D&D 3E/3.5 Action Points 3.5 vs 4.0

[Khaalis]

Do you find that this takes away from the Elven racial ability, since they already have the ability to reroll a d20 once per encounter??

I don't. The elf still gets their edge in that they still get a guaranteed re-roll per encounter and can choose to use the action point for either. I don't allow a re-roll of a re-roll however. An elf has to use their re-rolls on 2 separate rolls.

 

[hvg3akaek]

So, every character starts the first encounter of the day with one action point, X surges (based on class), and one magic item use(MIU). After the encounter they get to pick whether they would like another AP, surge, or MIU? It goes on this way, getting a new choice at teh end of each encounter, until the character takes an extended rest. At which point they are reset back to having one AP, X surges, one MIU...


Be careful, I think that this adds to what Paul Strack was saying about characters hording their resources. If after every fight they get to choose: surge, AP, or MIU, they will just accumulate a surplus of MIUs or surges or AP (depending on the player) and blow them all against the BBEG. You're climatic fight, might not be so...
Also your characters may make easy fights too difficult in an attempt to save all of their resources for later. Rather than rationally thinking: "I'm gonna get another MIU, I may as well use one now..." It may become, "If I don't use my magic item now, I can save it, get another one, and later have two uses against the evil warlord --- 'course, I'm getting my butt handed to me now and could really use that magic item... oh well."

Yes, but only the APs can be hoarded. The Surges and MIUs can only be recharged - that is normal for the MIU use (clarified by WotC recently). So, the only thing they can hoard is the APs, and they can still only use one per encounter.

Keeping them to this allows the final encounter to still be a challenge, but also allows them to use abilities earlier, without fear or being hampered for the rest of the fight.

Note also that over 2, 4, 6 or so forth encounters, parties with the 4E rules or with my rules will receive the same number of bonuses. Normal parties will simply gain +1 AP and +1 MIU per two levels (so +3 APs and +3 MIU by encounter 6). My parties will gain +6 (AP/MIU/surges). Same total either way, and they could even mimic it. I just a low a little bit more choice and flexibility, with the option of exchanging APs and MIUs for healing, if they need it.