Expanded Action Point System

[Blastin]

Over all not bad. The random bit of drawing cards could make it too unreliable to help out with increasing the survivability of your players though.
My players (who ane not big 4e fans unlike me) felt like there was something lacking in the AP system, and felt somewhat constrained by the powers system. They also like complexity and more options, so we came up with a sub-system to be used along side the AP mechanic. If you're interested I'll post it (I don't want to thread dump it here if you are only looking for feedback on your system).

 

[ender_wiggin]

Don't worry about hijacking, I'd love to see it.

 

[Blastin]

here goes. It has only two sessions of play test, but it puts things about at where my players like it. Again, it goes along side of the normal AP mechanic.

Heroic Reserve Points (HRP)

All characters get 3+ ½ level HRP after each extended rest. At each milestone (same time Action points are given) each character gets another 3 HRP, up to a maximum of 3+ ½ level, i.e. if you haven’t spent at least 1 by the time we hit a milestone, you don’t get any more.
HRP can be spent on multiple things as listed below. One point can only be spent one of each of the types of things per round, per roll, i.e. you could spend one to reroll your attack, another to reroll the damage, and then another to regain the use of the power all in the same round, but you couldn’t reroll the attack or the damage twice. In general, using an HRP does not count as an action.
Uses
One point:
-Reroll any single roll.
Two Points:
-Take an extra move action.
- Automatically pass your next death save.
- Retain the use of an encounter or daily power that missed all targets and does not have an effect on a miss.
Three Points:
-Make an extra saving throw at the start of the turn before effects are applied.
-Recharge your second wind.
-Recharge an encounter power.
-Spend your second wind as a minor action.
Four points:
-Gain a healing surge
-Cast a mastered ritual as a full round action but at a -5 skill check, or from a scroll with no penalty.
-Do something cool/cinematic, without a check/roll, that you can give a good description of and within reason.
-Recharge a daily utility power.
Five Points:
-Recharge a daily attack power.

 

[Stalker0]

Heroic Reserve Points (HRP)

All characters get 3+ ½ level HRP after each extended rest. At each milestone (same time Action points are given) each character gets another 3 HRP, up to a maximum of 3+ ½ level, i.e. if you haven’t spent at least 1 by the time we hit a milestone, you don’t get any more.
HRP can be spent on multiple things as listed below. One point can only be spent one of each of the types of things per round, per roll, i.e. you could spend one to reroll your attack, another to reroll the damage, and then another to regain the use of the power all in the same round, but you couldn’t reroll the attack or the damage twice. In general, using an HRP does not count as an action.
Uses
One point:
-Reroll any single roll.
Two Points:
-Take an extra move action.
- Automatically pass your next death save.
- Retain the use of an encounter or daily power that missed all targets and does not have an effect on a miss.
Three Points:
-Make an extra saving throw at the start of the turn before effects are applied.
-Recharge your second wind.
-Recharge an encounter power.
-Spend your second wind as a minor action.
Four points:
-Gain a healing surge
-Cast a mastered ritual as a full round action but at a -5 skill check, or from a scroll with no penalty.
-Do something cool/cinematic, without a check/roll, that you can give a good description of and within reason.
-Recharge a daily utility power.
Five Points:
-Recharge a daily attack power.

I use a similar type system in my game...or more importantly I used to. The thing I've learned is that my players are never as in to my houserules as I am...and sometimes "keep it simple stupid" really is the name of the game.

I used to have tons of rules where action points allowed attack bonuses, rerolls, saving throws, power recharges with d6 rolls, the whole shebang. My players never used it...they always were asking how many points for X, when they could use Y, etc.

So I cleaned it up. Made it 3 core abilities with no rolling. The players use it a lot now, and I rarely get questions anymore.

I recommend the same to anyone making such a system. Focus on what you are really trying to do. Sometimes options are fun...sometimes they are a wasted distraction.

 

[Blastin]

So how does yours work StalkerO? I'm interested, especially having seen what you have done in other places with the system.
As for my players, we came up with this together. I don't really think it's needed, but they see it as "fixing" their perceived flaws with 4e.

 

[Stalker0]

So how does yours work StalkerO? I'm interested, especially having seen what you have done in other places with the system.
As for my players, we came up with this together. I don't really think it's needed, but they see it as "fixing" their perceived flaws with 4e.

Here you go: http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan...48-stalker0s-hero-point-system-ver-1-2-a.html