Action point houserule

[Scion]

Now I have a new game that started a few weeks ago and I am using a modified action point system. I just wanted to post a few of the ideas up on here and have people tell me what they thought and if they see anything that can help it or if there are any potential blow ups.

Action points per day are based on level and charisma: (level/2)+cha mod (round down, min 0).

These points refresh every day at the same time, much like clerical spells. You do not need a nights rest, but you do need to spend a few minutes in contemplation.

An action point may be turned in to do a number of different things:
1) After rolling a d20 for some sort of check (attack roll, skill check, etc), but before finding out if it succeeds or not, you may spend an action point to add a d6 to the roll. This may only be done once per roll. (at higher levels you get more dice to roll, but you only add the highest. At level 7 roll two dice and add whichever is higher, at level 15 roll three dice)

2) Spend two action points to activate a class feature an extra time (turn undead, rage, smite,wildshape, etc. Check with the dm ahead of time to find out if you can use this on any particular class feature you have in mind)

3) Anytime while bleeding (-1 to -9) you may spend an action point to automatically stabalize.

4) An artificer may spend an action point to place one of his infusions as a full round action rather than a minute.


There are several feats as well, from memory they are:

-Add 3 more action points per day to your total.
-Spend 2 action points to take an extra standard action this round. (may not be used during another action, only once per round)
-Roll d8's instead of d6's


So, any suggestions would be appreciated. Other feats I could offer the players, any potential blowups, that sort of thing.

I used charisma because it was considered generally a pretty dump worthy stat.. now I feel that every stat has a pretty big use to everyone (I enforce encumberance so even str is somewhat important to caster types). Even with that though there is still a guy with an 8 cha..lol

 

[Jdvn1]

3) Anytime while bleeding (-1 to -9) you may spend an action point to automatically stabalize.

I'd either change this or amend to it. Either "Anytime while bleeding, you make spend an action point to go to 1 hp." or "Alternately, you may spend an extra action point to go to 1 hp."

I say this because using an Action Point is supposed to be an especially heroic moment. You know those scenes when the guy is on the ground, completely out of it... then he gets up for a killing blow? Or everyone takes a big hit and the hero gets up and pulls everyone to safety? That's what I'm thinking. You get 1 hp. That's not enough to win a battle, but it's enough to do a last action or to get away.

 

[DonTadow]

Now I have a new game that started a few weeks ago and I am using a modified action point system. I just wanted to post a few of the ideas up on here and have people tell me what they thought and if they see anything that can help it or if there are any potential blow ups.

Action points per day are based on level and charisma: (level/2)+cha mod (round down, min 0).

These points refresh every day at the same time, much like clerical spells. You do not need a nights rest, but you do need to spend a few minutes in contemplation.

An action point may be turned in to do a number of different things:
1) After rolling a d20 for some sort of check (attack roll, skill check, etc), but before finding out if it succeeds or not, you may spend an action point to add a d6 to the roll. This may only be done once per roll. (at higher levels you get more dice to roll, but you only add the highest. At level 7 roll two dice and add whichever is higher, at level 15 roll three dice)

2) Spend two action points to activate a class feature an extra time (turn undead, rage, smite,wildshape, etc. Check with the dm ahead of time to find out if you can use this on any particular class feature you have in mind)

3) Anytime while bleeding (-1 to -9) you may spend an action point to automatically stabalize.

4) An artificer may spend an action point to place one of his infusions as a full round action rather than a minute.


There are several feats as well, from memory they are:

-Add 3 more action points per day to your total.
-Spend 2 action points to take an extra standard action this round. (may not be used during another action, only once per round)
-Roll d8's instead of d6's


So, any suggestions would be appreciated. Other feats I could offer the players, any potential blowups, that sort of thing.

I used charisma because it was considered generally a pretty dump worthy stat.. now I feel that every stat has a pretty big use to everyone (I enforce encumberance so even str is somewhat important to caster types). Even with that though there is still a guy with an 8 cha..lol

I use action points in my campaign as well and I have opened up all of the action point uses found as feats in the Eberron Campaign to my players. After using them for a year, I can say that they can be quite powerful and you really have to have players whom won't abuse them. I try to make sure my player's treat their action cards sparingly. I think per day may be a bit too much as you will have to then begin increasing the encounter levels.

