Author Topic: At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers  (Read 2936 times)

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dither

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At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers
« on: July 17, 2009, 06:19:38 PM »
I've got a question, since I can't really be bothered to read all the way through the books I don't own and will likely never use -- why are there only "1st-level" at-will powers? Why can't you swap out your measly 1st-level at-wills for cooler stuff at higher levels like you can with (seemingly) everything else?

Do other powers, well, encounter powers or daily powers, for that matter, ever reference the at-wills? Like, "jolly good, you hit with your Fighter's Cleave, here's a special follow-up power that acts as a combo!" or is that kind of thing too cool for 4e? I mean, having a class's powers reference one another would be a key reason for keeping around those same at-will powers throughout your entire career -- kind of like an "opening strike" followed by all kinds of interesting and varied "follow-ups." You know, like openers and combos and finishers in video games.

Ideally, the reason you would want to choose to stay with low-level at-wills is because they segue into cooler high-powered combos as you progress in levels. Alternatively, you could trade in your tired at-wills for more powerful or simply more interesting stuff that wasn't available at lower levels.

Alternatively ... why are some of those low-level encounter powers still "encounter powers" when you reach epic levels? Why don't they become ... at-wills after you've performed them a hundred times over the course of your career? Is WotC saying that your special sideways cleave that makes your opponent slide halfway across the room is something you can only ever WISH you could do more often?

I noticed that there are some Utility powers that are At-Will, Encounter, or Daily. How many At-Will Utility powers are there? Are any of them particularly useful? It seems like that may be the only way to gain additional interesting at-will powers. Aside from multi-classing, of course.
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PhoenixInferno

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Re: At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2009, 06:27:52 PM »
Low level powers tend to have higher-level analogues, once you start needing to swap out.  The Wizard's Fireball power (Daily 5) becomes an encounter power (with another name) in Paragon (or was it Epic?).  For the Fighter, Rain of Steel, Unstoppable and Unbreakable become a single power at Paragon tier.

The Psion sort-of explores different ideas regarding the balance between At-Will and Encounter powers.

anomalousman

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Re: At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2009, 09:44:03 PM »
Some of the at-will utility powers are indeed very useful.  There are also racial at-wills.

Vestige warlocks also explore the idea of using dailies that add augmentations to the at-will attacks.

There are many ways to recharge non-at-will powers, some of which do in fact make encounter powers effectively at-will.  And psions seem to deliberately blur the lines dramatically between at-will and encounter powers.

More details would require more reading, and I know how you hate that.   ;)

BowenSilverclaw

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Re: At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2009, 02:24:26 PM »
There are many ways to recharge non-at-will powers, some of which do in fact make encounter powers effectively at-will.
Care to name a couple of examples? :)
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Agita

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Re: At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2009, 02:26:55 PM »
There are many ways to recharge non-at-will powers, some of which do in fact make encounter powers effectively at-will.
Care to name a couple of examples? :)

Salves of Power, Power Jewels, and Divine Miracle instantaneously come to mind.
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dither

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Re: At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2009, 01:21:16 PM »
More details would require more reading, and I know how you hate that.   ;)

Not that I hate reading, quite the contrary, I just dislike reading material that I don't expect to put to use, or material that I have no interest in.

Seriously, it's a wonder I got through public school at all...
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Dither's Amazing Changing Avatars

[spoiler]
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"Vegeta! What does the scouter say about Dither's power level?"
It's over nine thousand!

Quote from: Bauglir
Quote from: Anklebite
Quote from: dither
Well blow me down! :P
A SECTION OF THE CAVERN HAS COLLAPSED!
dither, Miner, has died after colliding with an obstacle!
[/spoiler]

Sinfire Titan

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Re: At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2009, 01:45:06 PM »
There are many ways to recharge non-at-will powers, some of which do in fact make encounter powers effectively at-will.
Care to name a couple of examples? :)

Salves of Power, Power Jewels, and Divine Miracle instantaneously come to mind.

Pre-Errata Veteran's Armor too.


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awaken DM golem

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Re: At-Will, Encounter, and Daily Powers
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2009, 06:36:48 PM »
Lich
Lich without Phylactery
( Lich's Phylactery doesn't help here)
Lich Graft in Open Grave
Righteous Rage of Tempus - pre errata
lots of action point based stuff
etc ...

**

Rogue has a small pile of utility At-wills at higher levels

At-wills "feel" like strong but simple feats, from v3.5.
+2 to hit ... every hit
shift 1 ... after every hit
extra damage as the levels go by ... very lesser psionic feel
etc ...

Daily Powers are like v3.5 Spells,
with the possibility of the 8-hour rest double up ~cheat , automatically part of the rules as a 6 hour rest.