"Per Encounter"-Ability: Hopefully not in the rules

[DM_Matt]

Per encounter could be changed to 1/minute or 1/5 minutes and it'd work out to the same thing 90 percent of the time.
In fact by 'per encounter' I wouldn't be surprised if they meant 1/X minutes.

I'd say that the point of just saying once every encounter is that that 10% of the time when using some particular not-that-large increment will produce different results doesn't make tracking time between uses worthwhile.

 

[Nadaka]

Having finally gotten the chance to play a swordsage, rather than just build them.

The recover 1 ability as a full round action recovery method is still effectively 1 / encounter. Never have I been in a position where I could spare a full round without risking the lives of my party.

Unlike the warblades recovery that amounts to: I will still contribute, but not quite as much for just this one round.

I think it would be just fine if a paladin had a smite that he could perform again after a single full round action to recover. It would rarely be worth it in any given combat to spare that one round unless fighting a monster with a defense high enough that +cha mod to hit means hitting 25% of the time vs 5%.

 

[pawsplay]

I'd say that the point of just saying once every encounter is that that 10% of the time when using some particular not-that-large increment will produce different results doesn't make tracking time between uses worthwhile.

The counterpoint is that you can also say one minute or five and you also get 90% of the same results... but in the other 10% you get a more flexible, in-game answer. Units of time have an identity distinct from the GM's storytelling.