Two game concepts that survive everywhere but D&D...

[Argyle King]

As has been mentioned, 4th edition does have action points. Also, it could be said that the very manner in which 4th edition powers and abilities are structured push the idea of action-heroey stunts.


There is a critical system in 4th edition as well. On a critical you get maximum damage, and certain properties of your equipment will (usually) also activate on a critical.



I do agree that hit locations don't usually work out in D&D, but I disagree that such systems are unfun. I play other systems which have hit locations and more robust critical hit tables, and I find them to be highly enjoyable. Those things can be fun; they just don't mix very well with the structure of D&D, and they tend to be at odds with the design ideals of 4th edition D&D.

 

[Celebrim]

First, many games have a critical hit system. D&D does not.

Most games that implement damage with specific hit locations and effects tend to have combat that involves spiraling suckitude. Each blow other than the first one tends not to matter. This means that in a game that goes for high detail in combat, paradoxically these games in play tend to involve little combat. It's simply to complex and lethal to do often.

It's worth noting that while many PnP games have done this, virtually no computer role playing games have ever departed from the D&D model.

I'm of the opinion that even the abstract critical hit system that D&D does have does not add to the game on the whole, but players so enjoy the criticals they deal they don't notice that in the long run critical hits always favor the monsters and at this point its such an expected part of the system that I can't easily remove it. So I'm doing my best to manage it.

Second, many systems have attempted some sort of heroic action sub-system, whether it be bennies in Savage Worlds, or Mr. Mike Mearls' rules on stunts/challenges in Iron Heroes. Official D&D does not (with some exceptions - Eberron comes to mind).

Because most 'bennies' are used in practice to control the luck and swingyness resulting from other systems having critical hits, shock, maiming and so forth in combat. They effectively fulfill the same role of expendable resource that hit points have in D&D. Because of the ablative nature of hit points and the durability of D&D characters, D&D doesn't strongly need this extra luck mitigating factor. Thus, it tends up to show up as an optional rule (where it primarily is used to control the luck involved in saving throws) but nothing pushes the game hard toward awarding 'bennies' of any sort.