Mark, Trailblazer actually #'s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 (pretty much the same as #4), and 10!
True, true. Let it be said: I do like APs as presented in
Trailblazer. It's easily one of the best such systems I've seen, and I've been around gaming for quite a while.
#8 (dodge bonus) was in Grim Tales but it got rolled into Combat Reactions (dodge).
Ah. I'm not that far into the PDF yet.
#9 is interesting. I'd have to go through the list of conditions and see which ones would apply but spending an AP in this way shouldn't gain you an automatic save. My gut feeling is this is too powerful.
I was limiting it to dazed, stunned, sickened, fatigued, and shaken, with the AP being spent at the beginning of the affected PC's turn. It might be too powerful, depending on how you define "too powerful". Also, I am not sure how happy I am with the idea. It needs tweaking, maybe even tweaking-to-death.
Of course, like I said, I'm really still in the planning stages.
Trailblazer's list of basic one-AP effects is great. What I'm really looking for is something that lends itself to more cinematic effects while at the same time encouraging players to be more narrative.
My initial instinct when reading
Trailblazer's AP chapter was to retool Action Point Enhancements to be generally available as options based on character level. For example, certain tier one abilities would be available to all 1st-level characters. Other APEs would be available only as feats or some such thing.
In my own musings about my next campaign, here's part of what I'd already typed up (but I'm not sure how happy I am with this):
You can perform special maneuvers and earn extra XP during combat via these rules. Here's how being an Action Hero works:
1. Describe the method of your attack. For example, “I leap up into the air, slicing at his neck as I jump over him," or “I kick a cloud of dust into the air, then slash at his exposed neck as he staggers back to clear his eyes.”
2. You earn XP equal to your character level x 10 for having described your attack. Caveat: The bonus applies only if the stunt description is being used for the first time in the current fight. This includes uses by other players or the DM.
3. You gain one of the following: a +1 bonus to attack roll, a +1 dodge bonus to AC, a +2 bonus to damage, or a +2 bonus to any combat maneuver. The chosen bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.
Each game session, you get (6 x your character level) Action Hero Points (AHP). Any time you earn XP for describing your attack, you can spend AHP for an additional effect. You cannot spend more than 5 + your character level AHP in a single round.
AHP additional effects let a character do things like set for a charge as a reaction (3 AHP), leap as if having a running start (1 AHP), or use disarm, sunder, or trip with a ranged attack (2 AHP). These additional effects should be tied narratively to the character's action.