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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LoneWolf23" data-source="post: 4666384" data-attributes="member: 643">Got an idea for a House rule for 4th edition, that I actually got from Mutants and Masterminds, but which I think could work here.Setbacks and Complications.A Setback is when things just aren't going the hero's way. When a hero suffers a significant failure, the player gets an Action point. Generally, a "significant failure" is a failed skill check or saving throw with the worst possible result, like a failed Will save that leaves the Paladin under the Succubus' Domination, for exemple. The DM decides if a perticular failure is Significant or not; routine failures, like missed attack rolls or suffering lesser effects from failed saves, aren't significant enough to count.Action points acquired this way can't be used to overcome the setback that caused it. So you can't suffer a significant failure and then spend the action point you just got to avoid failing. You can spend an action point you already have, but if you overcome a setback by spending an action point you don't gain an action point for that setback, since it's not really a set back.Complications are essentially setbacks set in advance by the players for their PCs. Some exemples:-Addiction: You need something, either for physical or psychological reasons. You'll go out of your way to satisfy this need.-Honor: You have a strong personal code of honor, which you can define the exact terms of with the DM. This is only a complication when it puts you in a bind or in a moral dilemma.-Phobia: You're irrationally afraid of something. When confronted with it you have to fight to control your fear, causing you to hesitate or act irrationally (and earning an Action point.)I like the Complications concept, if only because it encourages players to create flawed characters. Although I'd limit it to five Complications max per character, with players only being able to benefit from a single Complication once per play session.This idea is just in the early stages of conception though, and it could definetly use some fine-tuning. What do you guys think?</blockquote>

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