Tell me about your House Rules for Action Points

[Tom Cashel]

...and how have they worked out?

My players are a little frustrated with the 1 AP per round, 1d6 per AP rules as written in D20 Modern.

I've considered offering a reroll of the d20 for 3 AP, and allowing multiple APs per round (but no more than your level divided by 2).

What have you got for me? Thanks.

 

[Christopher Lambert]

I'm thinking of allowing APs to remove the AoO from certain combat maneuvers, such as trips. In theory, any character can use these maneuvers but in practice the AoOs are too punitive and it takes a lot of feats, too. Plus, not every character meets the pre-requisites for Combat Expertise.

I'm also letting it work for Defense (but only past 7th-level, Defense is a little front-loaded) and I won't let AP be saved up between levels. (I was reluctant to let NPCs use their dice when the players hardly used theirs. From my experience in Eberron, my current group of players won't use APs unless they're horribly outmatched.)

 

[Tom Cashel]

That's an interesting idea...one that the Martial Artist in the group would appreciate.

I hear that in Grim Tales, you can spend an AP to automatically confirm a Crit. How 'bout some other stuff like that?

 

[Ymdar]

The way I handle APs goes like this:
Any PC can spend any APs on one thing, once per round. Hey...if they spend it too early it is their funeral
Considering anything else I follow the rules presented in the Eberron Campaign Setting.
I don't have my books with me now, but if d20Modern doesn't have the AP feats from Eberron, than they are also in my games.
I didn't have any problems with APs with my rules. (to be honest, the PCs always want to spend APs on the bbeg)

 

[Liquidsabre]

A House Rule I use

Fate Points

Characters start with 2 Fate Points at 1st level. Each time a character gains a level they receive 1 Fate Point. Each time a character performs an act of legendary heroism a character gains 1 Fate Point. To qualify as an act of legendary heroism the act must:

(1) Accomplish a significant task in the defense of good or the defeat of evil.

(2) Occur at a dramatically appropriate time – usually at the climax of an adventure.

(3) Require significant risk on the part of the legendary hero.

Character Level      Bonus Fate Dice 
    1st-3rd                 1d6
    4th-9th                 2d6
   10th-15th                3d6
   16th-20th                4d6

Before determining the success or failure of a particular d20 roll, a player may announce the expenditure of a fate point to increase their character's chances of success. By spending 1 fate point a character rolls a number of fate dice and adds the total to the original d20 roll. Use the chart above to determine the number of dice your character rolls depending upon their level. A maximum of 1 fate point may be spent for each d20 roll made. A character may possess as many as 5 fate points, any more fate points earned beyond this maximum are lost.

 

[Psion]

I am using the UA variant in my D&D game.

I don't accumulate the whole per-level allotment. Instead, I subtract 2 (thinking of making this 1 + the number of dice you roll, which starts out at 2, but works its way up to 4) points from the number you get at each level. However, you get this many points at EVERY SESSION that are "use or lose", i.e., if you have not used them by the end of the session, you don't keep them.

Frex, at 6th level, you normally get 8 APs. In my game, you would get 6 APs, plus 2 at each session that you don't save.

I am also considering using mearls' variant (add d10 instead of d6 if you declare BEFORE THE ROLL), useful in combination with maneuvers from BoIM.

 

[JPL]

Two things I've thought about, but haven't tried:

The Stunt
- If the hero spends one action point, he can use any feat for one round, even if he doesn't have the prereqs.
- Special requirement: this use of an action point represents the hero doing something very cool, unexpected, and cinematic. The player has to describe the coolness in loving detail.

The Editor
- Just lift the dramatic editing rules from Adventure --- 1 action point gets you a minor rewrite, 2 is more substantial, etc.

 

[Gospog]

Grim Tales

We use the Action Point table from Grim Tales. So far, so good.

Also, I introduced two new Feats.

Action Hero lets you use 2 APs in a round (not on the same action). Minimum level 4th.

Legendary Action Hero lets you use 3 APs in a round (not on the same action). Minimum level 8th.

So far, all three have worked out aweosme!

As an aside, in our last Shadow Chasers game, I almost hugged a player, out of pride (I've GMed this gamer from age 12 to age 19).
He teleported on top of a Martian Tripod to wrestle it's eye tentacle and shoot another Tripod, saving his friends.

Pulp. Action.

I love this game.

 

[GlassJaw]

I hear that in Grim Tales, you can spend an AP to automatically confirm a Crit.

Well in GT, you actually have to spend an AP to get a crit. There is no confirmation roll. If you get a critical threat, you spend an AP and it becomes a confirmed crit. If you don't have any AP's left, no crit.

It's really sweet because you can adjust the lethality of crits in your game based on how often you refresh the character's AP's. GT rocks!!

Also, I introduced two new Feats.

I like these a lot!

 

[reanjr]

...and how have they worked out?

My players are a little frustrated with the 1 AP per round, 1d6 per AP rules as written in D20 Modern.

I've considered offering a reroll of the d20 for 3 AP, and allowing multiple APs per round (but no more than your level divided by 2).

What have you got for me? Thanks.

This only applies when using the combat maneuvers from Book of Iron Might, but:

I allow an AP to be spent on reducing the penalty for the maneuver by 5. Works good.