Why do we need Encounter Powers?

[heretic888]

I've been thinking the same thing. I mean look how popular the Tome of Battle crusader was, with its semi-random maneuver mechanic.

I love encounter powers, and dailies almost as much, but them being so predictable causes a couple issues. There's the immersion-breaking "If this power is like a critical hit, how can my character strategically plan on it happening the way he does?" issue. (Alternatively, the "magic powers are boring and predictable!" issue.) And then there's the analysis paralysis issue.

So I think random or semi-random encounter and daily powers could be a lot of fun. Something to consider when I write that fantasy heartbreaker...

You guys should check out the stunt mechanic in the Dragon Age RPG. It operates very similarly to what you're espousing.

 

[Tony Vargas]

There is some precedent for Encounter powers in D&D's history. Items or spell-effects useable "once per turn" (in 0D&D and 1e, a 'turn' was 10 minutes), for instance.

Encounter powers give PCs some modest peak-power options without blowing dailies, which gives every combat some interest via the spikey goodness of pulling something a little better than your at-will grinding once in a while.

It's nice, and it doesn't hurt game balance - everyone has Encounter powers, afterall - even Psionics have Augments.

 

[CM]

It seems to me that the real problem is continually using the same encounter powers over and over again. This, to me, is a step up from using the same at-will powers over and over again, but YMMV.

I am adapting Fallout: New Vegas to D&D 4e and one of the rules we're using to add variety to powers is that each character has 3-4 powers available at each "slot." Expending a power also blocks access to the rest of the powers in that slot until the slot recharges.

For example, if you have 3 different level-1 encounter powers, you lose access to all 3 once you expend one, until after a short rest.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

So I think random or semi-random encounter and daily powers could be a lot of fun. Something to consider when I write that fantasy heartbreaker...

It might not be a bad option, as a way to leverage powers for more playstyles. I'm not sure that they could build a set of clear powers that could function both as encounter or daily as well as critical (depending upon which option the group chose). But if they did, it would certainly be a way to get more oomph out of the list of powers, even for people that might not otherwise care for them.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

With the powers being printed on cards, I've also seriously considered running a short 4E dungeon crawl game where no character had any powers at start, but found them. Each power could be used only once, but a character could save them and/or accumulate the same power if the found it multiple times. The premise would be that these powers are enchanting the implements or weapons when found.

The idea was to introduce players to the game quickly, deliberately skew some of the pacing back to operational play (which 4E doesn't tell you how to do, but I still remember), and introduce more variety of powers. I'd use the encounter, daily, and utility designations simply as guidelines for how often to hand them out.

 

[keterys]

Both Heroes of Neverwinter (Facebook game) and Castle Ravenloft (Boardgame) effectively make dailies into encounter powers (or vice versa)... it has some interesting repercussions in play.