CapnZapp
Legend
I like the idea of inspiration, and I am aware of the drawbacks of 4e action points.
But.
Inspiration does not provide anything unique. It comes across as just another source of the standard bonus of the game. Nothing special at all: lots of spells and conditions hand out exactly the same advantage.
Inspiration doesn't stack with good tactics - if you already have Advantage (because you burn your character powers or because your team cooperates well) Inspiration does nothing for you.
Inspiration it is still bound by bounded accuracy. You can only do things you always can. It is a far cry from heroically performing "above and beyond".
Inspiration can't help you if you already have advantage, but it can help you when you have disadvantage. In fact, no matter how many sources of disadvantage you face, Inspiration can negate them all. In this way, Inspiration is both powerful and boring at the same time. Powerful because a single source of advantage negates several sources of disadvantage. Boring because all your inspiration nets you is... the status quo. (Getting rid of penalties is much less flashy and interesting than gaining new bonuses - especially when you gain new abilities you didn't have before).
And that is my main beef with Inspiration. As a hero point or action point alternative, it simply provides nothing you couldn't already do.
---
So, then?
What could be done to make Inspiration more... inspiring?
Suggestions:
A) When you spend your inspiration on an attack roll, saving throw or ability check, you succeed automatically, no roll required.
B) When you spend your inspiration on an attack roll, saving throw or ability check, you gain +8 to the roll and then you roll the dice.
C) When you spend your inspiration on an attack roll, saving throw or ability check, you may choose between
C1) gain +8 to one d20 roll and then you roll the dice.
C2) gain +5 to each of two d20 rolls and then you roll the dice. These dice can be rolled in sequence (such as when escape demands two ability checks, one after the other) or in parallel (such as when you have disadvantage on a single check)
In all cases, you can still instead spend your inspiration to give another character inspiration.
What do you think?
But.
Inspiration does not provide anything unique. It comes across as just another source of the standard bonus of the game. Nothing special at all: lots of spells and conditions hand out exactly the same advantage.
Inspiration doesn't stack with good tactics - if you already have Advantage (because you burn your character powers or because your team cooperates well) Inspiration does nothing for you.
Inspiration it is still bound by bounded accuracy. You can only do things you always can. It is a far cry from heroically performing "above and beyond".
Inspiration can't help you if you already have advantage, but it can help you when you have disadvantage. In fact, no matter how many sources of disadvantage you face, Inspiration can negate them all. In this way, Inspiration is both powerful and boring at the same time. Powerful because a single source of advantage negates several sources of disadvantage. Boring because all your inspiration nets you is... the status quo. (Getting rid of penalties is much less flashy and interesting than gaining new bonuses - especially when you gain new abilities you didn't have before).
And that is my main beef with Inspiration. As a hero point or action point alternative, it simply provides nothing you couldn't already do.
---
So, then?
What could be done to make Inspiration more... inspiring?
Suggestions:
A) When you spend your inspiration on an attack roll, saving throw or ability check, you succeed automatically, no roll required.
B) When you spend your inspiration on an attack roll, saving throw or ability check, you gain +8 to the roll and then you roll the dice.
C) When you spend your inspiration on an attack roll, saving throw or ability check, you may choose between
C1) gain +8 to one d20 roll and then you roll the dice.
C2) gain +5 to each of two d20 rolls and then you roll the dice. These dice can be rolled in sequence (such as when escape demands two ability checks, one after the other) or in parallel (such as when you have disadvantage on a single check)
In all cases, you can still instead spend your inspiration to give another character inspiration.
What do you think?