Reincarnate Champion

[shamgar001]

Some questions about the Reincarnate Champion epic destiny in Primal Power pg 154.

The Champion Returned (30th level): You gain access to every racial encounter power. To use a racial encounter power that you don't have, you expend the use of one of your racial encounter powers.

My player and I are in disagreement on the meaning of this. To make the example concrete, we'll say the PC is an elf who has taken tiefling and eladrin. So far, he has the following racial powers: Elven Accuracy, Infernal Wrath, Fey Step.
Suppose he wanted to use the halfling Second Chance power. My reading of the wording is that he would expend one of his powers without using it in exchange for using Second Chance. His argument is that by using one of his powers, he has expended it, and thus he gains the use of Second Chance (he came to this conclusion based on the wording of the Demigod ED).

Is either of us correct in understanding this?

Second question: Suppose I use Fey Step in an encounter; could I then expend Elven Accuracy to regain Fey Step, since I "don't have it"?

Last one: Can I take half-elf or human as an additional race and gain their bonus at-will as my new encounter power, or does that not work because they're not racial?

[Alan_Pehnereas]

Man - this player of yours sounds like a problem. I suggest you just let him do what he wants so he'll just be quiet. ^_^

[Ashdate]

Some questions about the Reincarnate Champion epic destiny in Primal Power pg 154.

The Champion Returned (30th level): You gain access to every racial encounter power. To use a racial encounter power that you don't have, you expend the use of one of your racial encounter powers.

My answers here aren't necessarily RAW ("expend" is not a glossary term), but I think they uphold the spirit of the Epic Destiny as designed.

"Expend" does not mean "use". It means something more akin to "pay". As an example, see how they use the word "expend" when they talk about interrupting a ritual. The wording in the Demigod's level 30 ability is supposed to catch when the player has no encounter powers, whether they have used the last one or not; I think their use of "expend" here is regrettable, but it doesn't set a precedence.

If it meant to read that you got both, it would say "whenever you use _______" or something similar. You are correct here, and if he has a problem with that, point him to a dictionary rather than a single use of the word in the PHB.


Second question: Suppose I use Fey Step in an encounter; could I then expend Elven Accuracy to regain Fey Step, since I "don't have it"?


If the player has gained "Fey Step" as one of his "Past spirits" through picking the Eladrin as one of his/her past lives, then no. The game would use a phrase similar to "regain one of their expended racial powers..." to signify that you could "re-use" a power. If a player has a Fey Step racial power naturally and either uses or expends it, then they still have the power (they just can't use it again until a short rest or other means of recovering it occur). Consider the "Reserve Maneuver" feat as an example of what they're trying to do here.

(Note: as a DM I wouldn't see the harm of allowing it tho. You're level 30 after all.)


Last one: Can I take half-elf or human as an additional race and gain their bonus at-will as my new encounter power, or does that not work because they're not racial?

The bonus at-will is not a racial encounter power (if it was, it would be listed as a power with the line "Half-Elf Racial Power"). Half-Elves DO have a racial encounter power, it just isn't in the PHB. It's called "Knack for Success" and it appears in the Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms Essentials' book.

[Adoendithas]

The alternative half-elf racial power is also in the PHB1 errata on WoTC's site.

[shamgar001]

The alternative half-elf racial power is also in the PHB1 errata on WoTC's site.

Ah, that makes sense. So for both the humans and half-elves, they have a choice of taking either the bonus at-will or an encounter power, but only the encounter power can be taken with the Reincarnate Champion?

[Adoendithas]

Yes, pretty much.