Action points and such

[C. Baize]

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

They don't "come back" in that manner.
You gain a certain number per level.
Action Points that are spent are gone.
You simply gain more every level.

For example...

Jason has 18 Action Points.
After a particularly rough session where he uses 9 Action Points, he has 9 left.
When he levels up, next, he gains 12 Action Points (just a number... it's based on class and level). His total number of Action Points is then 21, not 30, as the ones he used are not REPLENISHED, per se, he just gains new ones.

Simple enough?

Every payday, the money you spent isn't "replenished", you just get more.

Same concept.

 

[Insight]

Mutants & Masterminds has Hero Points, which are as close to Actions Points as you can get. If you're not familiar with M&M, here are the things you can do with them (from the core rulebook):

• Reroll a d20 roll. If the second roll is 9 or less, you get a 10 minimum.
• Improve your Defense with a +5 bonus. Lasts until your next action.
• Eliminate Stun Hits, reducing current total by 5. If you wanted to adapt this to a Hit Point system, it wouldn't be too difficult.
• Recover from a Stunned condition, or get a new roll to recover from an Unconscious or Disabled condition. Similar conditions could be recovered from in a different d20 system.
• Ignore Fatigue. This may or may not translate to your d20 game.
• Overcome Injury. This deals with the Disabled condition in M&M. Again, this may or may not apply to your d20 game. Basically, if you're Disabled, you can take a 'stenuous action' without worsening. Perhaps in a different d20 system, if you're in negative Hit Points, you go back to zero.
• Escape Death. This is a staple of the comic book universe, so use with caution in other genres.
• Inspiration. One of the more interesting options, this causes the Game Master to reveal a forgotten clue, hint, or other information that can help the player. The GM decides exactly what information is gleaned from this usage.

In addition, there are Villain Points, exclusively the domain of the Game Master. Though it is not a strict requirement, these are normally only spent for the benefit of a major villain.

• Reroll d20 roll. As above.
• Improve Defense. As above.
• Recover from being Stunned. Note that Villains can't recover from Unconscious or Disabled.
• Ignore Fatigue. As above.
• Overcome Injury. As above.
• Escape Death. As above.

Note the differences between what you can do with Hero and Villain points.

In M&M, Hero Points recover either every session or every adventure (GM's choice), and the number you have to start with is based on your Power Level (read as Character Level in d20). The number of Villain Points the GM has access to is based on how many Heroes there are and their respective Power Levels.

 

[Trodax]

Jason has 18 Action Points.
After a particularly rough session where he uses 9 Action Points, he has 9 left.
When he levels up, next, he gains 12 Action Points (just a number... it's based on class and level). His total number of Action Points is then 21, not 30, as the ones he used are not REPLENISHED, per se, he just gains new ones.

Is that really how it works? I don't own Modern myself, so I can't say for sure, but as I've understood it you get a new pool of Action Points each level which replaces the ones you already have. So, in your example, when Jason (who has 9 Action Points) levels up and gains 12 new Action Points, he would end up with 12, not 21, Action Points.

At least, this is how its handled in Grim Tales:

Each time you gain a level, your action points "reset" to 5+ one-half your new character level.
...if you have more action points already (because you have gained action points during play - see below) you may keep the higher total.

So, basically, you get a number of Action Points to spend for each level and you don't benefit from saving them as you level up. This ensures that the points are used in a continous fashion and not hoarded.

 

[Shellman]

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.

I have played the SPYCRAFT system a little. The action dice are very cool, especially in a James Bond 007 type of RPG where everyone wants to actually be 007!

It sounds like a nice variant to a D&D fantasy RPG; but I'm not sure if it would be unbalancing.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Trodax -

Grim Tales' version of Action Points is different from d20 Modern in that respect. Modern they do indeed get MORE points each level, piling up on unspent points.

I use the GT version for all of my d20Modern games, though. Gives an extra umph to the players to use their APs at dramatic moments on not sit on them hoping for a MORE dramatic moment ... that and when I award an AP for something it counts for more.

--fje

 

[Trodax]

Trodax -

Grim Tales' version of Action Points is different from d20 Modern in that respect. Modern they do indeed get MORE points each level, piling up on unspent points.

I use the GT version for all of my d20Modern games, though. Gives an extra umph to the players to use their APs at dramatic moments on not sit on them hoping for a MORE dramatic moment ... that and when I award an AP for something it counts for more.

--fje

OK, cool. My bad then.

I think I prefer the GT version as well; it seems to me that with the Modern variant, people would save up on loads of points and then burn it all in the fight against the Big Baddie.

 

[Khorod]

But while you do get more, it is assumed you will spend most of them in the course of the 13 encounters between levels. Particularly as several abilities require an Action Point just to be used.

 

[HellHound]

They don't "come back" in that manner.
You gain a certain number per level.
Action Points that are spent are gone.
You simply gain more every level.

This is, by far, the least well-explained rule in the d20 modern rule set.

Of the dozen people who ran d20 modern in my RL acquaintances, each one was confused as to which system to use with regards to replenishing.