I give them their action cards at the beginning of level. It's always the same amount 3+charisma modifier. The one thing I do that I havn't seen i other action cards is I give my players a chance to use their action cards for an heroic action to not die. I also allow my player's to come up with ONE SPECIAL maneuver that they can use an action card on. We work on it together and it becomes a "signature" move.

Here are the rules for action cards below according to my homerules:

Action Card Uses

Each character will receive 3 action cards plus their charisma bonus per each level up. You may NOT carry over action cards into your next level. A character may use as many action cards per round as they wish unless the action they are using it for does not permit it.

New uses for action cards.



Add to roll: Before or after a roll, use 1 action point to either reroll the dice or add a particlar die roll to your roll. (levels 1-6- 1d6) (Levels 7-13 2d4) (Levels 14-20 1d12)

Activate Class Abilty: You can spend 2 action points to gain another use of one of the following class features that has limited numbers of uses per day: bardic music, rage, smite evil, Stunning Fist, turn or rebuke undead or wildshape.

Boost Defense: A character can spend 1 action point as a free action when fighting defensely. This gives him double the normal benefits for fighting defensively for that entire round.

Emulate Feat: At the beginning of character's turn, he may spend 2 action point as a free action to gain the benefits of a feat he doesn't have. He must meet the prerequisites of the feat.

Spell Boost: A character can spend 1 action point as a free action to increase the effective caster level of one of his spells by 1. This must be done before the spell is cast.

Stabilize: When your character is dying, -1 to -9,, you can spend 1 action point to stabilize your current hit point total.

If you take damage that brings you below -10 you are not dead yet. You may immediately submit two action cards for every -10 of your HP total if you would have taken the damage. Then roll percentage. If you roll 1-10 percent, you character takes the damage. 11 to 50 your character's HP equals -5. If you roll 51 to 75 you reach -1; 76 to 95 will stabalize you at 0. If you roll a 96-100 your character deflects all of the damage. FThus, if your character would be at -29 after an attack, he may immediately submit 4 action points to stabalize. When stabalized, you may only make one single move action.

Spontaneous Casting: You can swap a signature spell with another spell on the fly for 2 action points.

Spell recall: Pay 1 point to gain 10 mana points

Action Surge: Spend 2 power points to perform an extra move or standard action.

Improving Feats: Spend one action point to increase a feat you already have. Examples INclude

Blind-Feat ( negate miss chance for a single attack),
Combat Expertise (double the bonus to armor class granted by the feats),
Dodge (double dodge bonus),
Improved Critical (double the threat range of critical),
Improved Initiative (double the initiative bonus),
Spring Attack
Cleave (temporarily allows you to use greater cleave)
Power ATtack (double the damage with no extra penalty on the attack)
Metamagic/psionic feats (cast the spell or power at normal level

 

[Scion]

I didnt go for the per level because I simply cannot stand the per level way To me it would be the same as giving a wizard guy a certain number of spell levels total to cast for his level or the fighter guy only a certain number of hp that cannot be restored each level.

Given that it is only half level +cha mod per day means that even at level 20 with a 30 cha (major investment) it is still only 20 action points a day.. which I can easily handle, especially as a good portion of the time the extra few points wont matter (either too low or already succeeded anyway).

I'll check over your extra uses for them later when I have more time, some look interesting!

 

[DonTadow]

To each his own, but I"d be weary. You are giving them more than dice rolls, but also chances to use feats and class abilties as much as they want a day. I can see a first level barbarian destroying hordes of goblins by raging during every fight, or a wizard never needing to care about memorizing his spells as he can simply recall the important ones a day. If, on average, each player gets 5 actions a day, and your average day has 4 encounters, then a player will get the opportunity to use an action card every encounter, creating seriously powerful characters. If I just take the barbarian again, there is a reason why he can only rage once a day for a while, it's powerul.

