New Feat Concept: Combo Powers

[Stalker0]

I like the idea of feats that can allow a player to use two thematically similar powers at the same time, creating a super power. The combined power has no greater effect than the two seperate, it just takes fewer actions.

I think in general its best to try this with at least one daily power, and normally only utility and attack powers together or two utility. I think the chance for abuse if lower this way. With this you are gaining actions, but only with very specific combinations.

Here are a couple of examples.

Beacon of Strength
You release a holy light that weakens your enemies and empowers your allies.
Prereq: Cleric, Beacon of Hope power, Bless power
Benefit: When activating the Beacon of Hope power, you can choose to activate the Bless power as a free action, provided the power has not already been expended.


Avernian Armor
You throw off all the heat from your body, ripping your enemies with fire as you encase yourself in hardened icy armor.
Prereq: Warlock, Avernian Eruption Power, Armor of Agathys power.
Benefit: When activating the Avernian Eruption power, you can choose to activate the Armor of Agathys power as a free action, provided the power has not already been expended.

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

I like the idea of feats that can allow a player to use two thematically similar powers at the same time, creating a super power. The combined power has no greater effect than the two seperate, it just takes fewer actions.

I think in general its best to try this with at least one daily power, and normally only utility and attack powers together or two utility. I think the chance for abuse if lower this way. With this you are gaining actions, but only with very specific combinations.

Here are a couple of examples.

Beacon of Strength
You release a holy light that weakens your enemies and empowers your allies.
Prereq: Cleric, Beacon of Hope power, Bless power
Benefit: When activating the Beacon of Hope power, you can choose to activate the Bless power as a free action, provided the power has not already been expended.


Avernian Armor
You throw off all the heat from your body, ripping your enemies with fire as you encase yourself in hardened icy armor.
Prereq: Warlock, Avernian Eruption Power, Armor of Agathys power.
Benefit: When activating the Avernian Eruption power, you can choose to activate the Armor of Agathys power as a free action, provided the power has not already been expended.

I really like this idea. May I make a suggestion?

Using Action Points to dictate actions beyond normal falls right into the "economy of actions" foundation of 4E. Meaning, anytime someone invoked these feat-enabled powers they'd spend an Action Point. This would keep things balanced.

 

[Stalker0]

Using Action Points to dictate actions beyond normal falls right into the "economy of actions" foundation of 4E. Meaning, anytime someone invoked these feat-enabled powers they'd spend an Action Point. This would keep things balanced.

If you did that, you would be wasting the feat. Else I could just cast bless, then use my action point to cast Beacon of Hope. Exact same effect as what your proposing, but I didn't have to spend a feat.

 

[Zelc]

Dance of Two-Weapon Death
You make your enemy easy to hit and then hit him many times for lots of damage.
Prereq: Ranger, Armor Splinter power, Blade Cascade power
Benefit: After using the Armor Splinter power, you may immediately take a free action to use the Blade Cascade power, provided the power has not already been expended.


I keed, I keed . Obviously the requirement for DM approval would limit the lame combos.

Since it's so much like using an action point, this feat should be alright, although I think they feel a bit weak because they're so limited in usefulness (1/day use).

Two things. First, you should allow characters who retrains one of the powers to retrain the feat for free without waiting for another level. Second, you should probably change the wording to "After using the first power, you may immediately take a free action to use the second power..." so there are no unclear timing issues.

I also worry this means characters will nova faster so they have to spend more rounds using at-wills.

Possible alternative: when using the daily power, use the encounter power (without expending it)/(even if it's already used) for the encounter? It's still usable pretty much only once a day except now it has a bit more oomph.

 

[FireLance]

I like the basic idea, but I'm not sure that granting extra actions is the way to do it.

I think I would prefer them to work more like 3e tactical feats, granting a specific bonus if you use your powers in a particular order.

In order to ensure that they come up relatively often, I would probably base them off the combination of an encounter power and an at-will power. That way, you can get the benefit once per encounter after using a specific encounter power after a specific at-will power, or vice-versa.

Examples: If you hit with fearsome smite (paladin encounter 1) and hit the same target with enfeebling strike (paladin at-will 1) in the next round, the target takes a penalty on attack rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier (the same as fearsome smite) instead of -2 (the normal penalty for enfeebling strike).

If you hit with shielding smite (paladin encounter 1) and hit with bolstering strike (paladin at-will 1) in the next round, you can sustain the power bonus to AC that you granted to your ally with shielding smite for another round instead of gaining temporary hit points.

If you hit with radiant smite (paladin encounter 1) and hit the same target with holy strike (paladin at-will 1) before the end of your next round, you deal additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

If you hit with piercing smite (paladin encounter 1) and hit one of the targets you have marked with valiant strike in the next round, you continue to mark all the targets you marked with piercing smite for another round.

 

[Stalker0]

A solid idea Firelance