When you get a Twice-per-Encounter Power once per day...

[Nail]

You cut out the entirety of the Special when you take Initiate of the Faith.

Nope.


The Initiate of the Faith feat says: "Once per day, you can use the cleric’s healing word power."

The cleric's Healing word power has a "Special". That "special" is part of the power. The "special" says: "You can use this power twice per encounter, but only once per round."

For a cleric, this is an encounter power, and the power can be used twice during an encounter.

Via multiclassing, this is a daily power, and the power can be used twice during one encounter that day.

 

[Surgoshan]

Again, as with the Student of Battle feat, the Initiate of the Faith feat doesn't say that you gain the healing word power. It says

Once per day, you can use the cleric's healing word power.

The warlord multiclass feat says exactly the same thing, only you replace the word 'healing' with the word 'inspiring'. In short, you do not gain the power, you only gain, on a per diem basis, the use of the power. Once. Per day. Which is what it says up there. It's the first three words, see? "Once per day".

 

[steppen]

I look at it this way. Even though a cleric can use the Healing Word power twice per encounter, he has to actually use the power twice... which he can do because he has no other restrictions on him.

So the power allows itself to be used more than once per encounter. It does not grant you a free use of itself; it only lets you use it more than once per encounter - if you can.

So, to me, it's pretty clear that you can only use it once per day. Period.

Now if Healing Word had a line that said something similar to the following, I'd think differently.

Secondary Effect: At some point later in this encounter, you may choose another target within range. That target gains the benefit listed on the Effect line.

 

[SweeneyTodd]

I agree. The feat that gives you access to the power doesn't give you the power. It allows you to use that power once per day. In other words, that "activated" part of the feat can be used 1/day.

That's the interpretation I'd go with. I see how legalistic readings could lead to either interpretation, but I'm comfortable with the feat granting access to the power, and in doing so giving a limit on how often you can access it, being the sole arbiter.

(Personally, I think that awkward wording is there just to set that limit -- if it had said "You gain healing word as a Daily power", the other interpretation would be equally valid. I think the feat's wording also prevents you from getting extra uses out of it from power refreshes, because they don't "reset" the feat. )

 

[SweeneyTodd]

Here's a separate question: Assuming you are a cleric, how does healing word interact with paragon or epic abilities that allow you to regain an encounter power?

Since healing word is a class feature, I have no idea, personally. I'd probably rule "Encounter powers gained from levels can be refreshed this way, class features that have a per-encounter use cannot" but I'm sure there are multiple ways to judge that.

(Now that I think about it, it probably doesn't matter, since a cleric with access to power refreshes like that is going to have actual encounter powers that do more than healing word, so they'd probably want to refresh one of those instead.)

 

[phil500]

What if your fighter uses a power swap feat to swap out an encounter power?

Then is it a 2x per encounter power?

 

[steppen]

I don't think that you can do that. I believe that the power swap feats only let you swap out for powers from your multiclass' power list - not class features that happen to work like encounter powers.

 

[Felix VonHauson]

To me, this seems to be pretty clear and I almost feel embarassed questioning it...just follow the chain logically.

1) You can use the Inpiring/Healing Word POWER (for emphasis) once per day. We have just established that unlike the base class, the multi-class can only use this POWER once per day. This clearly indicates the rules regarding the ACTIVATION of this power has changed.

2) Once you activate a power, you gain the full effects of that power unless otherwise stated. For example, the Warrior of the Wild mark only lasts until the end of your next turn (in the errata). This is explicitly stated. This both states that you gain an ACTIVATION of the power, but also restricts its EFFECT.

3) The Warlord and Cleric MC Feats do not say anywhere that they change the EFFECT of the powers they grant, only how often the POWER can be used. Also, the Feat does not say you gain the EFFECT of the power once per day, but the USE of the power; this is the same as giving the power through the Feat, just with a restriction to its ACTIVATION.

4) The EFFECT of Healing/Inspiring Word is that, twice per encounter, you can use it to cause the target to spend a healing surge. It does not say that this second surge requires another use of Healing/Inspiring Word...otherwise the full EFFECT of the power would be gained, allowing for two more healing surge expenditures.

5) The rule of 4E is that unless a rule specifically says something contradictory, you should follow the standard rule. In this case, the Feat specifically states that the the normal ACTIVATION of the power is different, but says nothing about the EFFECT of the power once activated.

 

[gill_smoke]

Felix VonHauson,
I'm pretty sure there are some in the 9 hells or Mechanicus who want you on their side. I am almost persuaded by your argument. I think that was a great diplomacy roll.

 

[steppen]

The EFFECT of the Healing Word/Inspiring Word powers don't say anything about being able to use them twice. They just say that someone can spend a healing surge and get some additional hit points back.

I still can't wrap my mind around it any other way. The Healing Word and Inspiring Word class features can be activated twice per encounter; however, the class-specific multiclass feats limit you to a single activation.