I"m all for the hero thing. That's why I"m big on action points (i'm your biggest proponent). But with great power comes great responsiblity . It demeems the heroic action of an action point if it happens all the time.

However, if you do inact the daily thing, I would definatly say rethink your encounters. They will have to be very powerful to challenge your pcs.

 

[Scion]

Well, in order for the barb to do that he'll have to be pretty high level and have a massive cha.. which means he is taking away from other stats.. tradeoffs After all, at first level to get even one more rage a day he'll either need to spend a feat or have at least a 14 cha. If he wants to spend a feat on more action points instead of a feat on 2 more rages per day I am all for that, more versitility for less rages.

Also, recalling memorized spells is not allowed under action points yet, although depending on how the character wanted to impliment it I might allow it.

I'd love to hear about how people feel it will be overpowered or destructive, so that I can plan appropriately.. I love giving the players lots of options, which is what this is intended to do. Want to tumble over that table, jump to the chandelier, swing across the room and stab the bad guy? Well, that will be incredibly hard, but if you spend a few feats, skill points, and a bunch of action points you can have a decent chance of pulling it off

And yes, I definately use the 4 appropriate challenges per useful game day. Which means a few weak ones, a moderate or two, and sometimes a hard one as well. (weak means below their level, moderate at and hard over.. useful game day means days when things are actually happening.. spending a few weeks in town during off time isnt going to have big encounters generally.. but have to keep the players guessing!)

 

[DonTadow]

Well, in order for the barb to do that he'll have to be pretty high level and have a massive cha.. which means he is taking away from other stats.. tradeoffs After all, at first level to get even one more rage a day he'll either need to spend a feat or have at least a 14 cha. If he wants to spend a feat on more action points instead of a feat on 2 more rages per day I am all for that, more versitility for less rages.

Also, recalling memorized spells is not allowed under action points yet, although depending on how the character wanted to impliment it I might allow it.

I'd love to hear about how people feel it will be overpowered or destructive, so that I can plan appropriately.. I love giving the players lots of options, which is what this is intended to do. Want to tumble over that table, jump to the chandelier, swing across the room and stab the bad guy? Well, that will be incredibly hard, but if you spend a few feats, skill points, and a bunch of action points you can have a decent chance of pulling it off

And yes, I definately use the 4 appropriate challenges per useful game day. Which means a few weak ones, a moderate or two, and sometimes a hard one as well. (weak means below their level, moderate at and hard over.. useful game day means days when things are actually happening.. spending a few weeks in town during off time isnt going to have big encounters generally.. but have to keep the players guessing!)

I glanced at your formula while reading your first post. I had to go back and reread your formula. it is interesting. IT is as if you have created your own "luck" formula. With that Illl say that considering the reduced ammount it sounds interesting. I'm still not keen on the every day aspect of it, but it would make charisma more important than it is now. That said, I wonder how it would work with character level+charisma/strength (instead of 2).

I might have to try something like this at next level up.

 

[DonTadow]

p.s. i guess we're the only one who likes action points.

Also i wonder how this will work with the rougish luck book.

 

[Scion]

the houserules forum is really hit or miss sometimes

Luck book? no idea what this is.

I am also confused by your equation: character level+charisma/strength (instead of 2).

So if a character had a 18 cha and a 9 str then they would get character level +2 action points? It seems rather cumbersome to compute, but I might be misunderstanding what you mean.

 

[DonTadow]

the houserules forum is really hit or miss sometimes

Luck book? no idea what this is.

I am also confused by your equation: character level+charisma/strength (instead of 2).

So if a character had a 18 cha and a 9 str then they would get character level +2 action points? It seems rather cumbersome to compute, but I might be misunderstanding what you mean.

MOnte Cook's Mongoose publishing is releasing (or has released) a book called roguish luck. It supposedly creates a new "luck" ability score. There is a review of it on enworld.

My idea is to make charisma just as covetted an ability score to have as strength or dex.