakwoodDM]

As a counterpoint to all the "Second Chance is the worst because I saw it used once and it made things worse/made no difference" comments, I'll point out that I was talking to a DM at Free RPG Day who hated Second Chance. Not because it was bad, but because he had not once hit a halfling with the rerolled attack. So, it seems, if you want to get full effect out of Second Chance as a halfling, you need to be in his game(s).

 

[blargney the second]

4e racial powers are cool. Every player in our group uses their racial in every fight. (We have a drow rogue, minotaur fighter, eladrin warlord, and elf ranger.)

I just used Fey Step last night to teleport into a room through an open window as I dove off the roof. It was glorious.

 

[NeoNick]

I think "which is best?" depends primarily on your role, but also on the situation and the campaign.

Role
Starting with role I'd say a tanking fighter have most use for the dwarven or the dragonborn racials, whereas a fighter in the role of striker have best use for the dragonborn.

A ranger shouldn't get hit that often, so the dwarven racials are not as good for her. Instead elven accuracy seems one of the best IMHO for her in that role.

Even though the same reasoning can be applied for a halfling rogue (who need to dodge blows if he dives in the middle to get CA), I still think that is by far the weakest racial.

Situation
Battles with a lot of situational movement-obstacles benefits the Eladrin fey step.
Lots of minions favour dragonbreath.
Lots of dangerous pit-falls favour dwarven stand-fastness.

Campaign
In campaigns with a lot of roleplaying /out of combat/ Fey-step is one of very few (only?) racials that can be used out of combat. Fey-step therefore gets extra useful-points, it can both be nice in combat and out of combat.

Hunam racial
The exception to this is the hunam 3rd at-will, extra skill and extra feat. IMO the use of a third at-will is varying from crap to really good. Some classes who focus a lot on one of two possible class-stats will only have two good at-wills (the other two are meant for builds focusing on the other stat). Whereas a wizard wants all of his at-will-attacks, so an extra for her is very good.
The extra skill is weak and very campaign oriented IMHO. A campaign that focuses heavily on roleplaying (with very few fights) could have use for it - but it's not something that is denied the other races as they can wait to lvl 2 and pick a skill with their feat if they really want it.
The extra feat looks good at lvl 1 but will in comparison get weaker by the level as you get so many that you have no problem in loosing one of the lesser useful.

 

[Jhaelen]

On the other hand, when you need to teleport, you know it. No need to guess and pray the probability gods.

Really? Since Fey Step is a move action you cannot use it when someone charges you or just walks over to you to whack you over the head. You'll have to survive that _and_ be able to take that move action when it's finally your turn. Depending on surrounding terrain and the tactical situation it's also quite possible that there's no good, safe place to teleport to. 5 squares isn't that far away. It's usually no help against fast moving, flying, burrowing, phasing, or teleporting monsters or anyone who can afford to ignore OAs.

I'd agree it was strictly the best racial power if it could be used as an immediate reaction. As it is it's simply on par with the other racial powers.

 

[billd91]

I suspect there's best in a typical combat encounter and best all-around power. The halfling and elf can't really use their powers as utilities in their daily life or to give the DM headaches. A clever player certainly could with fey step.
All-around Advantage: fey step.

 

[RyvenCedrylle]

Action Economy and Non-Combat Powers

Agreed with many here. There are two total different situations to consider when debating which race has the best powers.

One of the major additions to the design of 4E is purposeful action economy. The best combat powers improve your ability do to more stuff in a round. Here, you have three big winners: Fey Step, Dwarven Resilience and Breath Weapon. Each one is basically a trade UP of a Minor Action to a move or Standard Action once per encounter. Human At-will and Half-Elf Dilletante give you flexibility, but not economy. Second Chance, Elven Accuracy and the woefully inadequate Tiefling Fury (or whatever it's called) give you the ability to do an action better, but plenty of feats, conditions and tactics do that. In combat, do you want to move/evade, heal yourself or blast things? There's your best combat racial power.

