Cheating, Action Points, and Second Wind

[Professor Phobos]

This is why many DMs roll behind a screen.

In a similar situation, if I, as the DM, "fudge" the roll to let the character live...am I cheating? If I let it hit, and then declare that I rolled "just enough" damage to drop him to 0 hp, am I still cheating?

Nah, it's not cheating. The GM is supposed to use his discretion with regard to the application and interpretation of game mechanics. It does tend to sap something from the game, in my opinion though. Especially if done too often or obviously.

 

[marune]

I love the action point concept. I think it would probably be best not on a "per-level," "per day," or even per-adventure basis, but rather as a resource available every few encounters.

Less save-or-die effects and actions points will reduce greatly the numerous death of 3.x, and that is IMHO a good idea.

Death as the "ultimate" failure/penalty is needed in D&D IMHO but the main reward/penalty system must be XP.

 

[JohnSnow]

Less save-or-die effects and actions points will reduce greatly the numerous death of 3.x, and that is IMHO a good idea.

Death as the "ultimate" failure/penalty is needed in D&D IMHO but the main reward/penalty system must be XP.

I actually think it would be FAR, far better if death were a whole lot less likely to occur as the result of a random event, and more as a result of character choice.

The player who knowingly sacrifices his character to win the day (and/or because it's something the character would do) is contributing something great to the game. Said player should be able to come back into the game with a character that's as powerful as the one he just lost would have become had he not died.

When death is the result of player choice and results in a great and dramatic victory (or a Thermopylae-like heroic defeat), the players will remember it forever. It will become an ideal to be aspired to, rather than a punishment to avoid.

To me, that's how D&D should treat character death. It should be the ultimate resource for the player to spend. You should have the option to cash in your epic destiny to achieve stunning victory at the dramatically appropriate moment.

 

[Zurai]

Action Points are codified, legalized cheating. That's not a bad thing.

 

[Captain Tagon]

Action Points are codified, legalized cheating. That's not a bad thing.

QFT.

But I hate any other kind.

 

[Fifth Element]

Action Points are codified, legalized cheating. That's not a bad thing.

"Legalized cheating". Love that phrase.

 

[marune]

The player who knowingly sacrifices his character to win the day (and/or because it's something the character would do) is contributing something great to the game. Said player should be able to come back into the game with a character that's as powerful as the one he just lost would have become had he not died.

When death is the result of player choice and results in a great and dramatic victory (or a Thermopylae-like heroic defeat), the players will remember it forever. It will become an ideal to be aspired to, rather than a punishment to avoid.

Some RPG goes that way, but that's not D&D.

Well.. I suppose it could be done, but many other parts of D&D don't support that kind of play.

 

[Xethreau]

I don't get you guys. If action points are in the rules, then how is it cheating? Furthermore, the DMG gives DMs the right to botch rolls in private, so if it is in the rules, how is it cheating? What the DM says goes, and that is a rule of D&D.

 

[Zurai]

I don't get you guys. If action points are in the rules, then how is it cheating? Furthermore, the DMG gives DMs the right to botch rolls in private, so if it is in the rules, how is it cheating? What the DM says goes, and that is a rule of D&D.

Read what I wrote slowly. Codified. Legalized.

That means Action Points take what a large portion of the player base does/thinks about doing (namely, fudging dice rolls/memorized spells/etc), sets up guidelines, and places it in the base rules.

Without APs, fudging dice rolls is cheating.
With APs, fudging dice rolls is following the rules of the game.

You're still performing the same basic action for the same motivation. The only difference is that you don't have to feel guilty after using APs.

 

[Henry]

Action Points, second winds, and rerolls won't stop a player from cheating if they already cheat in the first place. It's the same reason the person who just found a 20 dollar bill probably won't turn down a ten dollar bill on the theory that he'd "found enough money today."