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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MarkB" data-source="post: 6719380" data-attributes="member: 40176">The reason the mechanic was introduced in 4e was because it was a cool uncertainty mechanic for monsters to have powers that the players weren't quite sure how soon they'd be available again, but on the other hand, the 3e version of the mechanic - rolling a random number of rounds before the power would recharge - required extra book-keeping from the DM to track the countdown across multiple rounds.For players' abilities, that doesn't sit so well. It's fine for the players to be uncertain when the monster's breath weapon is going to recharge - but for them to have the same level of uncertainty about their own characters' abilities? That just pulls them out of playing the character.There is already a player ability in the game which works that way, and it works well: The Death save. This is a "roll to see whether your character get back the being-alive-and-conscious ability" roll, and it works precisely because this is a situation in which the character has no agency: They're unconscious and rolling to see whether they happen to come around.The only other situation in which I could see this being a good mechanic is for something that is similarly outside the character's own influence. A Wild Magic effect, perhaps, or the recharge on a magical item that's chaotic by design.</blockquote>