PCs With Recharging Abilities... Why Not?

[Pbartender]

I think there's a big difference between "roll a die to see if I succeed" and "roll a die to see if I'm even allowed to try."

Yeah, I suppose you're right... but I'm still not sure if I buy it.

 

[DreamChaser]

Because randomness is less fun and (apparently) has been removed everywhere that isn't directly task resolution related: HP are no longer random (no more 1 hp per level fiascoes), for example.

It is also harder to balance. Do I plan for Mialee to be able to cast force orb once or 4 times in a 10 round encounter? Well, if it had a 5-6 recharge, that could easily be 4 (3 times recharging) but it could be as many as 10 or as few as one. This is a quandary for both the DM and the player(s).

DC

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

I think it would just take too much tactical decision making from the players. Encounter power might recharge? May as well use it immediately and hope for the best! For monsters however, it gives them that unpredictable edge, putting the fear back in combat!

 

[hong]

I think there'll be recharge for PCs at some point, if not right away.

A possible house rule if you want it now: spend 2 rounds doing nothing, then all your per-encounter powers recharge. (1 round isn't enough seeing how fights will take longer than in 3E.)

 

[DreamChaser]

I think there'll be recharge for PCs at some point, if not right away.

A possible house rule if you want it now: spend 2 rounds doing nothing, then all your per-encounter powers recharge. (1 round isn't enough seeing how fights will take longer than in 3E.)

This is way off the "brief rest" time which is 5 minutes isn't it?

I could see spend 2 round doing nothing (except defending) to get 1 encounter power back...but not all of them.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Perhaps there will be some higher-level Racial Feats (or just ordinary Feats) or Items that have Recharge mechanics.

I could see the feats working in that, it would differentiate it from Powers more. Also represent the randomized-time needed to recover from exerting yourself with a feat.

Items could work quite well when dealing with say a sporadic and unusual weapon, I could see someone bashing a item trying to get the magical properties to work.

 

[hong]

This is way off the "brief rest" time which is 5 minutes isn't it?

I could see spend 2 round doing nothing (except defending) to get 1 encounter power back...but not all of them.

Well, I just ignore the 5-minute thing.

Have it require a feat if necessary (I'm thinking of that Bo9S one that lets swordsages recharge in battle).

 

[TwinBahamut]

I do honestly expect there to be some class (or even a whole power source) that uses the recharge mechanic for powers sometime in the future, but I can understand why it is not core. Having recharge abilities for PC powers adds a layer of complexity onto the at-will/encounter/daily system, and it is probably best to stick to a coherent and simple system for the first PHB. More complex systems can wait for later.

 

[Baka no Hentai]

I know one house rule I'm considering is allowing a player spend an action point for a chance at recharging a power. They would roll a D6, and on rolling a 6 they could recharge a Daily power, on a 4+ they could recharge an encounter power.

It adds a little variation from the "can only do this attack once every 5 minutes" idea, but keeps it from being used at a tremendous frequency.

 

[DreamChaser]

Well, I just ignore the 5-minute thing.

Why?