Eric Finley
First Post
As the others have said - very interesting. I like the concept, it just needs some serious attention to testing.
I think Stalker0's point about the low-level issues is very relevant. I think a not unreasonable way to look at it is to have it allow comparable amounts of power use that the old system did, over an average workday (say a four-encounter day).
Thus, a level 1 character in this setup has one encounter and one daily power. (Leaving aside race powers for now, that'd probably need some tweaking central to the races proper, since some do and some don't have encounter powers.) If we average out the 5TP for his daily over four encounters, and figure that he uses his encounter attack power three out of four times (the other being either a fight where it never comes up, or a skill challenge where it doesn't apply), then he's burning an average of 2.75 TP per encounter. Yet your math only gives him 2. He'll notice that difference, I think.
A level 5 character who uses both of his encounter attack powers in three out of four encounters, and both dailies in the day, is using an average of 5.5 TP per encounter that day - on attack powers. Let's say that his level 2 utility power is either a daily which he uses with 80% probability in that day, or an encounter power which he uses with 50% probability in each encounter... either way that's an extra one TP per encounter, bringing his average usage to 6.5. Yet you've only given him four.
Ah - but here's an interesting thought. Rather than have them reset to (2 + 1/2lvl) per short rest, have them start at zero after an extended rest and increment by (2 + 1/2lvl) at the start of each encounter. If you want to use your daily during the first encounter, it may mean you have to overexert. But if you are slightly conservative during the first encounter, then when you get to your second encounter, you'll have racked up enough points to use it without worrying too much. (Keep fractions in the increment... a level 1 character gets 2.5 per encounter, the half-point being useful only to add to another half-point at the start of the second encounter.)
What's that I hear? A mechanism to encourage longer workdays? Trumpets in the distance? A tactical conundrum between powers, which are getting easier to use, and hit points, which are going down, over the course of a day? Hallelujah!
Plus, the list of when you pick up encounter and daily attacks is specific. Thus your broad rule "2 at Heroic, etc" can be scaled more finely.
Try this:
- Level 1 encounter attack => 1TP cost
- Level 1 daily attack => 4TP cost
- Level 2 utility (encounter) => 1TP cost
- Level 2 utility (daily) => 4TP cost
- Level 3 encounter attack => 1TP cost
- Level 5 daily attack => 5TP cost
- Level 6 utility (encounter) => 2TP cost
- Level 6 utility (daily) => 5TP cost
- Level 7 encounter attack => 2TP cost
... and so forth. The conversion table is only needed, of course, when first doing the changeover, or when buying new powers; you label the powers with their TP costs right on the card / listing.
As for the +2 per successive usage, make that the "recovery cost" for the power (card). All powers (except at-wills) are expended when used. To reuse one, you need to pay the recovery cost of 2TP as well as the use cost. The encounter cards recover for free upon a short rest, the dailies don't. For a clean break, in fact, label the encounter powers as "Recover" or "Recover Short" or something like that.
As for healing surges, with this version, if you want to include surges try this: if you're overextended at the end of the encounter, then you (? may? must? ) spend healing surges, gaining 2TP and nothing else for each one spent, until you are at 0 or 1 TP. After this you regain your TP increment as usual.
I would also rule that as an Aid Another action you can transfer 1TP to another PC. Might even make this a minor action unlike most Aid actions. (Or to prevent confusion the "Tactical Assist" action is a minor which transfers 1TP.)
I would also be tempted to actually just integrate Action Points and daily magic item usages into the same scheme... make it so that the only currency which runs down over a day is Healing Surges, everything else actually slowly ramps up (on average).
Neat!
I think Stalker0's point about the low-level issues is very relevant. I think a not unreasonable way to look at it is to have it allow comparable amounts of power use that the old system did, over an average workday (say a four-encounter day).
Thus, a level 1 character in this setup has one encounter and one daily power. (Leaving aside race powers for now, that'd probably need some tweaking central to the races proper, since some do and some don't have encounter powers.) If we average out the 5TP for his daily over four encounters, and figure that he uses his encounter attack power three out of four times (the other being either a fight where it never comes up, or a skill challenge where it doesn't apply), then he's burning an average of 2.75 TP per encounter. Yet your math only gives him 2. He'll notice that difference, I think.
A level 5 character who uses both of his encounter attack powers in three out of four encounters, and both dailies in the day, is using an average of 5.5 TP per encounter that day - on attack powers. Let's say that his level 2 utility power is either a daily which he uses with 80% probability in that day, or an encounter power which he uses with 50% probability in each encounter... either way that's an extra one TP per encounter, bringing his average usage to 6.5. Yet you've only given him four.
Ah - but here's an interesting thought. Rather than have them reset to (2 + 1/2lvl) per short rest, have them start at zero after an extended rest and increment by (2 + 1/2lvl) at the start of each encounter. If you want to use your daily during the first encounter, it may mean you have to overexert. But if you are slightly conservative during the first encounter, then when you get to your second encounter, you'll have racked up enough points to use it without worrying too much. (Keep fractions in the increment... a level 1 character gets 2.5 per encounter, the half-point being useful only to add to another half-point at the start of the second encounter.)
What's that I hear? A mechanism to encourage longer workdays? Trumpets in the distance? A tactical conundrum between powers, which are getting easier to use, and hit points, which are going down, over the course of a day? Hallelujah!
Plus, the list of when you pick up encounter and daily attacks is specific. Thus your broad rule "2 at Heroic, etc" can be scaled more finely.
Try this:
- Level 1 encounter attack => 1TP cost
- Level 1 daily attack => 4TP cost
- Level 2 utility (encounter) => 1TP cost
- Level 2 utility (daily) => 4TP cost
- Level 3 encounter attack => 1TP cost
- Level 5 daily attack => 5TP cost
- Level 6 utility (encounter) => 2TP cost
- Level 6 utility (daily) => 5TP cost
- Level 7 encounter attack => 2TP cost
... and so forth. The conversion table is only needed, of course, when first doing the changeover, or when buying new powers; you label the powers with their TP costs right on the card / listing.
As for the +2 per successive usage, make that the "recovery cost" for the power (card). All powers (except at-wills) are expended when used. To reuse one, you need to pay the recovery cost of 2TP as well as the use cost. The encounter cards recover for free upon a short rest, the dailies don't. For a clean break, in fact, label the encounter powers as "Recover" or "Recover Short" or something like that.
As for healing surges, with this version, if you want to include surges try this: if you're overextended at the end of the encounter, then you (? may? must? ) spend healing surges, gaining 2TP and nothing else for each one spent, until you are at 0 or 1 TP. After this you regain your TP increment as usual.
I would also rule that as an Aid Another action you can transfer 1TP to another PC. Might even make this a minor action unlike most Aid actions. (Or to prevent confusion the "Tactical Assist" action is a minor which transfers 1TP.)
I would also be tempted to actually just integrate Action Points and daily magic item usages into the same scheme... make it so that the only currency which runs down over a day is Healing Surges, everything else actually slowly ramps up (on average).
Neat!
