D&D 5E Player fudging: Destiny Points

[Skyscraper]

From the Do You Want Your DM to Fudge thread, [MENTION=22779]Hussar[/MENTION] provided the suggestion that moving the possibility of fudging into the players' hands with mechanics such as Bennies or Fate points, taken from other well-known RPGs, allows the players to avoid desastrous fates for their PCs. I think this suggestion is very interesting, and I am now exploring how this could be implemented.

Here is my first go at how I'd introduce fate points into my game.

Rule: each PC starts with 3 fate points. These can be expended one at a time, at any time, and are replenished when the PC levels up. The PC can never have more than 3 fate points.

The PC can use a fate point to:

1. Stabilize his PC when he would have otherwise died.
2. Bring his unconscious PC back to 1 HP.
3. Transform a missed attack into a success.
4. Transform a successful attack into a critical hit.
5. Transform a successful attack by an opponent into a miss.
6. Influence a NPC to have him favorably change his attitude towards the PC. This will possibly not change the NPC's general intentions, so for example even if the NPC is favorably inclined towards the PC, he might not decide to abort his planned attack on a city; however, he might decide to capture the PC instead of kill him, or to give a fine to the PC instead of throwing him in prison. This is not a magical charm.
7. Succeed a skill-related act with the best possible result.

The player is responsible to tie the use of a destiny point to the story, e.g. the cleric, has divine intervention, the warlock has intervention by his patron, the fighter digs deep into his resolve or had a his opponent's sword hit his lucky necklace, etc...

Thoughts? Should I limit the destiny points to save the PC from death? 3 destiny points per level: does that seem like an interesting resource, and is it in good number? Would this imbalance the game in a way I do not foresee?

 

[iserith]

The DMG has rules for Hero Points, which are effectively like Action Points of the D&D 3.5e era (which appeared in the Eberron Campaign Setting). You get a set number of them per level and you can spend one to add a d6 to any d20 roll.

 

[Skyscraper]

Good point Iserith, I had forgotten all about that optional rule.

Re-reading the rule, I note that the DMG hero points can be spent to change a failed death save into a success.

Perhaps this would be an interesting rule; simpler, less powerful certainly than what I propose. Who has used it?

 

[iserith]

Good point Iserith, I had forgotten all about that optional rule.

Re-reading the rule, I note that the DMG hero points can be spent to change a failed death save into a success.

Perhaps this would be an interesting rule; simpler, less powerful certainly than what I propose. Who has used it?

I'm currently setting up my Eberron "Serial Hero" campaign to include Hero Points based on Achievements the players can earn during play. The more achievements you earn, the more hero points you get during the next adventure. I'm going to use them as a d6 modifier and for no other purpose. (At least, that's what I'm planning currently.)

 

[Skyscraper]

Who uses hero points, destiny points or any other type of player controlled resource? (Apart from Inpiration)

 

[Nagol]

Who uses hero points, destiny points or any other type of player controlled resource? (Apart from Inpiration)

For me, it depends on the game. I use player-bennies with game engines that offer them; Deadlands and 007 James Bond leap to mind. I introduced a variant rule in a "little" Hero game to spend xp to adjust rolls which was rarely used, at best. I have used Lion Rampant Whimsy Cards as an add-on in a bunch of games notably Ars Magica, D&D 3.5, Aftermath, and All Flesh Must Be Eaten.

I am not using the cards with my current Conspiracy-X campaign though the PCs have acquired a couple of in-game items that offer small bennies.

Fundamentally, such resources tend to reduce PC death and failed important goals inside the campaign while increasing the variability/weirdness the PCs experience. If that's what I'm looking for as a DM, I add them.

As a player, I am less thrilled with them. I find I tend to hoard/forget to use the bennie -- I am more concerned with paying attention to actions my character can take than actions I can take in its behalf.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Who uses hero points, destiny points or any other type of player controlled resource? (Apart from Inpiration)

My group uses hero points.

 

[Skyscraper]

As a player, I am less thrilled with them. I find I tend to hoard/forget to use the bennie -- I am more concerned with paying attention to actions my character can take than actions I can take in its behalf.

If the use of destiny points or hero points was associated to a specific resource that the PC has, such as for example "call upon divine favor" for the cleric; would you then have more ease in accepting them?

 

[Skyscraper]

My group uses hero points.

How would you rate or qualify the experience?

Any comments with respect to the praise and the limits mentioned by Nagol in his post previous to yours?

 

[Nagol]

If the use of destiny points or hero points was associated to a specific resource that the PC has, such as for example "call upon divine favor" for the cleric; would you then have more ease in accepting them?

Yep. It moves it back to being a PC resource and consideration.