ok, I downloaded the new CB, so where are they, how do you get them???
I mean a race or a class is simple but how do I find them?
they're utility powers. Go into the power selection for them.
If we're thinking the same thing, Skill Powers are in the PH3 and, since that isn't released yet, isn't available in the Compendium or Character Builder.
Skill Powers were released today as a DDI preview.
Faith Healing looks... interesting. and Fast Hands is like quickdraw, but as a utility power anyone* can use!
*if they are trained in thevery
Ah, that's what I get for hitting the boards before the front page first. So, the half of the powers listed might be in the next CB update.
Ah, that's what I get for hitting the boards before the front page first. So, the half of the powers listed might be in the next CB update.
Which has already gone up. I can already mess around with Skill Powers in my Character Builder.
Ah, that's what I get for hitting the boards before the front page first. So, the half of the powers listed might be in the next CB update.
Which has already gone up. I can already mess around with Skill Powers in my Character Builder.
It has? *checks date*
Geez. I'm way behind the curve today.
thanks for the utility heads up (had I waited like 2 mins the article went up though)
they rock, I am one step closer to playing a sharn investigator based on (shawn spencer/Monk/Dr House)
I like these a lot. I'm always up for more options and these have a lot of flavor.
They're pretty cool. I like Guided Shot, and Presicent Maneuver - especially for my Prescient Bard.
I love the idea, but...
1) Utilities are already pretty crowded. There's usually already a good choice at every level for each class. A bunch of new options that overlap with the great stuff we already have means that we're not going to get near as much use out of them as I would like to.
Couldn't this just be a new mechanic, rather than taking up space in an already crowded area?
2) Several of the abilities are "ally only" in a way that makes them entirely too situational to be used. Maybe I'm a selfish player, but I'd like my powers to at least be optionally for me.
For instance, the "battle feint" ability for Bluff (I think I have the name wrong, but it's close). Would it really be overpowering to let a rogue benefit from the combat advantage himself? I've been wanting an "improved feint" type ability for 4e since the beginning. This looked like it, but the rogue, the guy most likely to be able to use this ability, derives no benefit from it. Annoying.
I'm thinking for my own group these will be just open Powers. If you got the Skill then you can choose to use whatever Skill Power that you have unlocked. So you got regular Utility Powers as well as Skill Powers. But, I am not that oriented around mechanics and such, so doesn't phase me how much or little this would overpower them.
I'm thinking for my own group these will be just open Powers. If you got the Skill then you can choose to use whatever Skill Power that you have unlocked. So you got regular Utility Powers as well as Skill Powers. But, I am not that oriented around mechanics and such, so doesn't phase me how much or little this would overpower them.
I too am really digging these new options. And while I like you're thinking here, I may streamline it just a bit. After looking at and comparing the skill powers and the equivalent level class powers, I plan to try out allowing my PCs to choose 1 skill power that they qualify for in addition to their class utility power. Giving them access to all skill powers that they qualify for I think might not only disrupt game balance, but also lose some of the system's intended aim at diversifying character choices.
I don't see balance becoming too much of an issue with what I plan on doing for my players. For instance, the swordmage that I'm playing in another game has Dimensional Warp and is trained in history. I just can't see him suddenly becoming overwhelmingly powerful by being able to make history checks in place of intelligence checks via the Perfect Recall skill power in addition to his warp.
If you think I'm off here, or I'm going to be putting my game out of whack, please feed me your input.
I too am really digging these new options. And while I like you're thinking here, I may streamline it just a bit. After looking at and comparing the skill powers and the equivalent level class powers, I plan to try out allowing my PCs to choose 1 skill power that they qualify for in addition to their class utility power. Giving them access to all skill powers that they qualify for I think might not only disrupt game balance, but also lose some of the system's intended aim at diversifying character choices.I don't see balance becoming too much of an issue with what I plan on doing for my players. For instance, the swordmage that I'm playing in another game has Dimensional Warp and is trained in history. I just can't see him suddenly becoming overwhelmingly powerful by being able to make history checks in place of intelligence checks via the Perfect Recall skill power in addition to his warp.
