Recharging Encounter Powers
Based on my ideas given in this thread: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?p=4442208#post4442208
I wanted to incorporate a recharge mechanic that was simple, solid, and added a nice benefit without completing changing the current power system that 4e uses as its main framework. This system is designed to let players use more encounter powers for those long fights. I hope you like the result.
EDIT: You can now spend recharge points before you blow all your encounter powers...by popular demand.
Gaining Recharge Points
A player can receive recharge points during an encounter. At the end of a player’s turn, after saving throws are made, he rolls a d20 roll. On a 19 or 20, the player receives one recharge point. A player can make rolls to gain recharge points even if his character is unconscious or unable to act in any way. A player can gain multiple recharge points per encounter, but all recharge points are lost at the end of an encounter.
Spending Recharge Points
As a free action, a player can spend a recharge point to regain one encounter attack power of his choice. Encounter attack powers do not include powers granted by the character’s race or any magic item powers. A player cannot recharge the same power more than once per encounter, if he has any additional recharge points he must spend them on other powers. If he has no more encounter powers to recharge, additional recharge points are wasted.
The system is very simple, but there’s a lot of design behind the scenes. Let me go through the highlights:
1) Consistent, easy to learn: A player rolls a d20 at the end of every round, during every combat. That kind of repetition makes it easy to remember, because there are no special circumstances. You take your actions; you roll a recharge die, every time, no exceptions.
2) Randomly determined, player controlled: The mechanic uses die rolls to determine recharging, similar to how monster’s work. This allows a player to continue playing as he normally does. However, what power he gets back is up to the player, giving him some control on how he uses the ability.
3) Prevents a player from repeating the same power over and over again. This allows a player to use his favorite or most powerful encounter ability a little more often, but not to the point where it’s all he is using.
4) Generally has the greatest impact near the end of combat. The longer the combat, the more likely players are to recharge powers. This helps give players other actions other than just continuously swinging with at-wills.
5) Give a benefit no matter how stingy a player is with his encounter powers. This was an important one for me. I felt it was very important that the mechanic helped both those who blow their encounter powers in the first few rounds and those who like to hold onto their encounter powers until later. This way, a player that hoards his encounter powers can accumulate recharge points just as well as the guy who blows them all, but both still have to use all of their powers before they gain the benefits of recharge points.
6) The effect scales with level. At low levels, one additional encounter power is a real boost. However, a 1st level character can regain only 1 power, and then he’s done. An additional encounter power doesn’t mean as much to a 20th level character, but in a really long fight he can regain more powers.
7) The mechanic has no bearing on utility and daily power use. I didn’t want the mechanics to require players blowing their dailies and utilities to gain the benefits. If a player wants to hold his dailies until the last fight, that is just fine by this mechanic.
Based on my ideas given in this thread: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?p=4442208#post4442208
I wanted to incorporate a recharge mechanic that was simple, solid, and added a nice benefit without completing changing the current power system that 4e uses as its main framework. This system is designed to let players use more encounter powers for those long fights. I hope you like the result.
EDIT: You can now spend recharge points before you blow all your encounter powers...by popular demand.
Gaining Recharge Points
A player can receive recharge points during an encounter. At the end of a player’s turn, after saving throws are made, he rolls a d20 roll. On a 19 or 20, the player receives one recharge point. A player can make rolls to gain recharge points even if his character is unconscious or unable to act in any way. A player can gain multiple recharge points per encounter, but all recharge points are lost at the end of an encounter.
Spending Recharge Points
As a free action, a player can spend a recharge point to regain one encounter attack power of his choice. Encounter attack powers do not include powers granted by the character’s race or any magic item powers. A player cannot recharge the same power more than once per encounter, if he has any additional recharge points he must spend them on other powers. If he has no more encounter powers to recharge, additional recharge points are wasted.
The system is very simple, but there’s a lot of design behind the scenes. Let me go through the highlights:
1) Consistent, easy to learn: A player rolls a d20 at the end of every round, during every combat. That kind of repetition makes it easy to remember, because there are no special circumstances. You take your actions; you roll a recharge die, every time, no exceptions.
2) Randomly determined, player controlled: The mechanic uses die rolls to determine recharging, similar to how monster’s work. This allows a player to continue playing as he normally does. However, what power he gets back is up to the player, giving him some control on how he uses the ability.
3) Prevents a player from repeating the same power over and over again. This allows a player to use his favorite or most powerful encounter ability a little more often, but not to the point where it’s all he is using.
4) Generally has the greatest impact near the end of combat. The longer the combat, the more likely players are to recharge powers. This helps give players other actions other than just continuously swinging with at-wills.
5) Give a benefit no matter how stingy a player is with his encounter powers. This was an important one for me. I felt it was very important that the mechanic helped both those who blow their encounter powers in the first few rounds and those who like to hold onto their encounter powers until later. This way, a player that hoards his encounter powers can accumulate recharge points just as well as the guy who blows them all, but both still have to use all of their powers before they gain the benefits of recharge points.
6) The effect scales with level. At low levels, one additional encounter power is a real boost. However, a 1st level character can regain only 1 power, and then he’s done. An additional encounter power doesn’t mean as much to a 20th level character, but in a really long fight he can regain more powers.
7) The mechanic has no bearing on utility and daily power use. I didn’t want the mechanics to require players blowing their dailies and utilities to gain the benefits. If a player wants to hold his dailies until the last fight, that is just fine by this mechanic.
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