Permission to Spam me (but only mechanically).

[Garthanos]

Wash, Rinse and Reuse.
As long as the player vividly describes the power in a way that is distinct from any previous uses during its time period (encounter for encounter powers and daily for dailies) their character may expend a different power of that level or higher of that type to instead use a previously expended power. Additionally the power you expend in place of an encounter power may be a daily.

This relates to threads like these.....

Of Course it's Not a Magic Missle, pfah! - Wizards Community

http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4t...c-visualization-skinning-fly.html#post4763039


Problems I can see?

• Well it requires the DM decide if the latest description really sounds distinct from the previous one. It might not be an issue for some DMs and players... I am inclined to be tolerant if the player tries.
• If a power really is noticeably more useful but doesn't lend itself well to re-skinning it would end up feeling forced and clumbsy.

 

[blalien]

This is a good idea. I would recommend you make it a feat that applies to only one power.

 

[Garthanos]

This is a good idea. I would recommend you make it a feat that applies to only one power.

I'm not sure it is needed one way or the other... I want to encourage people using their imaginations in the descriptions of their powers and some times if that description meshes well with the environment of the scene which I described and gives a "wow", I may already give them a real power boost or extra effect.

With Wash Rinse and Reuse, the benefit may indeed be worth some sort of feat if the balancing of powers at a particular level is "not good" and way too intangible to be worth a feat in places where the balance is close.... (is that most of the time?)
So if it is a feat applying to a single power it will only be taken when something is wrong with the balance... if its applied to all powers at least it might be used once in a while to reuse something which isn't obvious "broken" just situationally handy.

Situationally handy I don't mind... broken is something I don't want to focus on...

 

[blalien]

Well, you should still put some sort of restriction on it to keep the wizards from spamming Fireball. Also, you need to be careful to avoid frustrating the crap out of players who may not have as good oratory skills.

 

[Garthanos]

Well, you should still put some sort of restriction on it to keep the wizards from spamming Fireball.

hence why I am kind of iffy on it in the first place... there are currently powers which may be too good.... This might be pointing out an entirely different problem. Perhaps in order to expend a diferrent power it needs to always be a higher level or even more picky higher tier.

Also, you need to be careful to avoid frustrating the crap out of players who may not have as good oratory skills.

I don't mind helping out come up with descriptions... nor allowing other players to help them... I did have a couple of players who were Turkish once so there could certainly be things to watch out for.

 

[KarinsDad]

What happens when the player writes down:

1) A burst of fire comes out of his fingers
2) Heat from the sky scorches his foes
3) His heat vision toasts his enemies

and spams these encounter after encounter?


There is a reason flavor text is segregated from game mechanics. Mixing the two can lead to hard feelings. The player who thinks he is doing it correctly "according to the new rules" gets slammed by the DM for being unoriginal. If the DM doesn't slam him, all the DM did is add to the frequency of certain powers for all players.

The DM might as well just do that up front and not paint it with the "flavor text" brush in that case. What good is flavor text if it is going to be the same flavor text over and over again? How does that add to the creativity?

In general, it's a bad idea to force players to be creative and it is an even worse idea to force players to be creative by linking their creativity to game mechanics. Campaigns have ended over stuff like this.


If you want the rule in the game system, just add:

"their character may expend a different power of that level or higher of that type to instead use a previously expended power"

and be done with it.


If you want more creativity and flavor text, add more as a DM and some of the players will follow suit. Others might not. Live with it. Don't try to force it.

 

[Garthanos]

If you want the rule in the game system, just add:
"their character may expend a different power of that level or higher of that type to instead use a previously expended power"

and be done with it.

If you want more creativity and flavor text, add more as a DM and some of the players will follow suit. Others might not. Live with it. Don't try to force it.

I think I will just agree completely with you on all points

Allowing this form of versatility for me then may only be blocked by my reservations about powers usefulness/power being consistant within a level.