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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rkanodia" data-source="post: 3969473" data-attributes="member: 11681">Your idea would indeed curb in some of the worst excesses of mid- to high-level Power Attack, OldTimer, and (IMHO) improve the flavor, but it wouldn't remove the whole 'gaminess' of the thing.  Changing the cap does change the equation a bit - but this version of Power Attack still provides the best reward to a player who sits there with a calculator plugging in the AC and DR of his foes each round.My version of a 4E Power Attack would look something like,Power Attack Per Encounter Make a melee attack.  If it hits, you deal double damage.  If it misses, you grant Combat Advantage to all foes until your next turn.I guess there's still some 'gaminess' in there, too - Power Attack is still the most effective against monsters who are easy to hit.  However, the big potential downside means that players are always going to be truly acting recklessly when they declare Power Attack.  Also, the mechanics encourage players to save this ability for when they have an 'open shot' - perhaps an enemy is being flanked, and dazzled by a burst of light, and now the Power Attacking player chooses to capitalize on its AC penalties by hauling back for a powerful blow.  I don't think 'Per Encounter' is too few uses, but I suppose it might be entertaining to add a rider, "If Power Attack misses, its per-encounter usage is not consumed" - the image of a luckless, angry barbarian Power Attacking over and over, exposing himself to huge danger, until he finally hits (hopefully splattering something big) amuses me.That being said, Races and Classes seemed to imply that all feats in 4E were the 'always on' type, which provide a permanent modifier to some stat or ability, and that anything which gave you a new attack, especially one with a limit on usage, would be firmly in the 'Powers' category.  But I guess there's no reason that this Power Attack couldn't be a low-level Fighter power, and then if someone else wanted to pick it up, they could always take Fighter Training.</blockquote>

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