There has been a discussion about PHB3 and if anything in it contributes to power creep. Back then, without having seen the skill powers I thought that skill powers might represent power creep.
Now I've read the PHB3 section on skill powers and I think they indeed represent power creep, maybe not alarmingly so, but it's there nonetheless.
In general the skill powers seem to be slightly weaker or more restricted than regular utility powers. Therefore it will probably be uncommon that someone uses the option to replace a regular utility power granted by his class(es) with a skill power.
Since you can also get them by spending a feat, things look different though.
Theoretically, you could gain up to 16(?) additional utility powers if you spend all your feats on them. That's pretty nice, assuming they're actually useful.
Now let's look a specific example:
Stirring Speech on page 167 is a Level 6 Daily Skill Power for characters trained in Diplomacy. It must be used while taking a short rest and affects all allies in a close burst 5.
Effect: Until the end of the next encounter, each target gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws while not bloodied.
I believe that's a pretty obvious example of power creep:
- the bonus is untyped so it stacks with every other bonuses you might have. It's a good thing we got the new glossary entry about 'untyped bonuses', since otherwise, every pc in a party could take and use it to gain a +5 bonus for the next encounter...
- It also doesn't require any kind of action during the encounter itself and lasts for the entire encounter (minus rounds in which someone's bloodied).
- If the party happens to have a day without any encounters, the duration will extend into the next day, so you can actually benefit from it in two encounters on a given day. For example they will always have the bonus in the first encounter of a new adventure.
If two (or more) pcs are trained in Diplomacy, it should be relatively easy in most campaigns to get the bonus for every encounter.
Now what do you think? Is this an example of power creep or not?
Note, that there are several other skill powers which are really good, imho (e.g. a Level 2 At-Will Power for characters trained in Bluff to get rid of a mark as a minor action).
I very much like the idea of skill powers, since they're available for every character, regardless of class. Therefore they're an ideal way to pick up powers that aren't otherwise available to you (e.g. there are several ways to gain saving throws or spend healing surges, regain second wind or even get a 'third' wind for partys without leaders).
I know that I'd take lots of them since I love having more options available.
To recap: I'm not at all worried about the option to pick them to replace class utility powers (actually, many of them could actually use a slight power-up to be competitive choices).
But gaining them in addition to everything else by spending a single feat? I'm not sure if that was a good design decision.
Now I've read the PHB3 section on skill powers and I think they indeed represent power creep, maybe not alarmingly so, but it's there nonetheless.
In general the skill powers seem to be slightly weaker or more restricted than regular utility powers. Therefore it will probably be uncommon that someone uses the option to replace a regular utility power granted by his class(es) with a skill power.
Since you can also get them by spending a feat, things look different though.
Theoretically, you could gain up to 16(?) additional utility powers if you spend all your feats on them. That's pretty nice, assuming they're actually useful.
Now let's look a specific example:
Stirring Speech on page 167 is a Level 6 Daily Skill Power for characters trained in Diplomacy. It must be used while taking a short rest and affects all allies in a close burst 5.
Effect: Until the end of the next encounter, each target gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws while not bloodied.
I believe that's a pretty obvious example of power creep:
- the bonus is untyped so it stacks with every other bonuses you might have. It's a good thing we got the new glossary entry about 'untyped bonuses', since otherwise, every pc in a party could take and use it to gain a +5 bonus for the next encounter...
- It also doesn't require any kind of action during the encounter itself and lasts for the entire encounter (minus rounds in which someone's bloodied).
- If the party happens to have a day without any encounters, the duration will extend into the next day, so you can actually benefit from it in two encounters on a given day. For example they will always have the bonus in the first encounter of a new adventure.
If two (or more) pcs are trained in Diplomacy, it should be relatively easy in most campaigns to get the bonus for every encounter.
Now what do you think? Is this an example of power creep or not?
Note, that there are several other skill powers which are really good, imho (e.g. a Level 2 At-Will Power for characters trained in Bluff to get rid of a mark as a minor action).
I very much like the idea of skill powers, since they're available for every character, regardless of class. Therefore they're an ideal way to pick up powers that aren't otherwise available to you (e.g. there are several ways to gain saving throws or spend healing surges, regain second wind or even get a 'third' wind for partys without leaders).
I know that I'd take lots of them since I love having more options available.
To recap: I'm not at all worried about the option to pick them to replace class utility powers (actually, many of them could actually use a slight power-up to be competitive choices).
But gaining them in addition to everything else by spending a single feat? I'm not sure if that was a good design decision.