If you think I'm off here, or I'm going to be putting my game out of whack, please feed me your input.
I like this. I plan to implement this in my game come Saturday.
Yeah me too. Though either way works.
Did anybody else imagine a ninja jumping up without using his hands when they read the acrobatics power that allows you to stand on a minor action?
Did anybody else imagine a ninja jumping up without using his hands when they read the acrobatics power that allows you to stand on a minor action?
Indeed.
Too bad tumble was already a rogue utility power though. Whether or not it would have been balanced, I should expect that a fair number of former 3.5 players would have preferred it as a skill power.
balance seems about right to me (going through and comparing a bunch - it's about 50/50 to keep or take new)
I'm even pretty happy with it being utility. As someone mentioned these are just more flavor options. Embrace the diversity!
I've been fairly anti-skill powers. I was expecting to see the return of Profession and Craft.
But now that I see it isn't that, I'm actually rather pleased with them. However I do see 4th ed becoming more and more complex.
Something I liked about 4th ed and dislike about 3.5e, was the simplicity. And while the first 3 books did much to simplify the game, we're slowly getting more and more complex options. But you know what, that's okay.
Having had 3.5e and particularly Living Greyhawk described to me, I've come to the conclusion I would have very much liked 3rd edition, had I come to it in 2000. But I didn't come to D&D in 2000, I came to it in 2008. Coming in at the end of the edition, there are simply too many options and its too overwhelming. But had I come in at the ground level, I think I would have enjoyed it.
So I embrace more options and choices in 4th ed. I believe at the end of 4th ed we will have a simpler game then we had at the end of 3.5e, but I'm also confident we'll have a more complex game then we had at the beginning of 4th ed.
Sounds pretty cool. We already had a good deal of utility keying off skills before but having them available to any character to choose is pretty neat.
I think I'll propose the free Skill Power idea though, since it doesn't feel like it would upset the balance that much.
They might be in the Character Builder (don't know, don't really use that tool at the moment), but they're certainly not in the Compendium yet at the time I'm posting this.
They're in the cb. Haven't checked the compendium though.
Okay, after reading just the first two skill powers these looked awesome, and having read them all now they definitely look cool. I'm really diggin' the way they are mostly class and role neutral, or at least can be chosen by anyone with the skill. I also like the idea of them as skill challenge powers, parallel to combat powers. I'm not sure yet if I'd allow a free utility for one of these each utility level, but it's definitely something to consider. Maybe they could fill in the empty levels.
I thought they would stop at level 22, but I only see up to about level 10. I guess these are intended especially for Heroic Tier, or are we invited to create new ones?
Anyway, they look pretty cool to me. 
Okay, after reading just the first two skill powers these looked awesome, and having read them all now they definitely look cool. I'm really diggin' the way they are mostly class and role neutral, or at least can be chosen by anyone with the skill. I also like the idea of them as skill challenge powers, parallel to combat powers. I'm not sure yet if I'd allow a free utility for one of these each utility level, but it's definitely something to consider. Maybe they could fill in the empty levels.
I thought they would stop at level 22, but I only see up to about level 10. I guess these are intended especially for Heroic Tier, or are we invited to create new ones?
Anyway, they look pretty cool to me.
I believe it's an incomplete list; heroic tier in the debut/preview, paragon stuff in the PH3. Kind of like they did with the psion, only one build in the debut article.
I believe it's an incomplete list; heroic tier in the debut/preview, paragon stuff in the PH3. Kind of like they did with the psion, only one build in the debut article.
Ah, I see. Thanks!
Just Lvled up my character and retrained a utility for fast hands and choose anouther for 10th. All I can say is,................WOW.
I actually never use any of my utility powers with my Wizard. I can see a number of useful powers in the Skill Powers though. As soon as I level up again (a long time from now since I just leveled up the week before the article released) I'm going to retrain to get one.
So far, this is my favorite preview of PHB3 material. Great stuff!