D&D 4E - Powers

The new Dungeons and Dragons game has changed some of the most fundamental aspects of the original versions, while trying to remain true to the essence of what made the original paper and pen game such a classic.

One of the things it mostly threw out the window was how character class abilities and spells worked. Aside from the most essential class features, most class-related abilities, including spells, are now called powers. These powers are classified in three ways, particularly how they relate to combat:

At-Will Powers are those that can be used every round, once per round.

Encounter Powers are those that can only be used once per encounter. The use of these powers can be restored after a short rest.

Daily Powers are those that prove so draining that they can only be used once before requiring an extended rest to restore its efficacy.

Powers manifest from different sources depending on what class you are. Wizards draw from the arcane and their powers are called spells. Clerics use divine power and use prayers. Fighters have martial power and use exploits (I would have called them techniques or styles, but that's just me). Gaining these abilities is a simple matter of increasing in level. All classes progress with gaining powers at the same rate:

At level 1, you select 2 at-will powers, 1 encounter power, and 1 daily power from those available to your class.

You gain a new encounter attack power at levels 3, 7 and 11, with the option to replace those with a stronger one at 13th, 17th, 23rd, and 27th levels.

You gain a new daily attack power at levels 5, 9, and 20, with the option to replace those with stronger daily powers at 15th, 19th, 25th, and 29th levels.

You also gain a new utility power at levels 2, 6, 10, 12, 16, 22 and 26.

Whenever you gain a level, regardless of whether you received anything new, you are able to replace one existing power with another one of equal or lower level.

This very simple system dictates that no matter what class you are, be you wizard or fighter, you have the same number of powers of a certain type (ignoring special cases like humans who gain an extra at-will power at 1st level). This means even fighters have "spells" of their own, and that the days of the high level wizard slinging a dozen each of fireballs, lightning bolts, ice storms and what have you are things of the past.

The best thing about this, for me, is that all classes now have significant abilities even at high levels, which go beyond their hit points or equipment. There is reason to feat the high-level exploit as much as the high level spell. Let's compare the effects of two such powers, both level 23 encounter attack powers:

3d6 + Intelligence modifier thunder damage, and the target is stunned until the end of your next turn. [Ranged 20]

4[W] + Strength modifier damage. Weapon: If you’re wielding an axe, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Constitution modifier.

Both are comparably strong. Though the fighter exploit does more raw damage, the spell makes up for it with range. And there's no "strictly better" comparison, unlike when you compare the destructive potential of an 18th level wizard versus that of an 18th level fighter from 3rd edition. And note, none of the comparisons I'm making take equipment into account.

That's another nice effect of the new power paradigm. Each class is so full of features that equipment, while still important and valuable, is no longer overwhelmingly necessary for characters to become interesting. If a DM wanted to, he could create a low-magic setting where mystical items and artifacts are rare, and the characters are still capable of many things.

Any system with this much class balance and emphasis on the character (not his gear) has a thumbs up from me.