Mark CMG
Creative Mountain Games
So what are folks various feelings and experiences with systems that include Action Points, Drama Points, Fate Points, Hero Points, etc. as part of the system, either core or optional, and how would you like to see them handled in 5E?
My solution? "Leveraging your Level." At each level a PC gets a number of points in a pool equal to their level that they can use during an Event to adjust a die roll or die rolls after the fact but they need to narratively explain how it manifests. It is meant to be encouraged by the GM and to add to the roleplaying and/or storytelling.
For example, if a PC misses a target number during an attack by one, the GM might suggest that they are close (or even say they missed by one) and ask if the player wishes to Leverage their Level, so the PC would add one to the die roll and, perhaps, simply explain that they are putting a little more muscle behind it. So, too, when a PC is picking a lock and misses the attempt by a couple of points, another player who (let's say) is second level could suggest that they accidently bump into the PC who is picking the lock and it happens to cause the attempt to be successful. A PC might throw a frying pan across a room to deflect the dagger thrust of a barroom brawler from skewing his comrade. Any number of creative justifications could be allowable depending on the imaginations of the players and GM, the GM also being encouraged to assist in suggesting ways it might be incorporated, like mentioning that there are frying pans nearby.
(An Event in this system is a nebulous leveling device that replaces XP and, depending on the druthers of the GM or group, could be a single encounter, a series of encounters, a player group goal, etc.)
My solution? "Leveraging your Level." At each level a PC gets a number of points in a pool equal to their level that they can use during an Event to adjust a die roll or die rolls after the fact but they need to narratively explain how it manifests. It is meant to be encouraged by the GM and to add to the roleplaying and/or storytelling.
For example, if a PC misses a target number during an attack by one, the GM might suggest that they are close (or even say they missed by one) and ask if the player wishes to Leverage their Level, so the PC would add one to the die roll and, perhaps, simply explain that they are putting a little more muscle behind it. So, too, when a PC is picking a lock and misses the attempt by a couple of points, another player who (let's say) is second level could suggest that they accidently bump into the PC who is picking the lock and it happens to cause the attempt to be successful. A PC might throw a frying pan across a room to deflect the dagger thrust of a barroom brawler from skewing his comrade. Any number of creative justifications could be allowable depending on the imaginations of the players and GM, the GM also being encouraged to assist in suggesting ways it might be incorporated, like mentioning that there are frying pans nearby.
(An Event in this system is a nebulous leveling device that replaces XP and, depending on the druthers of the GM or group, could be a single encounter, a series of encounters, a player group goal, etc.)