action points?

[SpiderMonkey]

I'm going to use the idea of action points from d20 modern and incorporate it into my next campaign. I'm thinking of having each character possess a 'pool' of up to five action points at any given time. I'm also incorporating the "Nature and Demeanor" rules from the White Wolf system as a means of regaining action points.

I'm doing this in the hopes that it will:

a) encourage the players to actually roleplay without relying on alignment cliches, and

b) take a *little* bit of the randomness outta the d20 (which has a big range for randomness)

Anyhoo...if any of you have used the action point system, or something similiar, please let me know how it turned out, and what you would have done differently.

Thanks!

 

[Arc]

I've used the Spycraft Action Die system, but I don't know about the d20 Modern action point system. In case you're unfamiliar, Spycraft action points basically work like this:

Characters get 3 action dice per session. For levels 1-5, action dice are d4s. For levels 6-10, action dice are d6s. Levels 11-15, action dice are d8s. Levels 16-20, action dice are d10s.

Action dice can be spent at any time to add to a die roll, and a character can spend as many as he/she wants. Also, instead of rolling to confirm a critical, a character spends an action die to confirm it (dunno if you want to keep this rule, works better in a vitality/wound point system, because crits go straight to wounds, so they're very powerful). Action dice can also be used to confirm critical errors on NPCs (1s on a die roll)

The GM has 3 d12s as action die, and can use them in the same way as characters can. When a GM gives a character an extra action die, he gains one himself.

So far, the system works out quite well. You might want to tweak it to work better with DnD though (suggestion: get rid of the confirm crit/error rule, because crits/errors aren't quite as deadly as in Spycraft)

 

[las]

Arc I do like how that works (as you have it). I will be giving points of differently. For epic levels I would say the action die would be a d12 just to get the most out of the still of it.

 

[Angcuru]

Arc I do like how that works (as you have it). I will be giving points of differently. For epic levels I would say the action die would be a d12 just to get the most out of the still of it.

I will probably do use this action die system for my games. Now only is is neat, it allows a bit more survivability to the players and adds to the atmosphere of "We're the Heroes! Of course we'll SURVIVE, but we may get whomped to Heck and Back Again." A la' LotR. Aragorn and Co. get pretty beat up in some points, but they always manage to survive, except for Boromir, whom the DM screwed over by using HIS action dice to auto-confirm the three crit arrows that went into his chest. Which makes me think...perhaps it might also be a good idea to allow the character to spend an action die to get a chance to roll a d20 fortitude save VS. crit damage to negate the crit and take normal damage. Spend two to make the enemy roll his entire attack again, and spend all three to auto-dodge a hit. Sorta like when Frodo got hit with the spear and due to his mithril shirt, took subdual damage instead of lethal. Y'know how he didn't immediately pass out from the pain and instead stand up and say "I'm all right, but there'll be one NASTY bruise there in the mornin'!", he spent an action die to negate the crit, and succeeded his save.

Ok, I officially love this action die system.