Fate Points

[furashgf]

I've never been a fan of raise-dead and ressurection spells - for me, they take the meaningfullness out of character death and also would logically change the fantasy world radically in a way that normal clerical healing doesn't (e.g., nobles would live forever, etc.).
Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play had a Fate Point mechanic system that gave players a certain number of fate points to save themselves from certain doom (death) - giving but not guaranteeing that your character could become a hero. Demi-human races start off with fewer, as their races are on the delcine.
Has anyone implemented something like this for an OD&D style game?

 

[RappinTonyDanza]

I don't know if this helps, but I'm running a 3.5 campaign with a 7th ability score introduced called luck. Basically a number of times per day equal to your luck mod you can reroll one die before you know the result.

This can be used for stabilization during death. Maybe you could operate fate something like this? Hopefully this helps, I'm unfamiliar with OD&D.

 

[Tovec]

Not to nitpick but...


Raise dead, resurrection, nor True Resurrection allow creatures to live beyond their time, at least not that I've ever read. Yes they could spend hundreds of thousands of gp in diamonds (or diamond dust) in order to be resurrected without loss of level at nauseum but that would be hundreds of thousands not spent on a pretty flowers or such things. Keep in mind that most rich people don't just have the gold (or diamond dust) just lying around. Yes they could afford it but it comes at a price of their riches. Plus it relies on people wanting to bring them back. Plus it relies on them wanting to come back. And as already stated, it doesn't prolong their life (afiak).

Also, I'm assuming the ways to bring back the dead are primarily employed by adventurers. And after several years of playing DnD I can confidently say, not by the majority of our adventurers. (Hell, we've had PCs turned to stone that we haven't un-turned to stone.) And finally, the rules are built for such adventurers because they are the player characters playing a roleplaying game. Emphasis on the GAME aspect.

 

[Centaur]

We have used fate points in some of our games... simiar is aspect to the Warhammer system you mentioned. Each time the method of generating them was a little different, but generaly characters started with between 3-5 points.

If something happend that would otherwise have killed your character, you were spared outright death but were still redered unconsious for the duration of the scene, despite any other healing magic.

Sometimes we also required a prolonged period of rest (a few days) to recover from the near death experience.

You could also use a system that gives fewer initial points, but allows HEROS to earn new points. maybe start with 1 or 2 points, but when a character performs an truely heroic and selfless act, he can earn a new point. the gods know he will need them as he gets higher in level and starts facing off against foes with instant death spells etc....

 

[Empirate]

I'd recommend you look into the Action Point mechanic in the Eberron Campaign Setting. There's lots of stuff you can do with those including rerolls, and there's even a few feats, items, spells etc. to increase their use in the game. Good stuff, if you're into this kind of mechanic.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Has anyone implemented something like this for an OD&D style game?

Not me. Not for that style of game, anyway.

But you certainly could, with the greatest of ease.

A really simple way would be to pick a number of Fate Points PCs get (maybe NPCs as well, or major ones at least...) and allow a reroll of any single die or dice roll, after the fact. Replenish each session, or whenever.

I'm also not keen on Raise Dead (et al), D&D style. Never have been; never will be. Luckily, the game goes on just fine without them.


edit: For old school D&D, I might be tempted to go with the name "Conviction" instead, a la True20. There are plenty of good options for names though, and I suppose it doesn't matter too greatly.

 

[furashgf]

Thanks all!

Does anyone have an outline of the action point rules for the Eberron Campaign Setting? I don't think that's in print anymore.

 

[furashgf]

Thanks for the post about ressurection, BTW. I did not think about how it wouldn't extend people's life (though it would seem that way in a Mideaval setting since instead of most people dying at 30/40, you could live to 80-100.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Does anyone have an outline of the action point rules for the Eberron Campaign Setting?

Once again, d20srd.org to the rescue... Action Points :: d20srd.org

Might as well bookmark that site, as it seems that it could end up being rather handy for you. It's actually pretty handy for a lot of people, even now that 3e is no longer in print. That's one of the great things about the OGL - it's forever.