An Answer to Rage Cycling?

[CAHaugen]

I've been reading a lot about Rage Cycling. You know, the whole "ending Rage prematurely just to Rage later", bit?

I guess people want to abuse the 1/Rage idea. There are a hefty amount of Rage Powers and the like that specifically state 1/Rage, and they want to abuse it with the whole start-n-go method.

Well, do people forget that as a Barbarian, you have a little thing that specifically states:

but can otherwise enter rage multiple times during a single encounter or combat.?

Seems to me that the answer was put there all along: "can otherwise enter rage multiple".

I believe this is case-closed. Pathfinder isn't SRD, where you only get so many Rage/Day.

If that were the case, if you ended a Rage prematurely and started it up again later, that would be a second Rage. So if you only get three Rage/Day, and you start-stop-start, that's two of them for 'ya.

But this ain't SRD; It's Pathfinder. And Pathfinder solved this little problem loooong before Rage Cycling became an issue.

Seriously I just learned about RCing like an hour ago and I've already spotted this. How are people still arguing about it?

Now, if y'all want to get technical, you might conclude that you are still going off of the same "Rage", since you can only Rage for so many Rounds per day equal to 4 + Con Mod. If this were the case, however, the description of such Rage Powers and such would have read as 1/Day, not 1/Rage. A "Rage" is defined by getting bonuses and penalties to become a more brutal fighter. If you enter such a state of modification, you've entered a Rage. And if you happen to enter a Rage three times during the same Encounter, then you've Raged three separate times; Each time allowing such an attack to happen again since it is "1/Rage", and not "1/Day" or "1/Total Rage Rounds Allowed".

So, combining RAW and RAI, it seems to me that yes, you are in fact allowed to start a Rage and use Mighty Swing, end said Rage, and later on when you re-Rage, you may use Mighty Swing yet again. Doesn't matter if this is the a few Rounds later or 23 hours later. It only matters that it's a new Rage.

The reason I say both RAW and RAI are in agreement (Probably a rare occasion) is because it specifically states under the Rage Rules that you are allowed to Rage multiple times during an Encounter / Combat (RAW), and the Rage Powers (Such as Mighty Swing) state nothing about being limited to the number of times per day, merely times per Rage (RAI).

Thoughts?

[Zhayne]

I agree. Rage Cycling is obviously, completely, and utterly legal. If you don't like it, house rule 1/rage to 1/encounter.

[chaoseffect]

Zhayne wrote:

I agree. Rage Cycling is obviously, completely, and utterly legal. If you don't like it, house rule 1/rage to 1/encounter.

This. I've never actually seen anyone question the legal validity of Rage cycling; most I've ever seen is people sometimes being upset about it being so.

[Alex Cunningham]

I doubt you'll find anyone who thinks Rage Cycling is not RAW.

The objections come from the notion that it doesn't narratively make a lick of sense. CAHaugen, go ahead and re-read those (countless) threads about RCing if you're confused about this. Your revelation isn't a new one, because it's not really up for debate whether RCing is "legal".

I houserule that entering or exiting rage is a swift action (which, frankly, cuts into my suspension of belief still, but seems a fair compromise).

[thejeff]

Pretty much this. Not only does it seem very odd narratively to me, but it's the kind of annoying PF mechanic that encourages players to scour the rule books (or more likely the message boards) looking for clever ways to get the ability early.

I'd far rather just have them build multiple uses of the Rage powers into the basic rules than force people to jump through hoops like this to do so.

It also provokes legalistic arguments about exactly how it works. Can I Rage Cycle so that I actually spend no time not Raging? That is, Rage, Attack, Stop Raging, Rage, then end turn? Can I do it in between attacks, just in case I get a Mighty Swing opportunity?