Style Points

[Gryph]

It's been kind of a running joke at my table that when a player or NPC pulls off a great stunt I mark it with a "style point". I've never associated any other reward with the shout out.

Recently I've been thinking of ways to add some mechanical benefit to a style point.

• Can be used for anything an Action Point can be used for but don't count against the action point per encounter limit.
• Can be used like a Fate Point to turn a successful attack against you into a miss or a failed skill check into a success.

And a limitation.

• They don't carry over to the next session
• If you have any style points left at the end of the session they are spent for an xp award. I'm thinking a minor quest award.

I'm hoping this will encourage the players to stretch their imaginations a bit more to reach for the style points without adding a bunch of extra bookkeeping to the game.

 

[andy3k]

Sounds good. I support your idea.

 

[Arlough]

In my sessions we have been using Bonus Action Points.
It sounds like pretty much the same thing.

• Bonus action points can only be obtained via DM reward (usually for humor, style, or particularly good roleplay)
• Bonus Action Points do not count toward your Action Point per Encounter limit
• You may spend a Bonus Action Point to gain an additional standard action on a turn where you have already spent an Action Point
• Spending a Bonus Action Point nets you all the benefits you would obtain from spending an action point, but regular stacking rules apply.
• You may not spend multiple Bonus Action Points on a single turn.
• If you take an extended rest, any Bonus Action Points you have in excess of 2 are lost.

So far, it has worked quite well, and lead to some very memorable and dramatic scenes.
Initially I was worried that it would end up being broken, but I decided to go with it anyway. So far it has not unbalanced the game in any noticeable way.