Here is why I like M&M Hero Points and True20 Conviction
1. Re-Roll: mprove a roll and take the better of the two (add +10 bonus if the reroll is 10 or less). You must announce the re-roll before the DM tells you the result of the roll. In D&D this would apply to d20 rolls (attacks, saves, skills)
2. Heroic Feat: Duplicate a feat you don't have as long as you meet the pre-requisites.
3. Dodge Bonus: retain your dodge bonus if you could still otherwise act.
4. Surge: take an additional stake move action
5. Cancel Fatigue: Cancel the effects of fatigue (including from spells and extra effort*) by one level.
5. Recover
a. immediately, shake off being stunned or fatigued
b. if exhausted become fatigued
c. Trigger a second Wind if you have taken damage, but are not disabled or dying. If disabled, you can take a strenuous action with out getting worse.
(In D&D, this would be tied to whether or not you failed the first death and dying roll)
6. Escape Death: Stabilize a dying character (You or someone you are aiding)
7. Inspiration: once per session get a hint or clue from the DM
8. Dramatic editing (optional): with GM approval you can spend a hero point to dramatically edit a scene to grant an advantage. Find
*Extra Effort: The character gains the benefit of one of the following as a free action, but becomes fatigued on the following round (if already fatigued they become exhausted and , if already exhausted, they fall unconscious. See spending a hero point to cancel fatigue above)
1. +2 bonus on a non-attack roll
2. +5 to strength to determine how much a character can lift/carry for 1/round
3. double movement for one round
4 Will Save: Gain an immediate Will Save to shake off an ongoing effects that allow for Will Save (including from Supernatural abilities)
M&M also allows extra effort to temporarily either boost the power of a spell or add the equivalent of a metamagic feat.
While I wouldn't say I WANT them, I do like the way that M&M does hero points and complications (essentially when a complication or disadvantage comes into play, you get a hero point as compensation IIRC)
Of the various ways I've seen action points used in the past:
- Add 1d6 to a roll Doesn't help a bad roll, but can help you turn a just missed into a success, or help you exceed your normal limits. I like this as a 'pushing yourself beyond the normal bounds' mechanism.
- re-roll Very good at improving bad rolls, doesn't help good roles much. Mathematically improves consistency, BUT in practice I don't like them - it is too much like rewinding time and having another go, it breaks me out of the flow of the game.
- extra action I like this option a lot - it broadens rather than deepens capability
- narrative change I first saw this one in Conan OGL, and really liked it there - stuck in prison you spend a fate point to spot a dropped key or charm a serving wench who luckily is passing to let you out. GM's are encouraged to give over fate points when he screws the party over (ship sinks, all your possessions washed overboard - everyone have a fate point). Obviously that would get right up some peoples noses, but it creates genre-appropriate stories!
Cheers