TRAILBLAZER - PDF Release - Discussion/Questions/Errata
roflho.
Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
No problemo.
Well, I've not hammered out anything concrete yet, but here's what I'm looking at for a cost of one AP:
1. Improvement to a d20 roll before the result is known.
2. Reroll of a failed d20 roll.
3. Reroll of a failed saving throw one round after the failure.
4. Increase in movement.
5. Increase in carrying capacity.
6. An extra standard or move action.
7. Gain temporary use of a feat.
8. Increase dodge bonus.
9. Remove an existing condition, such as fatigued.
10. Free use of an otherwise limited ability.
I also want to incorporate some sort of "power stunt" feature for combat that would let a PC apply a condition effect or special effect to his attack. For example, he could spend an AP for his attack to stun his target in addition to other effects. Perhaps more significant effects would cost more than one AP. I've toyed with tying this to a narrative requirement in a Feng Shui sort of way.
I like the idea of AP being a per session/per adventure asset. Each PC would start with X number of APs, and could earn more APs during play for this or that. I like M&M's system of awarding Hero Points for significant setbacks and for genre-appropriate activity.
I've read about Mouseguard tying rewards to character personality traits and character-specific goals. I'm quite attracted to adapting this for d20 as well.
GlassJaw
Hero
Mark, Trailblazer actually #'s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 (pretty much the same as #4), and 10!
#8 (dodge bonus) was in Grim Tales but it got rolled into Combat Reactions (dodge).
#5 I like, although I'm not sure how often it would come up. Maybe carrying your dead comrade out of the wizard's lair in the bowels of the soon-to-be-erupting volcano.
I'd probably allow that as a "heroic" use of an AP.
#7 I've seen before in various systems. Easy enough to add.
#9 is interesting. I'd have to go through the list of conditions and see which ones would apply but spending an AP in this way shouldn't gain you an automatic save. My gut feeling is this is too powerful.
#8 (dodge bonus) was in Grim Tales but it got rolled into Combat Reactions (dodge).
#5 I like, although I'm not sure how often it would come up. Maybe carrying your dead comrade out of the wizard's lair in the bowels of the soon-to-be-erupting volcano.
I'd probably allow that as a "heroic" use of an AP.#7 I've seen before in various systems. Easy enough to add.
#9 is interesting. I'd have to go through the list of conditions and see which ones would apply but spending an AP in this way shouldn't gain you an automatic save. My gut feeling is this is too powerful.
AP from Unearthed Arcana
Have you looked at the OSC from Unearthed Arcana and its discussion on APs? Here's the link.
Have you looked at the OSC from Unearthed Arcana and its discussion on APs? Here's the link.
Wulf Ratbane
Adventurer
Ooooooooh! Good one!
Any condition?
How about the condition depicted on p.110?
That one's a bitch.
page 110
I don't think APs will allow one to get a head in decapitation. Oh, wait....![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
I don't think APs will allow one to get a head in decapitation. Oh, wait....
Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
True, true. Let it be said: I do like APs as presented in Trailblazer. It's easily one of the best such systems I've seen, and I've been around gaming for quite a while.
Ah. I'm not that far into the PDF yet.
I was limiting it to dazed, stunned, sickened, fatigued, and shaken, with the AP being spent at the beginning of the affected PC's turn. It might be too powerful, depending on how you define "too powerful". Also, I am not sure how happy I am with the idea. It needs tweaking, maybe even tweaking-to-death.
Of course, like I said, I'm really still in the planning stages. Trailblazer's list of basic one-AP effects is great. What I'm really looking for is something that lends itself to more cinematic effects while at the same time encouraging players to be more narrative.
My initial instinct when reading Trailblazer's AP chapter was to retool Action Point Enhancements to be generally available as options based on character level. For example, certain tier one abilities would be available to all 1st-level characters. Other APEs would be available only as feats or some such thing.
In my own musings about my next campaign, here's part of what I'd already typed up (but I'm not sure how happy I am with this):
You can perform special maneuvers and earn extra XP during combat via these rules. Here's how being an Action Hero works:
1. Describe the method of your attack. For example, “I leap up into the air, slicing at his neck as I jump over him," or “I kick a cloud of dust into the air, then slash at his exposed neck as he staggers back to clear his eyes.”
2. You earn XP equal to your character level x 10 for having described your attack. Caveat: The bonus applies only if the stunt description is being used for the first time in the current fight. This includes uses by other players or the DM.
3. You gain one of the following: a +1 bonus to attack roll, a +1 dodge bonus to AC, a +2 bonus to damage, or a +2 bonus to any combat maneuver. The chosen bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.
Each game session, you get (6 x your character level) Action Hero Points (AHP). Any time you earn XP for describing your attack, you can spend AHP for an additional effect. You cannot spend more than 5 + your character level AHP in a single round.
1. Describe the method of your attack. For example, “I leap up into the air, slicing at his neck as I jump over him," or “I kick a cloud of dust into the air, then slash at his exposed neck as he staggers back to clear his eyes.”
2. You earn XP equal to your character level x 10 for having described your attack. Caveat: The bonus applies only if the stunt description is being used for the first time in the current fight. This includes uses by other players or the DM.
3. You gain one of the following: a +1 bonus to attack roll, a +1 dodge bonus to AC, a +2 bonus to damage, or a +2 bonus to any combat maneuver. The chosen bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.
Each game session, you get (6 x your character level) Action Hero Points (AHP). Any time you earn XP for describing your attack, you can spend AHP for an additional effect. You cannot spend more than 5 + your character level AHP in a single round.
AHP additional effects let a character do things like set for a charge as a reaction (3 AHP), leap as if having a running start (1 AHP), or use disarm, sunder, or trip with a ranged attack (2 AHP). These additional effects should be tied narratively to the character's action.
jasin
Explorer
How come the long spear is an automatic monk weapon?
I don't mind the idea of some monks using spears and I love that Weapon Kata lets you use any weapon if you care to invest in it, but I'm not sure that monks with quarterstaves should be much rarer than monks with long spears, and I expect they will be, since there's little to recommend the 1d6 x2 quarterstaff over a 1d8 x3 w/reach long spear.
I don't mind the idea of some monks using spears and I love that Weapon Kata lets you use any weapon if you care to invest in it, but I'm not sure that monks with quarterstaves should be much rarer than monks with long spears, and I expect they will be, since there's little to recommend the 1d6 x2 quarterstaff over a 1d8 x3 w/reach long spear.
Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
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