Will D&D 3.5 have action dice?

[Henry]

Except that a lot of "effects" in D&D boil down to save-or-die. And these effects take into account the magic items that the PCs have. Action points would reduce the number of times you have to rely on the randomness of the d20 to survive.

I really don't see it. In D&D, everything that comes to save or die (of which there aren't that many - about a dozen or so effects, compared to the hundreds of spells that simply deal direct damage or damage abilities with a dice roll for effect) relies on save DC's to affect it. Saving throws are boosted by feats and magic items in D&D, and the only way to boost save DC's is also by magic items of equivalent power - effectively cancelling each other out, because groups of PC's will generally face foes of equivalent or lesser power than them.

However, in an action dice system, there is little no way to boost save DC's for opponents, but action dice gives one a way to boost saving throws, meaning there is no counterbalance - you can't use an action dice to boost the efficacy of a damage roll, or the saving throw your oppoent has to make, and you opponent will have an average of (on a d6) 3 to 4 points higher than you to save.

In other words, the function that action dice serve is taken up by buffing spells, on both sides, except that parity can be achieved by buffing items instead of pools of dice.



Roland: in all the games you mention, there are little to no magic items or equipment that boosts your ability in a significant way (olver 5 to 10% efficacy). My supposition is that Action Dice take the place of magic or cool equipment in these cases, since (for example in d20 Modern) a +1 or +2 bonus is about the max you get without throwing magic in.

My experience with d20 Modern has thus far been fascinating. In the 3 or 4 games we've run, NO ONE has spent an action point yet. Maybe they are forgetting them, but despite reminders, they consider them too precious to use. It's a situation analogous to the days in 2nd edition D&D when people couldn't make potions or scrolls without effort, and everyone was as stingy as Ebenezer scrooge with their magic, for fear that it would be used up on "frivolous" pursuits - even when life or limb was involved. As a result, several encounters have been by the skin of their teeth.

In Star wars (D6 and D20) however, they use force points and character points like Jason Alexander eats KFC. Maybe its the illusion of scarcity, but when my players are given limited supplies of "boost," they become very parsimonious with it. They took less chances, not more.