Action points and such

[kenobi65]

Force Points in d20 Star Wars, very like Action Points.

Well, yes and no.

When you spend a Force Point in Star Wars, you roll 1 or more d6s, and add that result to all attack rolls, saves, abilty checks, and skill checks (fundamentally, all d20s rolls) until the beginning of your next turn.

Note that this means that one Force Point can, potentially, effect a large number of die rolls (such as, spending the FP at the beginnng of your turn, before you make a large number of attacks).

The number of d6s you roll when you spend a FP is dependent on (a) your character level, (b) whether or not your PC is Force-sensitive, and (b) if you're Force-sensitive, whether you're calling on the Light side or the Dark side.

If you get more than 1d6 on a Force Point, you add all of the d6s you roll together to determine the effect of the Force Point -- this is different from Action Points, where you use the highest result of the multiple dice.

Unlike Action Points, which can be spent to emulate feats, activate class abilities, etc., affecting die rolls is by far the primary use of Force Points. The non-die-roll uses are fairly limited (Jedi have to spend one to build a lightsaber, you can spend a FP to atone for a Dark Side Point, but those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head).

Also, unlike Action Points, Force Points can be difficult to earn. PCs only start with 1 FP (2 if they're Force-sensitive), you only earn 1 FP each time you gain a level, and the only other way to earn a FP is by making a heroic action "at a dramatically appropriate moment." (OK, there's one other way: when a Jedi builds his own lightsaber, as part of the Knight Trials, he spends 1 FP, but gains 2 FP when the saber is completed, for a net gain of 1 FP.)

Finally, non-Force-sensitive characters can have no more than 5 FP at any one time.

I've seen variation on whether you roll the d6s once, and apply that same result to all your d20 rolls, or roll the d6s separately for each time you roll a d20, and I'm still not positive as to which version is RAW.

 

[kenobi65]

BTW, doesn't Spycraft have its own version of Action points?

Yes, it does; I can't remember if Action Point is the correct name for them.

In Spycraft, you get a number of those points, based on your level. IIRC, as you go up in level, you roll bigger dice for them (they start as d4s, move to d6s, etc.)

Also, Spycraft points "regenerate" at the beginning of each mission; unspent ones don't carry over to the next mission. During the mission, the GM can award additional points to PCs for achieving objectives or good play.

You can spend them to increase die rolls, or to "activate" critical successes (that's how you confirm a critical threat, by spending a point). And, depending on your class, you may roll more dice for spending a point on your class's key skill (for example, a Wheelman gets to roll 2 dice for every point he spends on a driving or piloting skill check).

Finally, Spycraft points "explode" -- if you roll the maximum value of that die, you take that value, then roll the die again. I've seen a wheelman get a +25 result on rolling 2d4 with one point, since he kept rolling 4s.

 

[Trodax]

When you spend a Force Point in Star Wars, you roll 1 or more d6s, and add that result to all attack rolls, saves, abilty checks, and skill checks (fundamentally, all d20s rolls) until the beginning of your next turn.

If you get more than 1d6 on a Force Point, you add all of the d6s you roll together to determine the effect of the Force Point -- this is different from Action Points, where you use the highest result of the multiple dice.

OK, that does make Force Points a lot more potent than Action Points. Also, it seems to me that FP's would be used with rather different tactics than AP's; "powering up" for an entire turn (as you said) rather than turning a near-miss into a success. Can you still decide to spend a Force Point after you've rolled the die (as in Modern)?

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

OK, that does make Force Points a lot more potent than Action Points. Also, it seems to me that FP's would be used with rather different tactics than AP's; "powering up" for an entire turn (as you said) rather than turning a near-miss into a success. Can you still decide to spend a Force Point after you've rolled the die (as in Modern)?

Force points, as I recall, are less common than most Action Point implementations. Plus, there's always the possibility of falling to the Dark Side if you use them unwisely.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

OK, that does make Force Points a lot more potent than Action Points. Also, it seems to me that FP's would be used with rather different tactics than AP's; "powering up" for an entire turn (as you said) rather than turning a near-miss into a success. Can you still decide to spend a Force Point after you've rolled the die (as in Modern)?

Sort of. You can declare to use one AFTER you've rolled, but BEFORE you know whether or not it succeeded. I find its best to just start out the whole turn with a Force Point, as it applies to everything except for damage.

They're definitely less common, as you only get 1 per leveling up(and if you don't have the Force Sensitive Feat, it caps at 5), and if you perform an act of "dramatic heroism" as kenobi65 explain. They do NOT come back like Action Points do. Once you've used a Force Point, its gone.

 

[kenobi65]

You can declare to use one AFTER you've rolled, but BEFORE you know whether or not it succeeded. I find its best to just start out the whole turn with a Force Point, as it applies to everything except for damage.

Agreed; that's how I usually use them, as well. Though, occasionally, you get a situation in which you *really* need to make a roll, and the d20 comes up low -- even though the GM hasn't technically told you yet if it's a success or failure, you're pretty sure it is, and may decide you need to goose that roll.

 

[Roudi]

Actually, Action Points in d20 Modern do not refresh each level. You get more per level than you would Force Points, but a spent Action Point is gone forever.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Actually, Action Points in d20 Modern do not refresh each level. You get more per level than you would Force Points, but a spent Action Point is gone forever.

From the MSRD -
Action points provide characters with the means to affect game play in significant ways. A character always has a limited amount of action points, and while the character replenishes this supply with every new level he or she attains, the character must use them wisely.

Emphasis mine. They do indeed come back every level.

The Auld Grump

 

[Roudi]

Gump, that line refers to the fact that a character earns new Action Points each level (minimum of five). Look at the whole Action Points section: it nowhere defines what a character's maximum Action Point capacity would be (something that would be required if spent Action Points were replenished). It also doesn't blatantly state that "each time a character gains a level, the character earns new Action Points and regains spent ones".

Action Points in d20 Modern are like coins. You get "paid" every time you get a level, and you can spend one coin each round for a benefit. Spending your coin doesn't entitle you to get it back at some future point... the only time you can get more coins is by going up a level and getting paid. Make sense?

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I use a combination of d20 Modern, Eberron, and Unearthed Arcana action points.

Any class feature in d20 Modern that requires action points can be used once per day for free, and action points can be used to get extra daily uses of class features. I allow characters to burn as many action points as they want in a round, but the effects don't stack-- you can spend an action point on a Bluff check for a feint, and then for the attack roll afterwards, and then again for a Fortitude save if you get hammered.

I allow action points to automatically stabilize dying characters, and I'll allow a character to spend all of their remaining action points (as long as they have at least 1) and all of the XP they've earned since their last level up to survive almost any situation-- Shadowrun calls it the Hand of God rule.

I like the idea in Eberron that you can't accumulate action points from level to level-- use them or lose them.