Once per encounter powers outside of combat?

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Yes. Every 5 minutes, the cleric could use Healing Word. If you have time, it can be an efficient way to heal.

But remember that the surges the cleric is triggering are also getting used and those only recover with an Extended Rest.

True, but they're healing more hit points per surge (so it takes fewer surges to reach max hit points).

 

[Zsig]

"I'm gonna keep ray of frosting the grass as we walk around town"

Eventually the guards came after him when he ray of frosted his beer mug to make it cooler, expanding the beer with a freeze and breaking the glass, and then offering to use scorching burst to thaw it out. The barkeep had enough.

My gnome rogue's player was threatening to "deft strike the darkness" in order to keep up with the party with the bonus 2 movement. I pointed out that he'd get more movement by double moving, but was amused.

Just remember that every power clearly specifies the "nature" of the target. And in all examples provided the target should be a creature.

If you as DM thinks that it's ok to allow those things to happen once in a while I adon't think it's a problem. But if it annoys you for some reason, you can simply say that "grass" "beer mug" or "darkness" are not creatures and as such they couldn't be eligible targets for the power in question.

 

[pawsplay]

But if it annoys you for some reason, you can simply say that "grass" "beer mug" or "darkness" are not creatures and as such they couldn't be eligible targets for the power in question.

You don't want to go there.

 

[Saeviomagy]

My PCs were being annoying with their new at-will powers.

"I'm gonna keep hacking with my sword at the grass as we walk around town"

"Wh... Why?"

"Because I can!"

Eventually the guards came after him when he ray of frosted his beer mug to make it cooler, expanding the beer with a freeze and breaking the glass, and then offering to use scorching burst to thaw it out. The barkeep had enough.

Sounds more like the DM had a tanty to me. It's not like he's really abusing the power in any material way (after all, he could do the same thing with a cantrip). Just say "yeah, your beer freezes and you get a beer icy pole" and move on.

At a guess, he's only doing it because it annoys you or he's the sort of player who enjoys getting into trouble like this. Either way the solution is to gloss it over and get on with things.

 

[small pumpkin man]

You don't want to go there.

I really, really concur. In fact I'm going to burn from my mind that this was ever mentioned.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Thought I'd posted this exact same question yesterday General response seems to be the same, why would you not be able to. In fact there is a blurb about using encounter powers out of combat where it describes what a short rest is in the PHB and it actually uses healing as an example of that.