Using Encounter Powers Outside of Encounters

[Maximilia]

Hey guys, I've another question for you.

Our DM put in some pit traps, and once we found out where they were (the hard way!), and had to come back the same direction, the two eladrin said "I fey step over the trap". The DM was confused and initially did not allow it. I think he finally did, but only if you take a five minute rest inbetween fey steps.

The question here (and this applies to all encounter powers, though the most easily accessible one is fey step because I can see using that outside of combat and not many others, unless they are utility powers) is how often can you use an encounter power (if at all) outside of combat? The ruling we got down to is that you can use it, but then it's gone unless you take a five minute rest to recharge the power. That seems right to me, which isn't overpowered at all, especially since if you are interrupted in that five minute rest, you don't have the power for the encounter.

What do you all think?

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Correct. Any situation where the characters face some sort of challenge IS by definition an encounter. It may not be a combat encounter and thus may not have turns etc, but it is still in some sense an encounter. Admittedly this can get a little fuzzy and if a situation plays out over a long period of time this might not really hold, but for most purposes its the easiest way to think about it.

It also makes sense from other angles. Overcoming some kind of danger is generally worth some XP for instance.

 

[OnlineDM]

You did it right. An "Encounter" power is technically one you can use only every five minutes. In theory, if a an encounter lasted more than five minutes (50 rounds - that's a crazy-long battle!) then any encounter powers that were used early on would become available for use again by the end.

Outside of combat, this means that you can use any encounter power as long as you haven't used it in the last five minutes. Fey Step is a great example of this, but I'm sure there are many others.

 

[Katana_Geldar]

A lot of the bard's powers work that way as they can be used only in roleplaying, pretty much.

 

[Kingreaper]

You did it right. An "Encounter" power is technically one you can use only every five minutes. In theory, if a an encounter lasted more than five minutes (50 rounds - that's a crazy-long battle!) then any encounter powers that were used early on would become available for use again by the end.

Not quite: you need a five minute REST. (ie. no fighting, no running, no major spellcasting)

Now, if you're in combat, I don't think you're being very restful?

What would happen is that some "until end of encounter" powers might run out early. But, as said, 50 rounds, it's not worth worrying.

 

[BobTheNob]

I once had a Deva use their Ancestor power on a perception test. It avoided an ambush for the party, probably the best use I have ever seen of the power. Mind you, there was not time for a rest before the fight commenced (meaning he didnt have the ability for the fight), but it still avoided the surprise round, making it a far more powerful use of the ability than he could have done in fight anyway

 

[eamon]

I once had a Deva use their Ancestor power on a perception test. It avoided an ambush for the party, probably the best use I have ever seen of the power. Mind you, there was not time for a rest before the fight commenced (meaning he didnt have the ability for the fight), but it still avoided the surprise round, making it a far more powerful use of the ability than he could have done in fight anyway

How did the deva know on which skill check to use it? In one party, we've got a deva that does this regularly, and it's handy, but usually not very effective: the chances are that either the skill check just wasn't all that critical or the check was managed anyhow, or (particularly for perception) someone else happened to roll higher anyway, or that even with the MoaTL bonus the check still fails. It can matter - but the odds are against it.