As soon as you take a rest, any rest, your character becomes illegal. That's how you don't 'have' it.
Point A: The PC enters the short rest with the power not expended. The PC still has it. PCs are not required to expend powers into a rest. Point B: Halfway into the rest or any point in time before the end of the rest. The PC still has it, again, resting does not force PCs to spend powers. Point C: End of Rest. The PC still has it, because it is not the moment which is 'After the rest' Point D: After the rest, the PC regains expended encounter powers, which means the PC gains the use of the power. The PC still has it. This is a step which is not defined to take time. So it doesn't.
i.e. at every single observable moment of game time, the PC has the ability to use the power. At the beginning and end of every step, the PC has the ability to use the power. And arguing about the middle of steps is house rule territory.
All hybrids lack certain features of the non-hybrid classes. That's intentional, so as to try to balance out hybrids vs. non-hybrids as a whole. One of the reasons you can tell that it is not RAI, is that there are feats for the non-hybrid Essential characters to pick up powers from their primary class.
That's the ultimate feat tax if it is RAI that hybrids get things for free, but non-hybrids are expected to pay for it, knowing that the barn doors are open. Also, that's an obvious, "Hey, here's our thinking" moment
Ah yes, I see what you mean, an Essentials hybrid does get to choose freely between picking their encounter trick or choosing a power from the core list. But the wording of such entries does make that sound entirely intentional. Here's an example from Blackguard:
DREAD SMITE (HYBRID) You can select the dread smite power whenever you have the opportunity to gain or replace a class encounter attack power that has a level. If you already have dread smite, you gain an additional use of the power if you select it again.
We can see tht this isn't a generic hybrid rule being applied to an Essentials hybrid with the possbility of accidental consequences. Instead we see this is a specific wording written specifically for an Essentials hybrid entry, and they appear to word it with full and unambiguous intention that you can choose Dread Smite or a regular class power.
And, yes, it does appear to be an instance of non-hybrids needing to pay a feat for something a hybrid could get for free. (Annoying, granted.)
Basically, I think a lot of the issues with Essentials Hybrids and Battle Cleric's Lore is because the design team was simultaneously working on D&DNext, play the game with significant house rules, and rushing those rules out the door. And because D&DNext is coming out at some point, they're not all that interested in fixing things.
Especially in the context that there are people playing with the rules at present and would likely be upset if told that their characters no longer functioned. The RAW doesn't truly break anything, even if it makes certain options too good for the base game(aka Battle Cleric's Lore for Hybrids, BA Essentials characters can stack, Sentinels being full-fledged controllers with a pet and an encounter heal, etc...)
So it is unlikely to be fixed, but it probably would be good for the long-term future of 4e outside of D&DNext if it was. Which again, makes it unlikely.
Sure, I agree that Sentinels seem to mostly win by going hybrid. But when we say "BA Essentials characters can stack", what we really mean is "hybrid Exectutioner", right? And neither of these examples damns all Essentials hybrids, nor do I see how they point to any particular RAI. Instead they just show that there are balance issues in the hybrid system. Battle Cleric's Lore is itself a fine example, since that's a non-Essentials hybrid balance problem.
As for D&DNext precluding any other fixes to 4e, maybe, but I hope that's not true. I'm hoping they're just taking a break but will return to rules updates. Depressing if you're right.
DREAD SMITE (HYBRID) You can select the dread smite power whenever you have the opportunity to gain or replace a class encounter attack power that has a level. If you already have dread smite, you gain an additional use of the power if you select it again.
We can see tht this isn't a generic hybrid rule being applied to an Essentials hybrid with the possbility of accidental consequences. Instead we see this is a specific wording written specifically for an Essentials hybrid entry, and they appear to word it with full and unambiguous intention that you can choose Dread Smite or a regular class power.
If you're say a Blackguard|Fighter, at 1st level, you have a choice between a Blackguard option and a Fighter encounter attack power.
It is the hybrid rules that then say, "Hey, you belong to Paladin? Blackguard option also means all Paladin Encounter Attack Powers!"
For people interested in the hybrid system, this is kind of obvious. For people really paying attention to a whole new game system? Not necessarily...
And, yes, it does appear to be an instance of non-hybrids needing to pay a feat for something a hybrid could get for free. (Annoying, granted.)
