Olaf the Stout
Legend
Red Moon Games said:
I haven't seen it so far in our game but you can definitely get a flurry of action point use when PC's are close to levelling and they still have a stack of action points left.
Olaf the Stout
Action Points -- Too Good?
- Thread starter Atavar
- Start date
I haven't seen it so far in our game but you can definitely get a flurry of action point use when PC's are close to levelling and they still have a stack of action points left.
Olaf the Stout
BadMojo
First Post
We've been using the Eberron version of Action Points in our games and it's worked out really well.
As a player I like the ability to get that little "extra" when I'm trying something really outrageous or the stakes are high. It's fun to see everyone blowing action points every round when the eh, dung, has hit the fan; just seems to add more tension and excitement.
Besides, there's nothing worse than making an attack roll to heroically save a downed party member from a coup de grace, or leap over a pit trap carrying a pilfered 50lb gold idol...only to fail by 1 or 2. Instant stabilization when below 0 HP is nice too. In the end, I think I like that the AP rule doesn't prevent those catastrophic failures (which can be fun anyway) but it does prevent those embarassing, un-heroic near misses.
Oddly, we haven't had anyone take an action point specific feat in our games yet, despite the fact that those Eberron feats are pretty powerful.
As a player I like the ability to get that little "extra" when I'm trying something really outrageous or the stakes are high. It's fun to see everyone blowing action points every round when the eh, dung, has hit the fan; just seems to add more tension and excitement.
Besides, there's nothing worse than making an attack roll to heroically save a downed party member from a coup de grace, or leap over a pit trap carrying a pilfered 50lb gold idol...only to fail by 1 or 2. Instant stabilization when below 0 HP is nice too. In the end, I think I like that the AP rule doesn't prevent those catastrophic failures (which can be fun anyway) but it does prevent those embarassing, un-heroic near misses.
Oddly, we haven't had anyone take an action point specific feat in our games yet, despite the fact that those Eberron feats are pretty powerful.
Keith Robinson
Explorer
Olaf the Stout said:
Yes, that does happen occasionally. However, the PC's are often pretty much out of Action Points by the time they're near levelling. Not always, though, so it does happen occasionally. Action Points are so ingrained in our game that the PC's use them regularly for all manner of things. In one desperately heroic moment, I remember the party wizard using an action point to find and open a secret door as they fled from the encounter!
I actually think that allowing the PC's to accumulate action points would a) see them not using them as regularly and b) see them have a huge stash of action points for the those really tough encounters. Refreshing them at every level seemed to be more balanced IMO and has worked well in our campaign.
I've really never found action points unbalancing. Our campaigns are tough, with all dice rolls in the open. Action points seem to help counter balance those occasions when it all goes wrong for the PC's and has saved them too many times to remember.
Cam Banks
Adventurer
In my Dragonlance campaign, I used action points in a different manner. Spending an action point allowed you to take the maximum number on a die. In combat, this meant rolling a natural 20. You would still need to roll to confirm the critical. Also very helpful in situations where you have very little chance of making your saving throw.
The other use for them I stole from Eden Studios' Buffy RPG, and it's called "I think I'm OK." Spend an action point and half the damage you took in the round is gone.
I also used to call for players to spend an action point if they wanted some narrative control over a scene, such as creating an NPC off the cuff (they had to name the NPC, too, usually "Fred," which ends up with a lot of Merchant Freds, Bandit Freds, Sage Freds, Sausage Vendor Freds, etc) or having a well-placed crate, barrell, oxcart, window, etc.
Because I wanted to speed up advancement, each time somebody spent an action point, the whole party was awarded XP equal to that earned by a CR equal to the average party level.
Cheers,
Cam
The other use for them I stole from Eden Studios' Buffy RPG, and it's called "I think I'm OK." Spend an action point and half the damage you took in the round is gone.
I also used to call for players to spend an action point if they wanted some narrative control over a scene, such as creating an NPC off the cuff (they had to name the NPC, too, usually "Fred," which ends up with a lot of Merchant Freds, Bandit Freds, Sage Freds, Sausage Vendor Freds, etc) or having a well-placed crate, barrell, oxcart, window, etc.
Because I wanted to speed up advancement, each time somebody spent an action point, the whole party was awarded XP equal to that earned by a CR equal to the average party level.
Cheers,
Cam
If used right, AP and the like (hero points, luck points, karma points, etc.) add an element of interesting decision making for players, and can offer a point of intersection between gamist and narrative thinking.
I have no experience (yet) with d20 APs, but I have run many, many games of Shadowrun, including a 5 year campaign spanning 2nd and 3rd editions. SR's karma points added a lot to the game, and the fact that I (as GM) controlled when the players' karma pools refreshed added a lot of dramatic tension to many encounters.
For my next D&D campaign (Ptolus), I am considering an AP/Karma Pool hybrid that gives players fewer points, but puts them in a refreshable pool that I control. Looking forward to trying that out.
I have no experience (yet) with d20 APs, but I have run many, many games of Shadowrun, including a 5 year campaign spanning 2nd and 3rd editions. SR's karma points added a lot to the game, and the fact that I (as GM) controlled when the players' karma pools refreshed added a lot of dramatic tension to many encounters.
For my next D&D campaign (Ptolus), I am considering an AP/Karma Pool hybrid that gives players fewer points, but puts them in a refreshable pool that I control. Looking forward to trying that out.
GwydapLlew
First Post
I use a modified version of the UA variant (it incorporates the Eberron rules as well as a twists and turns here and there.) Some of my players use them all the time, others never remember them. Here are a few of my modifications:
- You can spend an AP when rolling hit points at level up to roll again.
- If you need something mundane that you've forgotten, or if you wanting to script some of the plot a certain way, I let you spend an AP. (For example: are there any torches in the storeroom? Nope, but if you spend an AP there are.)
In the AoW game I play in, the DM allows APs to accumulate between levels. This makes it more likely for people to hoarde them, but boy do you start realizing how useful they are!
- You can spend an AP when rolling hit points at level up to roll again.
- If you need something mundane that you've forgotten, or if you wanting to script some of the plot a certain way, I let you spend an AP. (For example: are there any torches in the storeroom? Nope, but if you spend an AP there are.)
In the AoW game I play in, the DM allows APs to accumulate between levels. This makes it more likely for people to hoarde them, but boy do you start realizing how useful they are!