Out of combat, the whole field changes. Elven Accuracy, Tiefling Fury, Dwarven Resilience and Second Chance are utterly pointless; they require attacks. Human At-Will, Half-Elf dilletante and Breath Weapon are fun for flavor-texting, especially with wizards, but are mechanically not that hot. So we're left with Fey Step, again! A 5-square teleport is just freaking handy in any situation and is the only racial power guaranteed to have effectiveness both in and out of combat.

Winner: Fey Step. By a lot.

 

[Celtavian]

re

Agreed with many here. There are two total different situations to consider when debating which race has the best powers.

One of the major additions to the design of 4E is purposeful action economy. The best combat powers improve your ability do to more stuff in a round. Here, you have three big winners: Fey Step, Dwarven Resilience and Breath Weapon. Each one is basically a trade UP of a Minor Action to a move or Standard Action once per encounter. Human At-will and Half-Elf Dilletante give you flexibility, but not economy. Second Chance, Elven Accuracy and the woefully inadequate Tiefling Fury (or whatever it's called) give you the ability to do an action better, but plenty of feats, conditions and tactics do that. In combat, do you want to move/evade, heal yourself or blast things? There's your best combat racial power.

Out of combat, the whole field changes. Elven Accuracy, Tiefling Fury, Dwarven Resilience and Second Chance are utterly pointless; they require attacks. Human At-Will, Half-Elf dilletante and Breath Weapon are fun for flavor-texting, especially with wizards, but are mechanically not that hot. So we're left with Fey Step, again! A 5-square teleport is just freaking handy in any situation and is the only racial power guaranteed to have effectiveness both in and out of combat.

Winner: Fey Step. By a lot.

Fey Step is the most versatile racial. That I agree with you. Whether it is the best or most powerful, I don't agree with.

Given the way combat runs, I'd much rather have Second Wind in a tight combat than Fey Step. I have no idea why Fey Step would be all that useful in a non-combat encounter unless the DM specifically made a use for it. Fey Step doesn't matter in negotiation. It might matter for a heist or chase, but so would the 7 elf speed.

Alot of the racials are nice and fairly balanced. I think the races were very nicely done. Except for the half-elf. He was screwed again.

 

[Gloombunny]

Alot of the racials are nice and fairly balanced. I think the races were very nicely done. Except for the half-elf. He was screwed again.

I disagree. Humans got screwed too, except the ones playing wizards. Also tieflings, except the ones playing feylocks and wizards maybe.

 

[Mistwell]

One of the major additions to the design of 4E is purposeful action economy. The best combat powers improve your ability do to more stuff in a round.

Agreed so far.

[quoite]Here, you have...winner: ...Breath Weapon...basically a trade UP of a Minor Action to a move or Standard Action once per encounter...Elven Accuracy... give(s) you the ability to do an action better, but plenty of feats, conditions and tactics do that. In combat, do you want to...blast things? There's your best combat racial power.[/QUOTE]

I gotta disagree on claiming breath weapon is superior to elven accuracy on the basis that one is an upgrade and the other is a repeat of feats and conditions.

Dragon breath is far more of a repeat of dozens of attack powers (and is sometimes suboptimal to those other choices). Sure, it's a minor action, but it's also a relatively small amount of additional damage which is fairly easily replicated by a power that simply does more damage. It's not a bad power, it's just not amazingly unique in what it does for combat.

Elven accuracy on the other hand is a very rare ability, replicated by very few powers, and usually only on a daily basis and not an encounter basis. It will likely be used to increase the probability of your daily powers hitting by 50%. That is a HUGE benefit, and just cannot be shrugged off as a common ability found elsewhere.

Sorry, I just don't see how you can claim dragon breath is superior to elven accuracy on a "other things can do that too" basis.

 

[Celtavian]

re

I disagree. Humans got screwed too, except the ones playing wizards. Also tieflings, except the ones playing feylocks and wizards maybe.

Maybe for their racial, but not overall. Nice extra feat. +2 on any ability. +1 on all defenses is pretty nice too.

I can't speak on Tiefling, so you may be right.