The likely way to resolve it given that things have already happened, is give non-hybrid Essential characters who already have a use of their class option can gain regular encounter powers after that. So a Blackguard with Dread Smite can pick Paladin encounter attack powers with his other two encounter powers. But Dread Smite needs more of an upgrade if you pick it more than once.
Basically, I think a lot of the issues with Essentials Hybrids and Battle Cleric's Lore is because the design team was simultaneously working on D&DNext, play the game with significant house rules, and rushing those rules out the door. And because D&DNext is coming out at some point, they're not all that interested in fixing things.
Especially in the context that there are people playing with the rules at present and would likely be upset if told that their characters no longer functioned. The RAW doesn't truly break anything, even if it makes certain options too good for the base game(aka Battle Cleric's Lore for Hybrids, BA Essentials characters can stack, Sentinels being full-fledged controllers with a pet and an encounter heal, etc...)
So it is unlikely to be fixed, but it probably would be good for the long-term future of 4e outside of D&DNext if it was. Which again, makes it unlikely.
Sure, I agree that Sentinels seem to mostly win by going hybrid. But when we say "BA Essentials characters can stack", what we really mean is "hybrid Exectutioner", right? And neither of these examples damns all Essentials hybrids, nor do I see how they point to any particular RAI. Instead they just show that there are balance issues in the hybrid system. Battle Cleric's Lore is itself a fine example, since that's a non-Essentials hybrid balance problem.
As for D&DNext precluding any other fixes to 4e, maybe, but I hope that's not true. I'm hoping they're just taking a break but will return to rules updates. Depressing if you're right.
Hunter is a problem too, with Human Rangers and various RBAs. I know it isn't technically its own class, but it is an option from that article and hybrids can easily cause rules issues - Human Ranger|Invoker with a weapon implement and Power of Skill being the obvious example. If we're lucky, they'll fix things right as they close the door and hopefully not break anything on the way out.
You forgot Half-elf for a Skald at-will as an encounter + Master of Stories.
Or you can just tack it Rapid Shot onto a Straight Invoker (or Seeker) with Half-elf anyway. Dilettante Twin Strike, Archery Mastery for Rapid Shot, possibly Versatile Master if your DM requires the Ranger power to be at-will to swap with Rapid Shot.
Ours is a world where people don't know what they want, and are willing to go through hell to get it. -Don Marquis
DREAD SMITE (HYBRID) You can select the dread smite power whenever you have the opportunity to gain or replace a class encounter attack power that has a level. If you already have dread smite, you gain an additional use of the power if you select it again.
We can see tht this isn't a generic hybrid rule being applied to an Essentials hybrid with the possbility of accidental consequences. Instead we see this is a specific wording written specifically for an Essentials hybrid entry, and they appear to word it with full and unambiguous intention that you can choose Dread Smite or a regular class power.
If you're say a Blackguard|Fighter, at 1st level, you have a choice between a Blackguard option and a Fighter encounter attack power.
It is the hybrid rules that then say, "Hey, you belong to Paladin? Blackguard option also means all Paladin Encounter Attack Powers!"
For people interested in the hybrid system, this is kind of obvious. For people really paying attention to a whole new game system? Not necessarily...
Ah, okay, I think I see what you're saying now. The line from Dread Smite that reads "whenever you have the opportunity to gain or replace a class encounter attack power that has a level" is vague after all, since it doesn't specify whether it means "when choosing a power for this half of the hybrid, choose Dread Smite or another Paladin power" or whether it instead means "when choosing between powers from either side of your hybrid, you can choose Dread Smite from your Blackguard half or a class encounter attack power that has a level from your other half".
I'd never noticed until now how that sentence could be read either way. Interesting!
Hunter is a problem too, with Human Rangers and various RBAs. I know it isn't technically its own class, but it is an option from that article and hybrids can easily cause rules issues - Human Ranger|Invoker with a weapon implement and Power of Skill being the obvious example. If we're lucky, they'll fix things right as they close the door and hopefully not break anything on the way out.
True, but I view that as less of a problem with Hunter and more of a probelm with Power of Skill stupidly allowing Divine Bolts to count as a basic attack. (And not at all a problem with Essentials or hybrids.)
