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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 5944589" data-attributes="member: 3400">I really like Action Points. I'd put some form of them in the core and maybe include a more elaborate system as a module. I have yet to find an RPG that isn't improved by giving a player good tools to choose when to push their character's performance. The real challenge here is picking the right tool. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mutants and Masterminds' use of hero points, gained when PCs suffer setbacks or deal with complications, works great for the superhero genre. These debuted with 2e of that game and I think they work much better than they did in 1e.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">James Bond 007's Hero points worked well. I thought they were slow to regenerate, though.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">SWSE's Force points worked well for Star Wars, but I don't think the Destiny points worked as well. Basing the number you get on level could, however, be a problem if you spent LONG durations at a particular level of play.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The action points in 3.5's Unearthed Arcana worked pretty well for D&D/PF and are nice and flexible. They suffer the same problem as Force points in SWSE - based on level. It's not a major problem if level-ups happen relatively frequently, but could be trouble with really long level durations.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">4e's action points were, I think, far too limited. They were good for taking an extra action, but I think heroic games benefit better from being able to push a desperate but failing action into a success rather than being able to take another action.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Marvel Super Heroes' Karma points had some nice uses, but the gaining (and loss) of Karma points hampered the system.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Torg probably relies a little too much on the cards and oddball maneuvering to regain them, but the breadth of things you can do with the cards is pretty cool. The Possibilities subsystem, particularly for NPCs, is a bit too much though.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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